Instructor Pilots
Our entire team at APS Emergency Maneuver Training is devoted to making your flight training session an exciting, memorable highlight. From the moment you make your first contact with APS to the actual flight and beyond you’ll be in professional capable hands.
Each one of our instructor pilot’s professional flight experience spans a highly specialized spectrum of aviation that uniquely qualifies them as the ideal training providers. All have extensive experience in general aviation, aerobatic maneuvering, military instruction, technologically advanced aircraft and commercial and/or transport category flight operations. As a testament to the unparalleled quality of our instructor staff, the APS President and Director of Flight Training are two of only twenty NAFI Master CFIs in the United States to receive “aerobatic” accreditation out of a field of over 90,000 CFIs and nearly 500 Master CFIs nationwide.
Paul “BJ” Ransbury, President
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
Instructor Qualifications:
Master CFI-Aerobatic
Part 141 Chief Flight Instructor / Gold Seal Flight Instructor
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) | Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI)
Instrument Instructor Airplane (CFII/MEII) | Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI)
FITS: Cirrus Standardized Instructor (CSI) SR22/20
Military – Bombardier Flying Instruction Techniques Course Graduate
Military – Fighter Weapons Instructor Course Graduate
Professional Pilot Experience and Certifications:
Airline Transport Pilots License, Single/Multi-Engine IFR (US & CAN)
Airlines: A320 Airbus
Tailwheel / Complex / High-Performance Certified
4000+ Hours Aerobatic Experience (2500+ hours in the Extra 300L)
Memberships: NBAA, AOPA, TBMOPA, MMOPA, EAA, IAC, NAFI, ICAS, CUATE
Military Fighter Pilot Experience:
12 Yrs CAF: F/A-18 Hornet Fighter Pilot
Fighter Electronic Warfare and Advanced Radar Graduate
416 Tactical Fighter Squadron | 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron
Air Show Qualifications:
ICAS Certified Air Show Performer – Solo/Formation Aerobatics
Education:
BSc Honors Mathematics & Physics Degree | Royal Military College of Canada
Pursuing MBA – University of Phoenix
Clarke “Otter” McNeace, VP – Flight Operations
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
Director of Flight Training / Check Pilot
NAFI Master CFI-Aerobatic
United States’ First NAFI CFI-Aerobatic
Part 141 Assistant Chief Flight Instructor / Gold Seal Flight Instructor
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) / Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI)
Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) / Instrument Instructor Airplane (CFII/MEII)
FAASTeam Lead Representative
11,000+ Flight Hours
U.S. Navy: 8 yrs active duty
F/A-18 Hornet Instructor | Fighter Weapons Instructor
Strike Phase Instructor | Landing Signal Officer (LSO) with Training Qual
36 combat missions: Desert Storm/ Southern Watch
300 carrier-arrested landings:
USS Midway, USS Independence, USS Nimitz,
USS America, USS Lexington
Memberships: IAC, NAFI, CUATE
Airline Transport Pilot – 10 years | Airline Captain, B-737 – 5 years
Tailwheel, Complex, Sailplane endorsements
B.S. Computer Science, University of Kansas
Bill ‘Muff’ Moffat
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
Canadian Air Force: 15 yrs active duty
F/A-18 Hornet Instructor
Fighter Electronic Warfare and Advanced Radar Instructor
Wing Tactical Evaluation Pilot
Canadian Air Force CF-18 Demonstration Pilot
United States Navy F/A-18 Instructor Pilot
Carrier Qualified
Theatre of Duty: Kosovo
Airline Transport Pilot
Airlines:B-737, K&S Aviation 737 Instructor Pilot
Tailwheel, Complex, Sailplane endorsements
B. Comm, Dalhousie University
Philip “O.P.” Oppenheimer
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
20 Years USAF: F-16, A/OA-37, A-10 Fighter Pilot
Instructor Course Graduate – F16, A10, AT37
28 Combat Missions DESERT SHIELD / STORM
1990-1991 (F-16)
356th Tactical Fighter Squadron (A-10)
24th Comp/Tac Air Support Squadron (A/OA-37)
4th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, UT (F-16)
421st Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, UT (F-16)
310th Fighter Squadron (F-16 Ops Officer)
309th Fighter Squadron (F-16 Commander)
Airline Transport Pilots License, BE-400, MU-300
USDA Interagency USDI
Single Engine Air Tanker Firefighting Pilot
FAA – Aviation Safety Counselor
BS Education, Math & Physics, Texas A&M University
MA Military Studies, Air Warfare, AMU
Dede “Weeble” Fuller
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
15 Years USAF: Lt. Col, F-16
120 Fighter Wing Montana Air National Guard
FAA: Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
FAA: Certified Instrument Instructor (CFII)
Pitts S1S Owner & Aerobatic Pilot
C-130 Hercules Cargo/Troop Pilot
MSc: Chemical Engineering – Rice University
BSc: Chemical Engineering – Montana State University
NASA Space Shuttle Mission Controller
“Stormin’ ” Norman Rennspies
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
20 Years USAF: F-16, A-10 Fighter Pilot
Instructor Course Graduate – F16, A10
USAF Fighter Weapons School Graduate
Combat Vet DESERT SHIELD / STORM / SOUTHERN WATCH
1990-1998 (A-10,F-16)
25th Tactical Fighter Squadron (A-10) Suwon Korea
92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (A-10) RAF Bentwaters
356th Fighter Squadron (A-10) Myrtle Beach, SC.
94 Training Squadron (TG-7A) USAF Academy, Co.
68th Fighter Squadron (F-16 ) Moody, GA.
61st Fighter Squadron (F-16) Luke AFB, AZ.
56th Training Squadron (F16 Chief Academic Instructor) Luke AFB, AZ
Peace Vector IV (F16 Commander) Gianaclis AB, Egypt
Airline Transport Pilots License
Airlines: Boeing 737, Airbus A320/319/321
B.S. General Engineering, USAF Academy, Co.
M.S. Management, Troy State University, European Region
Mike “Smo” Smothermon
Aerobatic, Upset Recovery & Spin Training Instructor
20 Years USAF: Lt. Col, F-16, A-10 Fighter Pilot
Instructor Course Graduate – F16
308th Fighter Squadron Commander, Luke AFB, AZ
80th Fighter Squadron Operations Officer, Kunsan AB, Korea
61st Fighter Squadron Assistant Ops Officer, MacDill AFB, FL
526th Fighter Squadron Flight Commander, Ramstein AB, GE
509th Fighter Squadron, Bentwaters, UK
Airline Transport Pilot’s License, B-737 800/200
Flight Engineer, B-727
FAA – Aviation Safety Counselor
Univ. of Southern California System Safety School
MBA – Boston University
BSc, Operations Research – USAF Academy
