Our Staff

I grew up on or near an Air Force Base as my father was a Flight Engineer on the B-29, B-50, B-36 then the KC-97. I knew a lot about these planes from reading everything I could find. I think I surprised him a couple of times telling him things about the B-50 that were supposed to be secret. I read all about it in the Saturday Evening Post.

When I started working delivering newspapers I bought every plastic model available. When we moved to McGill A.F. Base I got into U-controls Radio controlled airplanes. I soloed my first airplane on my 17th birthday at Dow A.F. Base, Bangor, ME. In 1962 I was in Texas and watched a flight of OH-23 Army helicopters fly over our house. The next day I was in Ft. Worth talking to the Army recruiter. He told me I’d be a helicopter pilot in no time. He lied!

Jordan has been serving in the U.S. Coast Guard since 2005. He is currently assigned as a K9 Handler, patrolling Northern California. Jordan’s passion for aviation came about while he was stationed in Hawaii, assigned to a tactical team that utilized helicopters as their primary mode of transportation. He thoroughly enjoyed taking in the views of Hawaii with his legs dangling out of the door. Though, his gaze would routinely wander to the flight deck.
Jordan decided that he would rather be the one flying upfront instead of riding in the back, and that was the beginning. He was lucky enough to complete his primary and instrument training in 2013 while living in Hawaii. His Commercial and Instructor Certificates were earned right here in the Bay Area. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aviation and hopes to move to the airlines after he retires from the Coast Guard in 2025.

ATP Flight School Alumni and a member of the NorCal Flight Club.
I had always wanted to fly, I just never thought being a pilot was in the cards for me. Lo and behold, one big loan and “7 months” at ATP changed my life. As a first generation pilot, I thought that learning to fly would be nearly impossible and dreaded my first step into aviation. But almost immediately, I was surrounded by a community of pilots, students, and instructors, who genuinely wanted to see me succeed and helped me to do just that. Although I will always be learning, now that I’m on the other side I am excited to have the opportunity to teach people who have the same dream I do, and show them what a beautiful dream airplanes can be.

My journey to flying for a living started with a $5 Discovery Flight at Gnoss Field (Marin County) in 1975. Juggling working as a printer and taking flight lessons, I received my PPL about 7 months later and headed over the hill to a dirt strip in Schellville for aerobatic training. This decision was a result of being left with “Fear of Stalling” syndrome - something that the method of flight instruction at that time seemed to cause a lot of. After a couple of years turning Decathlons & Citabrias inside-out, I received a MEL in 1978, an IFR rating the next year, and a Commercial Certificate in 1980.

Paul Osterman
Rating: 141 CFI, CFII

Paul grew up near Redding, California where he would fly with his father out of Benton Airfield. After graduating from Chico State University, he spent about eight years in the Marine Corps and was a mechanic on F/A-18s. After being stationed in San Diego and Iwakuni, Japan, he moved back to the Chico area where he earned his private pilot license. He continued with the rest of his ratings at Wings Flight School through Liberty University. Paul has enjoyed sharing his passion for aviation with others, taking friends and family flying, and now teaching others how to fly.

Angelo Gabriel
Rating: 141 CFI, CFII

Angelo has always wanted to be a pilot as long as he can remember. His profound fascination of flight has been and will always be an inherent trait of his. He learned how to fly shortly after graduating business school in his hometown, Manila. He obtained his private pilot certificate in Canada, then all certificates and ratings after that were completed in the northern California area. He aims to share his passion for aviation and produce safe and competent pilots.

Alvaro Garcia
Rating: 141 CFI, CFII

Alvaro is a dedicated CFI/CFII and passionate aviation lover sharing skills, and knowledge of flight, while joyfully embracing every moment in the skies.

Carlos Morales
Rating: 141 CFI

Carlos’ love for aviation began when he and his family took their first airline flight to Florida for vacation when he was a toddler. He knew he gained a spark for flying when all he looked forward to during the entire vacation was the flight back home, just to get back on the airplane. His passion only grew bigger for aviation as he grew up. Carlos did all of his training here at Wings Flight School, so to say he flies at home is an understatement.

Preston Dougherty
Rating: 141 CFI

I have been involved in general aviation at the Nut Tree airport since a young age. Sunday afternoons were spent hearing the stories of the greatest generation in their waning years and picking up as much as possible. I started flying through the EAA’s Young Eagles program as soon as I was old enough. As a teenager, I would go for a dual flight at WINGS occasionally, but I never had the money to dive in all the way.

Richard Payne
Rating: 141 CFI

Rich Payne dedicated his life to aviation. Rich has a Bachelor’s in Professional Aeronautics, with a minor in management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Summa Cum Laude), and three Associates degrees in Technical Instruction, Aircraft Maintenance, and Professional Aeronautics. Rich also has an A&P, retired as a Maintenance Group Chief from the Air Force after 28 years, and earned an AGI certificate. Currently, he is working on an Aviation degree from Liberty University to launch his flying career. Rich is a long time RC flyer, fixed F-15s for many years, and finally reached his dream job here at Wings Flight School as a CFI.

David Garalde
Rating: 141 CFI

When I was 17, I took my first flight in a Beechcraft Skipper here at Nut Tree. It was my first introduction to general aviation and I was hooked. Ever since that flight I knew I wanted to become a pilot and I was eager to explore all of the different facets within aviation. At 19, I started training towards my private pilot and earned my license about a year later. Soon after completing my private, I enrolled in an aviation maintenance program to grow my knowledge of aircraft systems and ultimately get my airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate.