West Coast Ravens - Pilot Bios

Pilot Bios

Our pilots have a broad array of varied backgrounds, but we all share our love for flying — formation flying in particular. Below are some short bios for each of the pilots on our team.

NorCal Wing

"CrazyGlue" – Shane Margraves
Bio Coming Soon...

"Deuce" – Randy McFarland
Randy's call sign is "Deuce" – as in Acey/Deucey, the Navy version of Backgammon. Randy was an Air Force kid and had a fascination with airplanes ever since he could recognize them. He received his license in 1974 flying out of Long Beach and learning spins over the Queen Mary. After flying 200 or so hours in SoCal, flying was put on hold due to a long series of job transfers, relocations, kids, etc. 25 years later, after the kids were gone and time was available, Randy got back into flying and did the "spam can thing" for a couple of years. He then made the brilliant decision to build an airplane. In his RV-7A, Randy started learning "what flying is all about" – weekend trips with his wife/navigator to Sedona, Monument Valley, Mexico, Victoria Island, BC, not to mention fly-ins with the RV community and aerobatics. Then the real discovery – formation flying. Randy trained with the West Coast Ravens and is a FFI Wingman

"McFly" – Hugh Tyler
Hugh started flying lessons in 1986 just one week after a surprise aerobatic ride, but aerobatics would have to wait 21 years until the completion of his RV-7. He scratched his flying itch by earning a glider rating, and later a tail wheel endorsement so he could fly the glider tugs at his local soaring club to earn his keep. Hugh has accumulated over 1300 hours in various types of sailplanes and light aircraft. With the exception of a coast to coast flight in a 50-year-old Piper Clipper with no radio, he is proud to claim that he never uses an airplane to get anywhere that he actually needs to be. Hugh hopes to continue this tradition with the West Coast Ravens.

"Scooter" – Scott Chastain
Scott's father taught him to fly when he was a boy in the same town where he was born, raised, and where he is still based: in Merced, California. Learning to fly in a Piper Cub and an Aeronca Champ, Scott served 4 years in the USAF as an enlisted bomb navigation specialist on the F-111A. It wasn't until graduating from college and becoming a high school English teacher, however, that Scott earned his private ticket. Soon after, he found himself fulfilling the lifelong dream of building his own airplane: the RV-8 he flies today. For Scooter, because of the priceless friendships that are created along the path of training, and because of the solidarity of those friendships that are so strongly based on mutual trust and respect, formation flying is far and away the ultimate in sport aviation.

"Sharpie" – Dan Checkoway
Dan has been flying since 1988 and has logged more than 3000 hours – over 750 in formation. He is a Commercial Multi-Engine Instrument rated pilot. Dan built his Van's RV-7 from a kit and has flown it all around the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He began formation training under the tutelage of Gary "Condor" Sobek, who helped him earn his FFI qualifications. Dan is now an FFI Check Pilot, often leading airshow flights and training rookie formation pilots. He writes software for a living, is an EAA Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor, and was formerly based at Palo Alto, CA (Chino, CA prior to that).

"Slick" – Tim Cone
Bio Coming Soon...

"Slingshot" – Ed Dutreaux
Ed started flying Cessnas & Pipers in 1984, having a great time until one day in 1989 he got a ride in an RV-4. The next week he ordered a tail kit and spent the next 5 years building his RV-4. In 1989 he received aerobatic training in an effort to always push the envelope. The first flight of Ed's RV-4 was in May 1994, followed by his first real cross country, making the pilgrimmage to Oshkosh. In 2001 Ed built a Cassutt Formula One Air Racer form parts, and after attending the Pylon Racing Seminar for the Reno Air Races competed for the next six years at Reno. After a two year break, Ed plans to race again in 2009. Ed attended a formation clinic at Mojave in 2005 and thought, "this is more fun than a barrel of monkeys." Without anybody to practice with, he was out of practice until attending the clinic with the West Coast Ravens at Madera in 2009, after which Ed also flew with the Ravens at the Chino Air Show.

