OSFC Approved Flight Instructors

These are the Flying Club's approved flight instructors. As a member you can receive instruction in OSFC aircraft from one of these instructors per the Club's Bylaws.

Dennis Wyza

Phone: 503.428.7111
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Dennis has a unique aviation background; he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Structural and Hydraulics Mechanic during his first tour, then served 16 more years and flying 5,000 hours as a flight engineer on the Navy's P3 Orion turboprop airplane.

After retiring from the Navy, Dennis attended Embry-Riddle University, then flew as a Flight Instructor for them for 2 1/2 years. He holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate, Certificated Flight Instructor Single-engine, Multi-engine Instrument Airplane certificate, as well as an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic and Flight Engineer certificates.

Currently, Dennis and his wife Linda live in Turner where he runs his own contracting and rental home management business. He also flies for the Civil Air Patrol as a Mission Pilot (search and rescue), Transport Pilot, Check Pilot and Cadet Orientation Pilot.

John Larson

Corvallis Aero Service: 541.753.4466
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John Larson holds the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and is the Chief Flight Instructor for both airplanes and helicopters for Corvallis Aero Service. John holds VFR and IFR flight instructor privileges for single and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes and helicopters. He stopped totaling his flight hours when he hit 10,000. John graduated from the University of Iowa, where he served as their Chief Pilot and Pilot Examiner. He has flown in ambulance, ferry, fire fighting, cargo and executive transportation roles, and his passport shows he has flown in 33 countries. John is married and lives in Corvallis. His wife is a Special Education faculty member at Lebanon High School, his son attends LBCC and is a student pilot, and his high-school age daughter is currently on exchange in Japan.

Sherry Sisson

Corvallis Aero Service: 541.753.4466
Phone: 541.231.4144
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Sherry is currently unable to take new students and is only avaialble for club profieniency checks, flight reviews, & instrument proficiency checks.

After graduating from Oregon State, Sherry went to work for Bell Labs in New Jersey. That Christmas her future husband, Bill, gave her a $5 learn-to-fly gift certificate. By the next summer she had her private pilot license. Sherry and Bill moved back to Corvallis in 1977 where they raised two sons. They have owned their current plane, a C182, since 1974. Sherry obtained her Instrument Rating in 1980. As a pilot, she has enjoyed several interesting trips in the 182, including visits to family and friends, Oshkosh, AOPA Expos, air shows and air museums. A highlight trip outside the country was flying a C172 across northern Australia from Perth to Brisbane.

When not in the air, Sherry can be found on her bicycle or involved in her other interests; finding the best solutions for and helping others with hearing problems, gardening, music and digital photography.

Sherry recently retired after an interesting career in software development that started at Bell Labs and ended after 28 years at Hewlett-Packard. She used her new free time to earn her Commercial and CFI ratings.

As a flight instructor she can help others discover new experiences and opportunities that are opened up for pilots through the world of aviation.

Richard Whelden

Corvallis Aero Service: 541.753.4466
Phone: 541.231.8745
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Rich's first flight was a $5 airplane ride his dad bought for him in the early 70's. Wanting to spend as much time as possible in the air, in the spring of 1976 at the age of 16, he started working on the line at Aurora trading for flight time. In 1994 he moved to Corvallis from Bend to start up a small business, and over the many years since, has developed a loyal cliental building it on excellent customer service.

Rich has always wanted to fly for a living and in 2001 sold just about everything and moved to Vero Beach Florida to attend Flightsafety Academy. Now, back in beautiful Corvallis and having been a member of the Oregon State Flying Club for many years, Rich is looking forward to helping club members and others in the flying community to reach their aviation goals.

Parrish Danforth

Phone: 503.443.0873
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Parrish is avaialble with advance notice, as he lives out of the area, for club profieniency checks & flight reviews for current pilots.

Parrish learned to fly right here in Corvallis with Oregon State Flying club earning Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-engine, and CFI in just 9 months learning from Steve Rupp and John Larson. He has trained over 20 hours in every one of the club's airplanes (Just ask which is the lucky plane on a check ride).

After being the club's most active member in 2007, he became the Director of Flight Ops this year. He is available for new member checkouts and proficiency checks. In his off time he loves salsa dancing, ultimate frisbee, and disc golf. Just call or email to set up an appointment as he may not be on schedule point.

Neal Gallagher

Phone: 541.908.2272
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Neal Gallagher is a Willamette Valley native and lives in Independence with his wife and two children. A confessed 'law school drop-out', Neal decided to try something completely different and found a more satisfying career as an airplane mechanic, which then lead naturally to pilot and flight instructor ratings. Neal presently holds an Airframe and Powerplant licenses with Inspection Authorization as well a Flight Instructor privileges for Single, Multi and Instrument training. Neal's aviation career has landed him as a jet fueler at PDX, a mechanic for Horizon and Skywest, a cargo pilot in oversized Cessna's in SE Alaska, and lastly (and most importantly) as a flight instructor back home for the Oregon State Flying Club. Neal says, "I really enjoy teaching folks to fly....its physical, its emotional, its intellectual...and everyone learns differently. It is incredibly rewarding to see a student fly..."

Nick Hodson

Phone: 321.652.6318
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PJ

Bob Parrott

Phone: 541.908.2143
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While attending college at OSU Bob met the president of the OSU Flying Club and was given a free ride in one of the planes, and from there he was hooked. He started his flying journey in 1986 and completed his private pilot's certificate in 1987. Several years later he started working on his instrument rating with the help of John Larson and John MacDonald while using N75704.

Since then he has finished all of his ratings including his CFI, CFII, MEI, along with his Advanced Ground and Instrument Ground instructor ratings. Bob has owned two airplanes a 1951 Beech V35C V-tail and his current plane a 1958 Piper Twin Apache which he hopes to teach multi-engine and sell block time in. He currently lives in north Corvallis with his wife Theresa and their two children Andrew and Hannah.

Steve Westberg

Phone: 541.753.4466
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Steve is a former Marine, has a Bachelors Degree in Philosophy and a Masters Degree in Theology. He has united all these experiences in his work and life... from the East Coast to the West Coast. Driven, motivated and focused on helping others, Steve is looking forward to taking his students to the next level in their flying experience. A dedicated and easy-going person, not only does he make learning fun, he makes it a significant part of your life.

Training in Salem, Bend and finishing in Corvallis he has earned his Private, Commercial, Instrument, Flight Instructor (CFI) and Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII) certificates for both helicopters and airplanes. He is currently working on a multi-engine rating and will be teaching in Seaplanes some day.

During Steve's time on the ground he enjoys playing the drums and vibes, spending time with his family, being in a roomful of laughter, the occasional trip to the coast and, of course, a simple bowl of ice cream.