The instructor/student relationship plays a very important role in the flight training process. You should feel both confident with your instructor's abilities and also comfortable with their personality. With full and part time instructors on staff, we can provide the right instructor who can meet your learning needs.

Brad Guthrie, Operations Manager, CFI	Chris Betras, CFI	Matt Dickens, CFI
Darrick Helmuth, Operations Manager, CFI	Christine Mortine, Asst. Operations Mgr	Tom Baxter, CFI
Mina Flemister, CFI	Heather Garrett, CFI	Tim Heron, CFII, CFI
Ira Sprouse, CFI, CFII, MEI	Brian Neill, CFII	Mark Hollander, CFI

Brad Guthrie, Operations Manager Brad holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate for Multi Engine and Single Engine Land aircraft. In addition to the certificates above, an Advanced Ground Instructor Certificate allows him to teach ground school and teach in the SIM where he was trained at the factory. Another of his accomplishments is holding a SIC BE-400/MU-300 type rating. Brad received all of his training here, at the Ohio State University airport, and has logged over 1550 hrs. He received his CFI rating in the fall of 2008. Washing airplanes to pay for his flight training started Brad on his aviation career in the year 2000. From washing airplanes, Brad eventually worked his way into a position with Capital City Aviation as Operations Manager in charge of aircraft operations and maintenance. In 2004, Brad played a vital role in starting Capital City Aviation and is currently on the Board of Directors. Before Brad got involved in aviation he worked for his dad building houses in central Ohio. Brad has lived in Columbus for most of his life. In his spare time he enjoys biking, camping, watching movies, and most of all, flying.

Darrick Helmuth, Operations Manager Darrick holds an Airline Transport Pilot, Airplane Multi Engine and Single Engine land pilot certificates along with Certified Flight Instructor, Airplane Single Engine land. Darrick has been flying for over 7 years and received his Bachelor's of Science in Aviation from Ohio University in June 2005. He has accumulated 2400 hours of flying experience in various aircraft; and since graduation has logged over 2000hrs of flight instruction and contract pilot service throughout the U.S. He is a member of the PPA (Professional Pilots Association) and hopes to be a corporate pilot in the future. Darrick is a native of Plain City, OH and when not at the office or flying, he enjoys wake-boarding, snow skiing, hiking, hunting, working out, triathlons, softball, OSU football/basketball, playing with his dogs, and spending time with his family.

Christine Mortine, Asst. Operations Manager Christine holds a Private Pilot certificate and is currently working on Instrument rating. Her love of flying was clinched while living in Alaska. Upon returning to "the lower forty eight" she started training with Capital City Aviation (CCA). Christine was founder and music director of Columbus Bach Ensemble, a professional baroque orchestra, for six years. She has taught at Denison and Kenyon Colleges. In addition to her work and training at CCA, she runs a private music studio and performs regularly. Christine and husband Neil live in Worthington (right below 27L approach) with children Lauren and Kyle, and her step-daughters Jessie and Abby living near by. Christine also enjoys backpacking, kayaking, traveling, gardening and reading.

Heather Garrett, Flight Instructor Heather Garrett holds an Airplane Single & Multi engine Land; Instrument airplane. She also holds a Flight Instructor Airplane Single Engine, Instrument airplane. Heather has been flying for ten years; she began her training in Jacksonville Florida. Heather got her Private Pilot certificate and Instrument rating with Comair in Jacksonville. She then transferred to Ohio University where she finished her flight training and received a Bachelors of Science in Aviation in 2004. She has logged over 1600 hours single engine and 200 hours in multi engine aircraft. Heather is from Upper Arlington. She enjoys watching OSU football, wakeboarding, spending time with the family and traveling.

Tom Baxter, Flight Instructor Tom holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with a multiengine land airplane rating, with Commercial privileges ratings in single engine airplane and rotorcraft-helicopter. He is a Certified Flight Instructor with single and multiengine airplane; and instrument airplane ratings. Tom earned an undergraduate degree (1980) and an M.B.A. (1986) from The Ohio State University. His first job as a flight instructor in 1976 was on staff with OSU during and after college. Additional work in aviation includes charter, corporate and commuter airline pilot; as well as experience flying EMS and aerial application (ag) helicopters, and he has had a lifelong interest in aerobatics. Since developing, implementing and directing the original Grant Medical Center LifeFlight Helicopter program from 1982 - 1988, his career has been primarily in the health care industry. He is now a principal in a health and financial services company, and has a current pet project developing programs to promote the safe and effective use of owner-flown general aviation aircraft in business. Tom and his wife Cheryl live in Hilliard, and have three daughters: Christy, a recent college graduate, and twins Amy and Katie who are both college seniors. In his home life he enjoys time with his family, friends, dogs and horses; and is active in fitness, shooting sports, scuba diving, kayaking and camping.

