MEET OUR FLIGHT TEAM
Katie Albert
Flight School Manager CFII-A/ATP/BS-Aviation Management
Katie has been flying since 2019 and has been working as a CFI since 2020. She proudly holds a Gold Seal instructor certificate and finds great fulfillment from instructing and watching her students learn, innovate, and challenge themselves while becoming pilots. She is also a Professional Pilot with Phoenix Air, where she works as a First Officer on an Embraer Brasilia, for the U.S. Navy. While she is not flying for the Navy or teaching our CFI program she remains as the Flight School Manager here at CIA. Katie is a dual citizen of both the U.S. and the U.K., which brought her passion in aviation as she has traveled to England her entire life. She grew up near Van Nuys Airport where she trained and taught hundreds of students. Katie also graduated from Liberty University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation.
Abe Milad
Chief Flight Instructor CFI/CFII/MEI/ATP
Abe is our Chief Flight instructor here at Channel Islands Aviation. He has been flying since 2018 and has been working as a CFI since 2019. Through his extensive knowledge, he has been able to acquire a skill set that allowed him to seek out a variety of different ratings. These include CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP, and ASES. When Abe is not acting as the Chief Flight Instructor, he professionally flies for a company known as Phoenix Air. There he works as a Captain on an EMB-120, for the companies DOD contract with the U.S. Navy. Ever since Abe was little, he always dreamt of becoming a pilot. His family has been traveling around the world with him since his youth which aided in his passion and love for flying. He hopes to share that passion with all pilots and intends to help other aviators reach their aviation goals.
Anneliese Tomlinson
CFI/CFII/MEI/ATP
Anneliese started flying at the age of sixteen when she was inspired by her father, who was an airline pilot, to learn to fly. She received all of her ratings locally and completed her CFI during college. After graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara with a degree in Marine Biology she began teaching and later worked for SkyWest Airlines. After seven years as an airline pilot and continuing to teach part time on her days off, Anneliese returned to Camarillo to pursue a career as a flight instructor. She has been with Channel Islands Aviation since 2005 and is CIAs on staff Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot (CSIP). Anneliese has found the perfect profession that combines her dad’s love of aviation and her mom’s passion for teaching.
Jadon Jennings
CFI/CFII
Jadon has been surrounded by aviation his whole life. Both his father and grandfather, being military and commercial pilots, inspired him to pursue his dreams of achieving a career as an aviator. His twin sister also pushes him to be the best pilot and teacher so someday he can become a captain at an airline just like her. For now, he puts his love for aviation into teaching safety and the joy of flying! Jadon has been flying since 2019 and instructing since 2024. He wants to help you achieve your goals as a pilot whether that is flying as a hobby or developing a lifelong career!
Gerry Delorie
CFI/CFII
Gerry’s fascination for aviation started in his early childhood, where one of his favorite activities was to watch airplanes landing overhead from the In-N-Out at LAX. He started flying in 2020 during his senior year at UC Santa Cruz, where he majored in Computational Mathematics and played NCAA soccer. After earning his Private Pilot License while coaching the Mammoth Mountain Ski Team, he returned to SoCal to complete the rest of his ratings with ATP in Long Beach. Before joining CIA, he worked as an independent flight instructor specializing in high performance and complex airplanes. Gerry’s experiences as a skiing and soccer coach shaped his approach to flight instruction, as he combines the aspects of focused repetition and enjoyment of hard work to instill confidence in his clients’ abilities. He is determined to provide a safe and encouraging environment to help mold the next generation of excellent pilots.
Eric Fedde
CFI/CFII
Eric took his first discovery flight with Channel Islands Aviation in 2012 when he was just 11 years old. On that flight, he caught the “Aviation Bug,” and from that point forward, he knew that he wanted to pursue a career in Aviation. Eric attended The Ohio State University beginning in 2020, where he studied business and aviation, while also building flight time and experience flying throughout the Midwest. During the summers, Eric would return to Channel Islands Aviation to earn his Private and Commercial Pilot certificates, as well as his Instrument Rating. Eric graduated from Ohio State in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Aviation. After graduation, Eric earned his Certified Flight Instructor and Instrument Ground Instructor certificates, as well as his Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument Rating. Throughout Eric’s aviation training and experience, he has built an extensive appreciation for the importance of safety, attention to detail, proficiency beyond standards, and quality instruction, and strives to provide the same to his students. Outside of aviation, Eric is an avid skier and Buckeye fan, and also enjoys swimming, running, bodysurfing, and spending time outdoors. Eric is available for Private, Instrument, and Commercial instruction.
Ethan Mayo
CFI/CFII
Ethan has had a lifelong love for airplanes and always knew he wanted to become a pilot. What began as a fascination with flying from an early age grew into a dedicated pursuit of an aviation career. He began his flight training at Channel Islands Aviation, where he went on to earn his Private, Instrument, Commercial, and Instructor Ratings. Now part of the Channel Islands Aviation instructor team, Ethan is passionate about helping students develop confidence, skill, and sound aeronautical decision-making. He strives to create a positive learning environment focused on safety, professionalism, and continuous growth.
Emma Elkington
CFI
Emma took her first-ever flight at Channel Islands Aviation over 10 years ago. With a father who spent his youth flying bush planes in South Africa and helicopters closer to home, aviation was part of her life long before she took the controls. Growing up in Ventura County and spent most of her youth working in restaurants and her father’s construction company. She always knew she wanted a career that challenged her both mentally and physically. After earning a B.S. in Wine & Viticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she went on to complete all her flight training at CIA. Emma is known for her kind and encouraging approach that transforms complex lessons into achievable milestones. Her experience helps tailor those lessons to fit individual learning styles and develop a strong foundation of knowledge. She is invested in each student’s journey to build safety-minded pilots to handle any scenario with calm, structured judgement.
Oz Aral
CFI/CFII
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