"Spike" – Scott Randolph
Scott earned his Private Pilot's license upon graduating from high school and has been flying out of Watsonville, CA ever since. He earned his instrument rating in 1998 back when instruments were still round. In 2003 he bought his RV-6A after deciding that while there was no better plane for his mission, he needed to fly more than he needed to build. He has since replaced all the gyros with solid state equipment that is as happy upside down as he is. Scott develops game software for a living but would rather be flying. Scott is a FFI Wingman

"Sticky" – Alan Bikle
Alan is a General Engineering Contractor in Salinas, California. He soloed sailplanes at age 14 and went on to build over 1800 hours flying sailplanes, including regional and national competitions. After many years of routine general aviation flying and accumulating over 3500 hours, Alan reengaged in sport aviation and built his RV-8 in 2002. Alan has accumulated over 700 hours flying his RV-8 and is currently building an RV-10. After first being exposed to formal formation flying at the Apple Valley Southwest Formation Clinic in 2006, he has worked with Dan Checkoway to become a part of the West Coast Ravens formation flight team.

"Tardy" – Chuck Newman
Chuck learned to fly in 1987 and liked it so much he decided to make it his career. He has over 13,000 hours in 40 aircraft types ranging from an Aeronca Chief to a Boeing 767. 1400 of those hours are in the RV-8 he completed in 2001. Chuck decided to expand his envelope by attending the Southwest Formation Clinic in 2006 where he discovered another of great aspect of flying.

SoCal Wing

"Debris" – Scott Farner
Scott Farner earned his Private Pilot's license in 2003. After having spent way too much time watching the TV show "A Plane Is Born" in college, he started building his RV-7A in early 2005 in his parents' garage and finished in October of 2006 at Chino, CA. He soon began formation flying under the instruction of Dan Checkoway and enjoys the challenges and rewards involved. Scott earned his FFI Wingman card before participating in the 35-ship RV formation at AirVenture 2007. Scott is now an FFI Flight Lead, and he works as an engineer for the Boeing Company.

"Eddy" – Eddy Tohikian
Eddy started skydiving at age 15, and by age 16 he was flying gliders and Zlins in Romania, a former communist block country. After moving to the US, Eddy began flying paragliders and competed in many events, winning two 1st place awards. Eddy started building his first plane, a Murphy Elite, in 2002. He sold it in 2005, at which point he built the 200hp RV-8 named "Eddy Special," which he finished in 2007. As soon as his Phase One was complete, he began formation flying under the instruction of Dan Checkoway. Eddy considers formation flying the best and most challenging aspect of flying.

In Memorium "Em" – Emmanuelle Richard 1973 - 2010

Tragically "Em" passed away on April 20th 2010. Emmanuelle's passing has rippled with sadness through the formation and aviation communities. She was our colleague, our team mate and our friend. When flying close formation pilots must have a tremendous amount of trust knowing we hold each others life in our collective hands. To have flown formation with Em was to be blessed by her coolness and her skill. We all just miss our friend.

To read more about Em, Click here

Rest in peace sweet Emmanuelle!

"Hog" – Dave Klages
David Klages is an FFI Wingman. He began flying in 1973 and holds a Commercial Single-Engine Land license with an Instrument rating. He has owned a Cessna 172, Cessna 210, and a Cessna 180, which he flew for 16 years. He began building his RV-8 in August of 1999, and made the first flight in August of 2001. Gary Sobek was his technical counselor. His wife referred to him as "Sky Pig," but fellow RV and formation pilot friend Paul Rosales said that Sky Pig was too long, then suggested his call sign: "Hog"
Dave is an architect and owned his firm for 32 years before merging with RNL International in 2000. His work has been primarily international for the past 20+ years, and he is in the process of "pulling back" so he can spend more time with his wife, flying, and at his hangar at Chino, California.

"JP" – Jim Percy
Jim Percy has been a Private Pilot since 1978 and now holds an Instrument Rating. After spending four years building his RV-7A, JP piloted it on its maiden flight in early 2007. His first exposure to formation flying occurred years ago in a flight of two Cessna 152s, when his flight instructor joined up with another instructor and student during a flight lesson. Now an FFI Wingman, JP began training in the art of formation flying shortly after he began flying his RV, and he loves the challenge involved.

"Forrest" – David Richardson
David Richardson finally earned his pilots license in the mid 70�s after a couple thousand hours of ultra light and hang glider time and wanting something �a lot faster� . After 5 years of construction David flew his RV-7 in August of 2008 and racked up 340 hours of RV flight time in the first year including a cross country trip From Los Angeles to Kitty Hawk and back . Soon after completion David started formation flying under the patient eyes of Dan Checkoway. David attended the West Coast Formation Clinic in 2009. Professionally David is a Television Specialist for the State of California Assigned to the Office of The Governor, currently Arnold Schwarzenegger where he shoots and produces live webcasts world wide. David Enjoys flying his RV to work preferring to fly his RV to events instead of flying commercial. David is a FFI Wingman.

"Rodoc" – David Leonard
David Leonard earned his Private Pilot's license in 1997 while attending Navy Flight Surgery School in Pensacola, FL (now a Navy Anesthesiologist). He has over 500 hours flying time with Instrument and Multi-Engine endorsements. As a flight surgeon he has accumulated training time in the F-5, P-3, and TH-57 helicopter, as well as formation time in the T-34C and the F/A-18. David now flies the RV-6 he built over a 5 year period. His RV-6 is unusual in that is powered by a Wankel rotary engine. This is where he gets the call sign "Rodoc." You may notice the different sound it makes. Rodoc is an FFI Wingman.

"Rosie" – Paul Rosales
Paul Rosales, the son of a Private Pilot / A&P, grew up in the aviation-rich Antelope Valley, California, and he completed his Private Pilot training in 1979. For the next 21 years, he along with wife Victoria, rented aircraft and accumulated 350 hours total time. They started building their own, custom RV-6A aircraft in 1995 with first flight in the summer of 2000. Since then, they've flown their plane over 3100 hours to 49 States in America and 5 foreign countries: Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico and The Turks & Caicos. When not flying, Paul works as a Systems Engineer for Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and occasionally as a substitute school teacher (grades K-5). Their plane is hangared in Southern California at the Rosamond Skypark (L00), located west of Edwards AFB. Paul earned his FFI wingman card in 2002.

"SchoolMom" – Trish Russell
Trish "SchoolMom" Russell spent many hours pretending to fly her father's airplanes growing up while sitting in the back seat flying around the country. She didn't get her pilot's license until she was in her mid-30s in 1996. She now has an instrument rating and experience in many single engine airplanes including warbirds and biplanes. The RV-6A she flies in formation is, by far, her favorite airplane. It will do it all, fly cross-country, aerobatics, and formation. Trish finds formation flight fun, but challenging. It keeps her flying skills at their peak. During the week Trish teaches first grade in Running Springs, California. Many of her students become Young Eagles, giving Trish the chance to share her flying passion with her students.

"Wingnut" – Brad Peacock
Brad took his first airplane ride with his father in 1968. In 1978, at age 17, he earned his pilot's certificate. Two months later he got his driver's license. Over the years, Brad has flown formation in several classic & experimental aircraft and chose the RV-4 as the ultimate formation machine. In 2000 Brad completed and first flew his RV-4. From 50mph to well over 200mph, the RV-4 is completely maneuverable and a joy to fly. Brad is an FFI Wingman.

NorthWest Wing

"Shade(y)" – Joe Blank
An accomplished skydiver, pilot, and aircraft builder, Joe is flying the RV-6 he finished in 2004. Construction took 4 years, and the plane now has over 700 hours on it. Those who fly with Joe always comment on the killer Pioneer/Bose sound system he installed. Joe is an employee of Van's Aircraft, maker of the kits from which RVs are built, and he lives on an airpark near the Van's Aircraft HQ. He has been flying since the early 80's and is an active member of the of the Portland area 'Van's Air Force-Home Wing' & 'West Coast Ravens' formation groups. Joe is an FFI Flight Lead, and also participated in the record-setting 35-ship and 37-ship RV ormations at AirVenture in 2007 and 2009.

"Slacker" – Randy Lervold
Flying the only RV-3 in the group, Randy is a two-time RV builder. His RV-3B is his most recent plane and was built specifically with formation flying in mind. Hailing from the Portland, OR area, Randy was introduced to formation flying by Gary Sobek and has been active with the local Portland group ever since. In 2006 Randy was co-organizer of the Northwest Formation Clinic in Redmond, OR and helped with new pilot training at several other west coast clinics. Randy is an FFI Wingman. Very active in the EAA, Randy is a Technical Counselor, Flight Advisor, and is currently President of EAA Chapter 105 in Portland, OR.

"Tooth" – Jim Klusmier
Tooth earned his Private Pilot certification in 2003. He quickly earned an Instrument Rating and began building his RV-7, urged on by his brother who finished his RV-6 eight years before. Since every other pilot he knew in Southern California was formation flying, and because it looked so cool, he sought out Dan Checkoway for a safe introduction to find out what it was all about. Having become hooked he began training, which included the SWFC 2006 and numerous organized practices. Tooth is an FFI Wingman.

Las Vegas/Boulder City Wing

"Dula" – Mark DuLaney
Mark DuLaney (callsign-DULA-) is flying an RV-6A, white with Maroon and Blue striping. The aircraft was built in 1998 and purchased by Mark and his wife Pat in June 2000. Since then they have accumulated about 600 hours flying to numerous destinations including EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, WI.
Mark soloed when he was 16 years old and earned his wings with the US Air Force in 1974. He accumulated 4000 hours in the T-38, F-4, F-5 and F-16 and retired from the Air Force after serving as the Aggressor Squadron Commander at Nellis AFB from 1991-1993. Currently, Mark is a Captain with Southwest Airlines and has accumulated over 14,000 hours total flying time.

"KB" – Mike Smith
Mike is a retired USAF Colonel. He has been flying as a pilot for 42+ years. He flew numerous Air Force trainers and mostly ground attack fighters – T-37, T-38, T-39, F-5A&B, A-1E,G,H,&J, A-37, and A-7D. Mike instructed in most of them and has about 2000 hours of instructor time. He flew 138 combat missions in Southeast Asia, mostly supporting the CIA's "Secret War" in Laos. He has flown 37 different models of aircraft and has a total time of nearly 5,000 hours. Mike is also a multi-engineer with degrees in Mechanical, Electronics, Chemical, and Aerospace with an MS from UCLA. He was a senior flight test engineer at Edwards AFB, CA on the A-10 & F-15 doing a lot of "chase". Mike was the Director of Engineering in charge of Integration and Flight testing the Peacekeeper ICBM flown out of Vandenberg AFB, CA and the Director of Engineering at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH prior to retirement.
Mike's RV-7A is the second experimental he built. It was FAA certified for flight January 26, 2006. His first one was a KR-2 that he has been flying since 1983.

"Taz" – Glenn Smith
1960: Soloed while attending Univ of Detroit (Flying Club) - C-140, C-150, C-170
'60-'62: Navy Flt Training: Pensacola, Fl.
'62-'64: Bently Flt Service: DTW /Charter pilot - C-172, C-182, Aztec, D-18 Twin Beech
'64-'65: Zantop Air Transport: DTW /DC-3, C-46, DC-6, Argosy AW-650
'65-''88: TWA: CV-880, B-707, B-720, B-727, B-767, L-1011, DC-9, MD-80 (Retired)
'90-'92: Scenic Airlines: (LAS-Grand Canyon) DH6-Twin Otter, Ford Tri-Motor
'94-'99: Air Vegas Airlines: (Dir. of Training) C-402, BE-C99
2000 : Started construction of RV-8 N767GS at my hangar in Boulder City
1-29-02: First flight of N767GS (525 hrs to date)
Ratings: ATP / CFI-MEI / FFI
Total Time: 18,000 +


NorCal Wing

		"CrazyGlue" – Shane Margraves Bio Coming Soon...

