Meet Our Staff

Senior Instructors

Jim Kwasek

Jim is the Owner and Chief Pilot at Chicago Executive Flight School. An active member of the flying community at Chicago Executive Airport, Jim is president of PAPA at Chicago Executive, the largest pilot organization at Chicago Executive Airport (formerly Palwaukee Municipal Airport). Jim started flying at Palwaukee in 1988, then went on to Southern Illinois University for his degrees in Aviation Management and Aviation Flight. When not flying, Jim enjoys teaching Tae Kwon Do.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI, Flight Engineer Turbojet

Dave Klopfleisch

Dave started flying in 1966 at Roselle Airport, now called Schaumburg Airport in Schaumburg, IL. He served in the Navy 1968-1974 with his last duty station at Miramar, CA. In the Navy, Dave flew the TA-4, single engine attack jet. Afterwards, Dave worked for various corporate flight departments and served as the Safety Officer at the NAS Glenview Flying Club from 1993-1996.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI and MEI, ATP, Part 121 Flight Dispatcher, current Safety Officer at Chicago Executive Flight School

Instructors

Ryan Crabbe

On July 7th, 2005, Ryan flew his very first flight lesson with Chicago Executive Flight School. After receiving his degree and other flight certificates at Saint Louis University Parks College, he returned to be an instructor. He has worked for both Express Jet and United Airlines in the safety departments analyzing safety data. Ryan has been flying for almost five years.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI and CFII

Justin Hancock

Justin has been an avid fan of all things aviation all his life. While other children were watching TV, he was asking his parents and friends to go to the closest airport to watch the pilots and planes do their thing: always dreaming of being on the other side of the fence with them. In 2007, he made that dream come true for himself when he attended the private pilot and career pilot program, at ATP flight school in Atlanta Georgia and became a certified instructor in various single and multi-engine Cessna, Beechcraft, and Piper aircraft.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI

Adam Kelley

Adam, like a lot of kids, grew up dreaming about being a pilot. The only difference is he never grew out of it. He had flown in a few small aircraft before, but didn’t really start his actual training until he attended to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. At the university, Adam completed training for his commercial, instrument, and flight instructor certificates and graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. He’s been flying for 5 years.
Flying Qualifications include: CFI

Jimmy Koschmann

Jimmy Koschmann started his formal flight training at Purdue University during the fall of 2005 where he pursued a bachelors degree in aviation technology. During the summer following his sophomore year, he earned his flight instructing certificate and worked as a part time instructor for Purdue University. Along with learning to fly, he played trumpet in the marching band and was a summer camp director at his home church in Carol Stream, IL.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI and CFII

Richard Krauleidis

Richard did most of his flight training at American Flyers and has been flying since 1997. His professional experience as a pilot includes working both as a jump pilot flying skydivers and as a flight instructor training students.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI

Juan Lopez

Juan first learned to fly at Midway Airport about 30 years ago. He’s been flight instructing for the past 8 yrs at Chicago Executive Airport and working as a Customer Systems Technician with AT&T for 18 yrs.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, and Commercial Multi-Engine

Matt Moser

In 2004, Matt learned to fly at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He has done some glider flying and would like to get his rating next year. His background is pretty colored having spent five years working in his father’s truck shop maintaining and repairing semi-trucks. He learned to weld, change tires, rebuild transmissions and operate heavy equipment like end-loaders and bull-dozers.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, and IGI

Marty Sarussi

Ever since he was young Marty had the flying bug. In 2000 he began taking private pilot lessons here at Chicago Executive Airport and has successfully pursued an aviation career in the years following. He has four years instruction experience and spent several years flying Part 135 Charter operations.  Outside of aviation, Marty is an avid swimmer has been coaching Master's Swimming programs for more than 17 years.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP

Ben Simon

Ben comes from a family of pilots. His dad was a captain with American eagle and his brother is a captain for shuttle America, so he’s been in and around airplanes all his life. Ben did his flight training with ATP (airline transport professionals flight school) and his favorite part of flying by instruments, in the clouds, and flying instrument approaches. He loves flying and would never change his career to do anything else.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI

Scott Swider

Scott has been flying small planes since 2002 when he took his first flight lesson in Venice, FL. He completed his Private Pilot training here at Chicago Executive Airport, and all the rest of his training all across America with ATP. He’s been managing restaurants and taverns all of his adult life. Scott’s grandfather was a pilot and Scott says that was what inspired him to pursue aviation.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI

Kyle Virgei

Kyle received his first flight lesson out of Lorain County Regional Airport in Ohio when he was 16 years old. This is where his original training took place. Kyle then attended Kent State University to complete ratings up through his CFI and obtained his degree in Flight Technology. He moved to Chicago to flight instruct and further his aviation career.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI