EFA’s Certified Flight Instructors
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Todd Lardy
I was born and raised in North Dakota, achieving my Commercial, Multiengine, and Instrument ratings at the University of North Dakota.  I then attended the University of Maryland where I received my BS in Aerospace Engineering.  While attending the University of Maryland I earned my CFI.  After college I worked for the Navy at their flight test facility and had the opportunity to attend the US Naval Test Pilot School.  After working for the Navy I then moved to Wichita, KS where I worked as a test pilot for Cessna Aircraft Company.  I earned my CFII at the Cessna Employees Flying Club.  I moved to Boston in February, 2006 and work at MIT Lincoln Laboratory as a research pilot flying the Twin Otter.

My tip for students is to always keep flying.  Flying is a skill, just like riding a bike, the more you do it the better you’ll get!

Jake Kasprzyk
It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting with my father at the end of Buffalo International's runway 05 watching planes land in a star-lit night. It could have been those awe-inspiring nights, or perhaps stories of my grandfather flying P-40s, or maybe it was watching formations of F-16s overfly my house in the rural burbs of Niagara Falls; but I have always known that I wanted to fly. I originally went to SUNY Farmingdale in Long Island to start my aviation career.  After sometime in the NYC area I could no long deal with the Yankee fans and decided to transfer to Bridgewater State College to be with Red Sox fans. But, not before I went home to Buffalo International airport to achieve the first step in my dream; my private pilots license. I then went off to MA and completed my BS degree in aviation with a minor in management in the Spring of 06. In the meantime I was conducting my flight training with Delta Connection Academy who had a joint partnership with Bridgewater State College. I am currently pursuing my CFII and multi-engine ratings while teaching students for their private and commercial certificates. My goal in aviation is to be free and have fun. Hopefully I can inspire the same love for aviation to you that I have myself.

Richard "Rick" Mangione
As a former Naval Aviator, and Civil Air Patrol - USAF Auxiliary pilot with a BA in History, I grew up building model airplanes in my hometown of Philadelphia, PA.  As an adult I still feel the same excitement, and enthusiasm for flight that I felt as a kid pedaling my bike to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to watch airplanes takeoff, and land. I have my Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument and Multi-Engine Instrument ratings with over 4,000 hours total flight time. A tip I like to leave with students is, whenever there is any question in your mind that your flight cannot continue safely, land ASAP. Even if your not sure.

Marc Nathanson
I first learned to fly in my father’s Stearman in 1964. I was bitten by the flying bug as a 5 year old when my dad took me up in his Cessna 170 at Marlborough in 1952. I graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and began flight instructing soon after. I joined the Air Force in 1970 and retired after over 20 years of service. I flew the F-4 Phantom as a line pilot and as an Operational Test and Evaluation Test Project Officer. I also flew the T-33 and was Director of Operations of a unit as well as Chief of Flight Safety for ADTAC command at Langley AFB, VA. I have been stationed in Europe, Asia and the US. I am a FAA Designated Pilot Examiner and Chief of the Multiengine training program for Executive Flyers. I teach all disciplines, including aerobatics. Presently I fly the MD-11 for FedEx and have been a member of the Executive Flyers family since 1987.  Best tips: Earning a rating is a ticket to continue learning; and have a plan for each flight.

Aaron Paplaskas
I became interested in flying when I was in high school. After my parents bought me a discovery ride as a birthday present I was hooked. I took lessons throughout high school as often as I could save the money. After high school I moved to Florida to continue my training.  I flew everything and as often as I could to obtain a Certified Flight Instructor-Airplane, Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument, Multi-Engine Instrument, Instrument Ground Instructor, and Advanced Ground Instructor certificates.  I have flown a wide variety of aircraft including many aerobatic planes and a few jets.  I enjoy teaching and sharing my passion for aviation with my students.

Mark Wilkinson
I wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember. Flight training in my native Europe, however, was prohibitively expensive so the dream remained just that for far too long. Years later, while working as a journalist for a wire service in Boston, I was finally able to afford flight lessons. The bug bit rapidly and grew to be unrelenting. When I spent more time peering out the window of my State Street office to airplanes swooping in and out of Logan Airport than looking at my computer screen, it became obvious that my place was on the other side of that pane of glass: in the sky. With a mix of excitement and sadness I left my wife for a few months to train at an academy. I soon earned my single- and multi-engine commercial certificates and became an instructor with instrument and multi-engine ratings in short order. I'm very excited about teaching something that has all my life been an inextinguishable passion. My advice would be to remember why you want to become a pilot and never forget to have fun in the process.