		"Deuce" – Randy McFarland Randy's call sign is "Deuce" – as in Acey/Deucey, the Navy version of Backgammon. Randy was an Air Force kid and had a fascination with airplanes ever since he could recognize them. He received his license in 1974 flying out of Long Beach and learning spins over the Queen Mary. After flying 200 or so hours in SoCal, flying was put on hold due to a long series of job transfers, relocations, kids, etc. 25 years later, after the kids were gone and time was available, Randy got back into flying and did the "spam can thing" for a couple of years. He then made the brilliant decision to build an airplane. In his RV-7A, Randy started learning "what flying is all about" – weekend trips with his wife/navigator to Sedona, Monument Valley, Mexico, Victoria Island, BC, not to mention fly-ins with the RV community and aerobatics. Then the real discovery – formation flying. Randy trained with the West Coast Ravens and is a FFI Wingman

		"McFly" – Hugh Tyler Hugh started flying lessons in 1986 just one week after a surprise aerobatic ride, but aerobatics would have to wait 21 years until the completion of his RV-7. He scratched his flying itch by earning a glider rating, and later a tail wheel endorsement so he could fly the glider tugs at his local soaring club to earn his keep. Hugh has accumulated over 1300 hours in various types of sailplanes and light aircraft. With the exception of a coast to coast flight in a 50-year-old Piper Clipper with no radio, he is proud to claim that he never uses an airplane to get anywhere that he actually needs to be. Hugh hopes to continue this tradition with the West Coast Ravens.

		"Scooter" – Scott Chastain Scott's father taught him to fly when he was a boy in the same town where he was born, raised, and where he is still based: in Merced, California. Learning to fly in a Piper Cub and an Aeronca Champ, Scott served 4 years in the USAF as an enlisted bomb navigation specialist on the F-111A. It wasn't until graduating from college and becoming a high school English teacher, however, that Scott earned his private ticket. Soon after, he found himself fulfilling the lifelong dream of building his own airplane: the RV-8 he flies today. For Scooter, because of the priceless friendships that are created along the path of training, and because of the solidarity of those friendships that are so strongly based on mutual trust and respect, formation flying is far and away the ultimate in sport aviation.

		"Sharpie" – Dan Checkoway Dan has been flying since 1988 and has logged more than 3000 hours – over 750 in formation. He is a Commercial Multi-Engine Instrument rated pilot. Dan built his Van's RV-7 from a kit and has flown it all around the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He began formation training under the tutelage of Gary "Condor" Sobek, who helped him earn his FFI qualifications. Dan is now an FFI Check Pilot, often leading airshow flights and training rookie formation pilots. He writes software for a living, is an EAA Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor, and was formerly based at Palo Alto, CA (Chino, CA prior to that).

		"Slick" – Tim Cone Bio Coming Soon...

		"Slingshot" – Ed Dutreaux Ed started flying Cessnas & Pipers in 1984, having a great time until one day in 1989 he got a ride in an RV-4. The next week he ordered a tail kit and spent the next 5 years building his RV-4. In 1989 he received aerobatic training in an effort to always push the envelope. The first flight of Ed's RV-4 was in May 1994, followed by his first real cross country, making the pilgrimmage to Oshkosh. In 2001 Ed built a Cassutt Formula One Air Racer form parts, and after attending the Pylon Racing Seminar for the Reno Air Races competed for the next six years at Reno. After a two year break, Ed plans to race again in 2009. Ed attended a formation clinic at Mojave in 2005 and thought, "this is more fun than a barrel of monkeys." Without anybody to practice with, he was out of practice until attending the clinic with the West Coast Ravens at Madera in 2009, after which Ed also flew with the Ravens at the Chino Air Show.

		"Spike" – Scott Randolph Scott earned his Private Pilot's license upon graduating from high school and has been flying out of Watsonville, CA ever since. He earned his instrument rating in 1998 back when instruments were still round. In 2003 he bought his RV-6A after deciding that while there was no better plane for his mission, he needed to fly more than he needed to build. He has since replaced all the gyros with solid state equipment that is as happy upside down as he is. Scott develops game software for a living but would rather be flying. Scott is a FFI Wingman

		"Sticky" – Alan Bikle Alan is a General Engineering Contractor in Salinas, California. He soloed sailplanes at age 14 and went on to build over 1800 hours flying sailplanes, including regional and national competitions. After many years of routine general aviation flying and accumulating over 3500 hours, Alan reengaged in sport aviation and built his RV-8 in 2002. Alan has accumulated over 700 hours flying his RV-8 and is currently building an RV-10. After first being exposed to formal formation flying at the Apple Valley Southwest Formation Clinic in 2006, he has worked with Dan Checkoway to become a part of the West Coast Ravens formation flight team.

		"Tardy" – Chuck Newman Chuck learned to fly in 1987 and liked it so much he decided to make it his career. He has over 13,000 hours in 40 aircraft types ranging from an Aeronca Chief to a Boeing 767. 1400 of those hours are in the RV-8 he completed in 2001. Chuck decided to expand his envelope by attending the Southwest Formation Clinic in 2006 where he discovered another of great aspect of flying.


SoCal Wing

		"Debris" – Scott Farner Scott Farner earned his Private Pilot's license in 2003. After having spent way too much time watching the TV show "A Plane Is Born" in college, he started building his RV-7A in early 2005 in his parents' garage and finished in October of 2006 at Chino, CA. He soon began formation flying under the instruction of Dan Checkoway and enjoys the challenges and rewards involved. Scott earned his FFI Wingman card before participating in the 35-ship RV formation at AirVenture 2007. Scott is now an FFI Flight Lead, and he works as an engineer for the Boeing Company.

		"Eddy" – Eddy Tohikian Eddy started skydiving at age 15, and by age 16 he was flying gliders and Zlins in Romania, a former communist block country. After moving to the US, Eddy began flying paragliders and competed in many events, winning two 1st place awards. Eddy started building his first plane, a Murphy Elite, in 2002. He sold it in 2005, at which point he built the 200hp RV-8 named "Eddy Special," which he finished in 2007. As soon as his Phase One was complete, he began formation flying under the instruction of Dan Checkoway. Eddy considers formation flying the best and most challenging aspect of flying.

		In Memorium "Em" – Emmanuelle Richard 1973 - 2010 Tragically "Em" passed away on April 20th 2010. Emmanuelle's passing has rippled with sadness through the formation and aviation communities. She was our colleague, our team mate and our friend. When flying close formation pilots must have a tremendous amount of trust knowing we hold each others life in our collective hands. To have flown formation with Em was to be blessed by her coolness and her skill. We all just miss our friend. To read more about Em, Click here Rest in peace sweet Emmanuelle!

		"Hog" – Dave Klages David Klages is an FFI Wingman. He began flying in 1973 and holds a Commercial Single-Engine Land license with an Instrument rating. He has owned a Cessna 172, Cessna 210, and a Cessna 180, which he flew for 16 years. He began building his RV-8 in August of 1999, and made the first flight in August of 2001. Gary Sobek was his technical counselor. His wife referred to him as "Sky Pig," but fellow RV and formation pilot friend Paul Rosales said that Sky Pig was too long, then suggested his call sign: "Hog" Dave is an architect and owned his firm for 32 years before merging with RNL International in 2000. His work has been primarily international for the past 20+ years, and he is in the process of "pulling back" so he can spend more time with his wife, flying, and at his hangar at Chino, California.

		"JP" – Jim Percy Jim Percy has been a Private Pilot since 1978 and now holds an Instrument Rating. After spending four years building his RV-7A, JP piloted it on its maiden flight in early 2007. His first exposure to formation flying occurred years ago in a flight of two Cessna 152s, when his flight instructor joined up with another instructor and student during a flight lesson. Now an FFI Wingman, JP began training in the art of formation flying shortly after he began flying his RV, and he loves the challenge involved.

		"Forrest" – David Richardson David Richardson finally earned his pilots license in the mid 70�s after a couple thousand hours of ultra light and hang glider time and wanting something �a lot faster� . After 5 years of construction David flew his RV-7 in August of 2008 and racked up 340 hours of RV flight time in the first year including a cross country trip From Los Angeles to Kitty Hawk and back . Soon after completion David started formation flying under the patient eyes of Dan Checkoway. David attended the West Coast Formation Clinic in 2009. Professionally David is a Television Specialist for the State of California Assigned to the Office of The Governor, currently Arnold Schwarzenegger where he shoots and produces live webcasts world wide. David Enjoys flying his RV to work preferring to fly his RV to events instead of flying commercial. David is a FFI Wingman.

		"Rodoc" – David Leonard David Leonard earned his Private Pilot's license in 1997 while attending Navy Flight Surgery School in Pensacola, FL (now a Navy Anesthesiologist). He has over 500 hours flying time with Instrument and Multi-Engine endorsements. As a flight surgeon he has accumulated training time in the F-5, P-3, and TH-57 helicopter, as well as formation time in the T-34C and the F/A-18. David now flies the RV-6 he built over a 5 year period. His RV-6 is unusual in that is powered by a Wankel rotary engine. This is where he gets the call sign "Rodoc." You may notice the different sound it makes. Rodoc is an FFI Wingman.

		"Rosie" – Paul Rosales Paul Rosales, the son of a Private Pilot / A&P, grew up in the aviation-rich Antelope Valley, California, and he completed his Private Pilot training in 1979. For the next 21 years, he along with wife Victoria, rented aircraft and accumulated 350 hours total time. They started building their own, custom RV-6A aircraft in 1995 with first flight in the summer of 2000. Since then, they've flown their plane over 3100 hours to 49 States in America and 5 foreign countries: Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico and The Turks & Caicos. When not flying, Paul works as a Systems Engineer for Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and occasionally as a substitute school teacher (grades K-5). Their plane is hangared in Southern California at the Rosamond Skypark (L00), located west of Edwards AFB. Paul earned his FFI wingman card in 2002.

		"SchoolMom" – Trish Russell Trish "SchoolMom" Russell spent many hours pretending to fly her father's airplanes growing up while sitting in the back seat flying around the country. She didn't get her pilot's license until she was in her mid-30s in 1996. She now has an instrument rating and experience in many single engine airplanes including warbirds and biplanes. The RV-6A she flies in formation is, by far, her favorite airplane. It will do it all, fly cross-country, aerobatics, and formation. Trish finds formation flight fun, but challenging. It keeps her flying skills at their peak. During the week Trish teaches first grade in Running Springs, California. Many of her students become Young Eagles, giving Trish the chance to share her flying passion with her students.

		"Wingnut" – Brad Peacock Brad took his first airplane ride with his father in 1968. In 1978, at age 17, he earned his pilot's certificate. Two months later he got his driver's license. Over the years, Brad has flown formation in several classic & experimental aircraft and chose the RV-4 as the ultimate formation machine. In 2000 Brad completed and first flew his RV-4. From 50mph to well over 200mph, the RV-4 is completely maneuverable and a joy to fly. Brad is an FFI Wingman.


NorthWest Wing

		"Shade(y)" – Joe Blank An accomplished skydiver, pilot, and aircraft builder, Joe is flying the RV-6 he finished in 2004. Construction took 4 years, and the plane now has over 700 hours on it. Those who fly with Joe always comment on the killer Pioneer/Bose sound system he installed. Joe is an employee of Van's Aircraft, maker of the kits from which RVs are built, and he lives on an airpark near the Van's Aircraft HQ. He has been flying since the early 80's and is an active member of the of the Portland area 'Van's Air Force-Home Wing' & 'West Coast Ravens' formation groups. Joe is an FFI Flight Lead, and also participated in the record-setting 35-ship and 37-ship RV ormations at AirVenture in 2007 and 2009.

