Our instructors - multiple type ratings with thousand of hours of dual given!

Meet Our Team

Experienced pilots, ready for any challenge. Meet some of them.

Mitch Ange

Mitch is a former electrical engineer and owner of Professional Airline Systems and Arizona Type Ratings. By studying the needs of our students, he has developed one of the best animated and interactive training programs in the industry.

OWNER

For the last three decades, Mitch has been busy doing flight instructions and teaching ground school on a full time basis for clients seeking CE-500, CE-510 and CE-525 Type ratings. He holds multiple Type ratings: CE-500, CE-510, CE-525, DC-3, HS-125, LR-Jet

Jim Taylor

Jim began his professional flying career in 1977 on a Citation I/SP. With more than 24,000 hours of incident/accident free flying in all types of operations and environments, he has held many positions including line pilot, check airman, director of training, chief pilot, director of operations, designated pilot examiner, and accident prevention counselor.

Pilot/Instructor

Of his total time as a pilot, 14,800 hours is as a single pilot, flying Metro/Merlin, Turbo Commanders, Cheyenne, Conquest, King Airs and the Citation 500/525 line. Jim also has an extensive background in pilot training and evaluation, and is currently very involved in developing and instructing “hands on” safety and emergency training.

Dan Brattain

Dan, Cal-Ore CEO & Arizona Type Ratings Instructor became a pilot while still in high school. He is an ATP pilot rated for a variety of business jets, a licensed helicopter pilot, certified Flight instructor, FAA designated PART 135 Check Airman, FAA Safety Team Representative and a certified EMT.

Pilot / Instructor

“I get to work in the industry that is my passion” – Dan shared, adding “and I fly in my free time too.” He is widely known for his community involvement, which includes serving on a numerous of boards, both industry and philanthropic.

Vesna Ajic

Vesna was introduced to aviation after relocating to the USA as a criminal lawyer from Yugoslavia. Her enthusiasm and commitment for flying lead to earning her pilot certificates and Type Ratings in Cessna Citation, CitationJet and Mustang. Vesna has been working as a contract pilot

Executive Vice President / Pilot

and ground instructor for a number of years. When not flying or teaching, she helps with marketing and customer service of Arizona Type Ratings. “At ATR we are constantly employing innovative solutions to elevate our clients training experience from ordinary to exceptional”

Nic Cherches

Nic took his first flight lesson at the age of 14 and soloed on his 16th birthday. At the age of 18, he became a flight instructor and worked as a CFI while attending Wichita State University. Upon graduating, he worked flying freight in Milwaukee and later moved to the Central Coast of California where he took his

Pilot / Instructor

first jet job flying a CJ3. Nic is now working as chief pilot for a Part 91 Company in Scottsdale Arizona. Arizona Type Ratings is proud to have had Nic on our team for the past 10 years. He holds numerous Type Ratings, including the LR-JET, CE500, CE525S, CE560XL and DA-20.

Peter Gajic

Not much of a pilot, but Peter is the guy behind the curtain when it comes to transferring Mitch’s airplane system expertise into animations in particular. Animations that you will see on Arizona Type Ratings LMS (Learning Management System) are his deed.

IT Person

Peter has over 30 years of experience working with variety of the computer systems. (Some systems are so ancient that it would be crazy even to list them here). Anyhow, if you get stuck with our online tools, chances are that you will be in contact with Peter 🙂

Joe Sottile

Joe began flying at the age of 13, soloed at the age of 16 and was a Military Pilot at 19 years old. He has more than 35,000 hours of flying and is type rated in 15 different aircraft. Joe is retired as a Captain and Check Airman from a major airline. He was first designated as a Pilot Examiner at the age of 24 and estimates he has given more than 3000 pilot certification flight tests over the years. His authority as an Examiner is Private through ATP and CFI in both Helicopters and Airplanes with CE-500, series CE-525 series and CE-510 authorization.

Instructor/ Examiner

He is the recipient of both the “Charles Taylor Mechanic” and the “Wright Brothers Pilot” 50 year awards. Working and flying aircraft is all I have ever done and my passion for aviation has made me a complete failure at retirement. Aviation gives me the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and share some great experiences. I love training and evaluating pilots and when I am not doing that I am generally giving rides in my Stearman at the Airpark I have lived at for more than 30 years.

Arne Haeussler

Arne is a retired military instructor pilot. Right out of school he began his military pilot training in the German Air Force at the age of 19. During his 23 years in the military he flew the TORNADO, Grob120A, T-38, T-37 and various other airplanes. He accumulated 5000 flying hours, most of them on multiengine fighters. He holds the FAA airplane ratings ATP, CFI, MEI, CFII, and a CE-500 and CE-525(S) TR as well as multiple EASA ratings, including FI. He is also a Human Factors/CRM trainer and Trainer-Examiner. Arne holds a master in aeronautical science

Chief Pilot / Instructor

from Embry Riddle and is a graduate from the international fighter pilot program ENJJPT in Sheppard AFB, TX and the TORNADO Instructor Pilot Upgrade Course at the GAF Flying Trng Ctr Holloman AFB,NM. He served in various instructor and leadership functions as Senior OPS Officer, Flight Commander of Transition Training (B-Course), check pilot in transition and instructor pilot training, and head of HF/CRM training. For his achievements in military flight instruction he holds several awards as IP of the year, Best IP, and MVIP.

Phil Remmel

Phil is a retired airline pilot and check airman from a major airline. He began flying at the age of 19 and flew in the corporate, air taxi, and airline environments. Phil holds various transport category aircraft type ratings as well as type ratings in CE500 & CE525 series. Phil has logged over 30,000 hours of flying and has been a designated pilot examiner since 2004.

Pilot / Instructor

Currently, Phil teaches ground schools from Private through ATP. At Arizona Type Ratings, Phil teaches systems ground schools and provides recurrent instruction in Instrument procedures and regulations. Phil’s ongoing commitment to excellence and service to the aviation community makes him a perfect team member at Arizona Type ratings.