Ira Sprouse, Flight Instructor Ira holds an Airline Transport Pilot-Airplane Multi Engine Land, Certified Flight Instructor-Single and Multi engine as well as Instrument Airplane ratings. He has logged over 3,000 hours of flight time, including over 1,400 of dual instruction given, and over 1,000 flying skydivers in King Air 90 and Twin Otter aircraft. Ira has a bachelor's degree in Aviation Business from, "The Ohio State University" and works full time piloting a King Air 90/200 for Omniflight Helicopters Inc. Ira resides in Lewis Center, Ohio with his two children, Corey and Jacob.

Chris Betras, Flight Instructor Chris currently holds a Commercial Pilot Airplane Single-Engine Land certificate with an Instrument rating. He also holds a Certified Flight Instructor - Airplane Single Engine Land. Chris began training with CCA in 2004 and became the first CFI from CCA. Chris's love of flying developed young when his family would take trips to his grandparent's house using the family Cessna 172. After graduation Chris decided to fully realize his interest in flying by making it his career. Since then Chris has used his family's Mooney to build up over 900 hours and become a flight instructor. Chris also enjoys biking, motorcycling, car racing, skiing, going to new airports, and seeking new challenges.

Brian Neill, Flight Instructor Brian Neill holds Commercial Pilot - Airplane Multi Engine, Single Engine land, and Helicopter pilot certificates. He also holds a Flight Instructor Certificate – Airplane Single Engine, Multi Engine, Helicopter, and Instrument Airplane ratings. Brian has a BA in Aviation Human Factors with a minor in Russian from The Ohio State University that he earned in 2001. Brian started flying in 1997 through The Ohio State University where he obtained his private pilot rating. He later finished up his instrument and commercial rating in Enterprise, AL and obtained his multi-engine ratings and instructor ratings in Florida. In 2003 he attended military flight school at Ft Rucker, AL where he obtained his helicopter ratings and started his military flying career. He currently flies the UH-60 Blackhawk for the Ohio Army National Guard. He has over 1400hrs of flight time with over 700hrs as a Flight Instructor and is currently working on obtaining his CFII helicopter rating. In his spare time he enjoys flying, participating in sports, officiating high school basketball, and running.

Matt Dickens Flight Instructor Matt holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate for Multi and Single Engine Land aircraft and holds the following Certified Flight Instructor ratings: CFI, CFII, MEI. Matt has also flown the CL-65 (CRJ-200) for US Airways Express, and most recently the Beech Baron and the Piper Navajo for Airnet Systems. Matt instructed for Regional Airline Academy where he obtained all of his instructor ratings and taught Commercial Multi-Engine Ground School. He started working at CCA in December of 2007 and instructed until being offered a job to fly for Airnet Systems in May 2008. He considers this as one of the best, most challenging and most rewarding experiences thus far due to the fact the job required high performance, single pilot IFR, in some very challenging weather conditions. Matt now looks forward to bringing some of this experience back to aid in his teaching curriculum. This experience will certainly help to give students not just what they need to gain their license and or ratings, but should also help in giving real, everyday examples with which to draw from to help make them safer pilots. Matt has lived in Columbus for most of his life where he also obtained is 4 year business degree at Franklin University in 2003. In his spare time he enjoys going out and or watching movies with the Mrs., watching college football (Go Bucks), playing music(sing, play drums and a little guitar), camping, boating, fishing, skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing, and of course flying.

Tim Heron, Flight Instructor Tim holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate-Airplane Single Engine land, along with a Certified Flight Instructor Certificate-Airplane Single Engine and Instrument Airplane ratings. He also holds a Ground Instructor Certificate and Advanced Ground Instructor Certificates. In 2009, Tim received the National Association of Flight Instructor's (NAFI) designation as Master Flight Instructor, the highest award NAFI confers to CFIs, and the FAA's designation as a Gold Seal instructor. Tim graduated from the Temple University (1976) with his doctorate in special education. In June 2004, Tim retired from Ohio State as Professor Emeritus after serving for 28 years as a faculty member in Special Education. He has been flying for 39 years, has logged 2350 hours of flight time, and has been co-owner of a C-182 for 20 years. Tim became a CFI in 2001, a CFI-I in 2002, and he has logged 810 hours dual given. Tim is originally from Philadelphia, PA. Aviation aside, Tim enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and biking.

Mark Hollander, Flight Instructor Mark holds a Commercial Airplane Single Engine Land; Instrument Airplane Certificate with Private Privileges in Single Engine Sea. Mark also holds both Flight Instructor Single Engine and Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane privelges. Mark graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Aircraft Systems and a minor in Criminology.  He worked full-time throughout college to put himself through school/flight training.  When he's not flight instructing, you will most likely find him working Line Service here at Ohio State University Airport. Mark is originally from Cleveland, OH.  In his spare time he enjoys following Cleveland/Ohio State/Columbus Blue Jackets sports, running, biking, fishing, going to concerts/sporting events, and anything else involving the outdoors.