		"Slacker" – Randy Lervold Flying the only RV-3 in the group, Randy is a two-time RV builder. His RV-3B is his most recent plane and was built specifically with formation flying in mind. Hailing from the Portland, OR area, Randy was introduced to formation flying by Gary Sobek and has been active with the local Portland group ever since. In 2006 Randy was co-organizer of the Northwest Formation Clinic in Redmond, OR and helped with new pilot training at several other west coast clinics. Randy is an FFI Wingman. Very active in the EAA, Randy is a Technical Counselor, Flight Advisor, and is currently President of EAA Chapter 105 in Portland, OR.

		"Tooth" – Jim Klusmier Tooth earned his Private Pilot certification in 2003. He quickly earned an Instrument Rating and began building his RV-7, urged on by his brother who finished his RV-6 eight years before. Since every other pilot he knew in Southern California was formation flying, and because it looked so cool, he sought out Dan Checkoway for a safe introduction to find out what it was all about. Having become hooked he began training, which included the SWFC 2006 and numerous organized practices. Tooth is an FFI Wingman.


Las Vegas/Boulder City Wing

		"Dula" – Mark DuLaney Mark DuLaney (callsign-DULA-) is flying an RV-6A, white with Maroon and Blue striping. The aircraft was built in 1998 and purchased by Mark and his wife Pat in June 2000. Since then they have accumulated about 600 hours flying to numerous destinations including EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, WI. Mark soloed when he was 16 years old and earned his wings with the US Air Force in 1974. He accumulated 4000 hours in the T-38, F-4, F-5 and F-16 and retired from the Air Force after serving as the Aggressor Squadron Commander at Nellis AFB from 1991-1993. Currently, Mark is a Captain with Southwest Airlines and has accumulated over 14,000 hours total flying time.

		"KB" – Mike Smith Mike is a retired USAF Colonel. He has been flying as a pilot for 42+ years. He flew numerous Air Force trainers and mostly ground attack fighters – T-37, T-38, T-39, F-5A&B, A-1E,G,H,&J, A-37, and A-7D. Mike instructed in most of them and has about 2000 hours of instructor time. He flew 138 combat missions in Southeast Asia, mostly supporting the CIA's "Secret War" in Laos. He has flown 37 different models of aircraft and has a total time of nearly 5,000 hours. Mike is also a multi-engineer with degrees in Mechanical, Electronics, Chemical, and Aerospace with an MS from UCLA. He was a senior flight test engineer at Edwards AFB, CA on the A-10 & F-15 doing a lot of "chase". Mike was the Director of Engineering in charge of Integration and Flight testing the Peacekeeper ICBM flown out of Vandenberg AFB, CA and the Director of Engineering at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH prior to retirement. Mike's RV-7A is the second experimental he built. It was FAA certified for flight January 26, 2006. His first one was a KR-2 that he has been flying since 1983.

		"Taz" – Glenn Smith 1960: Soloed while attending Univ of Detroit (Flying Club) - C-140, C-150, C-170 '60-'62: Navy Flt Training: Pensacola, Fl. '62-'64: Bently Flt Service: DTW /Charter pilot - C-172, C-182, Aztec, D-18 Twin Beech '64-'65: Zantop Air Transport: DTW /DC-3, C-46, DC-6, Argosy AW-650 '65-''88: TWA: CV-880, B-707, B-720, B-727, B-767, L-1011, DC-9, MD-80 (Retired) '90-'92: Scenic Airlines: (LAS-Grand Canyon) DH6-Twin Otter, Ford Tri-Motor '94-'99: Air Vegas Airlines: (Dir. of Training) C-402, BE-C99 2000 : Started construction of RV-8 N767GS at my hangar in Boulder City 1-29-02: First flight of N767GS (525 hrs to date) Ratings: ATP / CFI-MEI / FFI Total Time: 18,000 +