Meet Our Instructors
We may be a little biased but we feel like our instructors are the best in the business. After you've worked with our collection of instructors you will certainly agree. While incorporating a safety-first mindset we never forget to have some fun in the air and make the overall experience enjoyable and appealing, which we believe will help anybody seeking instruction retain the knowledge at a more advanced rate. Our top of the line core of instructors are happy to work with any class of pilot, ranging anywhere from new to experienced. A.C.E.S. Flight School offers training toward Sport, Private, and Commercial certifications as well as advanced ratings for High Performance, Complex, IFR, and Multi-Engine.
"A.C.E.S. has taken me from a completely unexperienced student pilot and made me incredible more comfortable behind the yoke. I couldn't have asked for a better group of instructors."- Mitch, 19
Jeffrey Smith
Our instructor group is led by our Lead Flight Instructor Jeffrey Smith.
Jeffrey owned a flight school in Florida because he enjoys sharing the joy of aviation with others in the community through flight instruction. Flying since he was 19, he became an aviation enthusiast and flight instructor. Jeffrey works with anyone, ranging from student pilots to advanced instrument and multi-engine training. Of his 2,700 total flight hours, nearly 2,000 have been as a flight instructor. He also holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, a Ground Instructor Certificate with advanced ratings, and a certification as an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic. Jeffrey lives in the Waxhaw, NC area with his wife and two daughters.
Dave White
Dave is a first generation pilot from southern California. With parents working for Boeing Dave was exposed to aerospace and aviation at a young age. Flying is something he has always been fascinated with because of his love of heights and passion for traveling. As a child he would climb the biggest tree or highest mountain to get a view from the summit. Later in his life he discovered his love for traveling, he has Lived in Aruba, Spain, and the Netherlands where his wife is from. There was never a doubt he would pursue a career in Aviation. He is now a CFI and applying his background in education to help new pilots reach their goals while having fun simultaneously. His dream is to go to space one day. He has a very flexible schedule and is fully focused on his students' success.
Eliza Ferguson
Eliza is a first generation pilot that had no real exposure to aviation as a kid to speak of. As a teenager she went for a 'Discovery Flight'. It was at that time she made her decision to not go directly to college but rather started pursuing her career in aviation. This enabled her to achieve her pilot license at the young age of 19 years old and went on to become a Commercial Pilot and now a Certified flight instructor at 21 years old. Ironically she is terribly afraid of height but loves the thrill of being in the sky.
Aaron Harper
Aaron has been around aviation since he was a kid. He took his first flight in a Sundowner aircraft and loved it. He then started his flight instruction and was able to solo at 21 years old. He has grown and gained a lot of experience since then and now has become a commercial pilot and flight instructor.
Brian Flaherty
Growing up behind the local airport in Lumberton, NJ, Brian had the unique opportunity to be around aircraft. His first flight was in a Cessna 172, when his neighbor took him up. It was then he realized how much he wanted to fly. His opportunity to learn how to fly came when his job required a pilot to be on staff to operate drones. It was then that the aviation bug hit him. He is now a CFII and enjoys flying all types of planes. He especially enjoys new students and helping them achieve their aviation goals.