Meet Our Instructors

Donna Stevens

She is the chief flight instructor. Donna has been teaching full time for close to 25 years. Donna is a FAA Gold Seal Instructor and Master Flight Instructor Emeritus ( 1 of 40 ).

The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA. Designees are recognized as outstanding aviation educators for not only their excellence in teaching, but for their engagement in the continuous process of learning – both their own and their students’. The designation must be renewed biennially and significantly surpasses the FAA requirements for nenewal of the candidate’s flight instructor certificate.

To help put these achevements in their proper perspective, there are approximately 101,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 800 of those aviation educators have achieved that distintion thus far. The last 23 national Flight Instructors of the Year were Master CFIs while Donna is one of only 6 Indiana Teachers of flight to earn this prestigious “Master” title and the only one at Porter County Regional Airport. 

She first earned this national professional accredidation in 2002, has held it continuously since then, and is one of only 30 worldwide to earn the credential 6 times. In the words of former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, “The Master Instructor accreditation singles out the best that the right seat has to offer.”

Derrick Shannon

He is a commercial pilot who holds flight instructor, instrument instructor, and multi-engine instructor ratings. He has been instructing over 18 years.