about Ignite Flight
Ignite Flight, located in Lincoln Nebraska, is driven by a passion for aviation and a love for helping people achieve their aviation dreams. Our professional Pilot Academy offers pilot career training for airline, charter, corporate aviation, and more. We also provide recreational flight training.
We are truly honored to inspire and enable your aviation dreams.
our mission IS ALL ABOUT YOURS
Our Conviction
We were created with a love for people and a passion to serve.
Our Mission
WE INSPIRE, ENABLE AND TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AVIATION - ONE RELATIONSHIP, ONE FLIGHT, ONE STORY AT A TIME.
We follow four simple core values:
Do everything with integrity
Innovate & improve
Invest in others
Apply truth & grace
meet our team
Bill Heckathorn
President/Founder
bill@igniteflight.com
Bill got his start in the aviation industry working at a flight school while working on his certificates and ratings. In 2000, he earned his CFI and worked for a university flight training program. After that, he managed an FBO and sold new/used aircraft. Bill has always had an entrepreneurial spirit to him, which led him to start Ignite Flight Academy in 2004.
Ignite Flight (then Performance Aircraft) started as an aircraft sales company and the flight school was added in 2006. In 2019, it transitioned to 100% flight training. Bill has a passion to help people succeed at following their aviation dreams, whether that is flying for recreation or making it a career.
Eric Hartwell
admissions / project manager
eric@igniteflight.com
Eric’s journey with Ignite Flight began as a customer back in 2008. He started flight training in a Cessna 172SP Skyhawk during his senior year of high school at Lincoln East and completed his private pilot certificate that July. In February 2011, Eric started an internship at Performance, which grew into a part time position.In 2012 Eric became the flight training manager
and then in 2020 moved into managing admissions and projects. Eric helps others understand the advantages of learning to fly at Ignite Flight.In his free time, Eric enjoys spending time with his wife Lauren, their cat Winnie, disc golfing, trap shooting, and (of course) flying.
RICH BATES
Chief Flight Instructor
rich@igniteflight.com
Rich came to Lincoln from the Pacific Northwest where he previously served as a lecturer, flight instructor, and eventually as the chief instructor in a collegiate aviation department. The allure of a smaller, innovative, and relationship focused flight school is what drew him to Ignite Flight.A Gold Seal instructor who has taught instrument, multiengine, and
CFI Rich now enjoys mentoring and coaching young flight instructors so they can better teach their students.
Rich, his wife, and two kids used to enjoy the mountains and forests of the PNW, but now in Nebraska are open to suggestions for new activities.
Rich, his wife, and two kids used to enjoy the mountains and forests of the PNW, but now in Nebraska are open to suggestions for new activities.
Jacob Wilson
Assistant chief Flight Instructor
In 1974, attending Oklahoma State University, Jacob’s interest in aviation took off. Now after 45 years in industry and counting, Jacob has been a Flight Instructor, Charter Pilot, Corporate Pilot, worked for over 5 different airlines, and so much more. Finally Jacob spent 23 years as an aviation safety inspector. Flew everything from small pistons to a Boeing 737.
Today Jacob is still the director of operations for the Missionary Aviation Foundation’s part 135 certificate. Still wanting to be active in the air, we are proud to have Jacob as a CFI at Ignite Flight.
Outside of aviation Jacob’s life is just as busy. Married, Jacob has 3 adult children all still close to home. He even helps his wife with show horses. Jacob is also the President of Fellowship and Haiti’s Children’s Hope Org.
Outside of aviation Jacob’s life is just as busy. Married, Jacob has 3 adult children all still close to home. He even helps his wife with show horses. Jacob is also the President of Fellowship and Haiti’s Children’s Hope Org.
Greg love
Certified Flight Instructor
Aviation has been an enjoyable and challenging career for Greg since 1967. Flying allowed him to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree. He has been fortunate to fly airliners and military aircraft, and has an ATP (Airline Transport Pilot Certificate).Greg is a gold seal flight instructor who is certified to teach instrument (CFII) and multi-engine
(MEI) ratings He is also an advanced ground instructor (AGI).He enjoys working with students at Ignite Flight on a part-time basis, and hopes to promote aviation to all interested future aviators.
Sydney Paulson
Certified Flight Instructor
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Sydney spent much of her time looking up towards the sky. Her passion for aviation grew while attending Central Washington University where she Majored in Commercial Aviation and trained towards her flight certificates. While not flying, Sydney enjoys being outside near the water with her dog Cooper. She is excited to share her.
knowledge and experience with new aviators so they may discover the joy in flying
Jon Lawson
Certified Flight Instructor
Born at a very young age Jonathan grew up in sunny St. George Utah where he spent much of his youth weight lifting, running cross country and eating gratuitous amounts of food. After graduating from the University of Utah with a bachelors in kinesiology, Jonathan went on his very first flight at a local flight school in 2020. That flight would ignite his passion for aviation and lead
him to pursue it as a career. In addition to flying, Jonathan enjoys grunting at the gym, watching The Great British Bake Off, and catching critters with his four small children.Jonathan’s favorite quote is, “anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
Hunter Hoscheit
Certified Flight Instructor
Hunter grew up in Caledonia, Minnesota where he played football for a state championship team. After graduation from Caledonia he attended Winona State on a Football Scholarship and continued his football career. While attending Winona Hunter obtained his Private Pilot Certificate. Upon Graduation of Winona he attended ATP flight
school in Daytona Beach Florida, and earned his CFI, CFII, MEI. Hunter is excited to share his love for aviation and help the next generation of aviators.
Juliana Yaacoub
Certified Flight Instructor
Juliana grew up around the Chicago area where she played soccer, cross country, and track in school. She became interested in aviation when flying international to Europe and the Middle East to see family members. In college she decided to become a pilot because of her love for traveling and flying. She went to Lewis University where she did her
flight training and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Flight Management with a minor in Aviation Dispatch. Juliana is interested in gaining more pilot certificates in helicopters and seaplanes, and would like to end up flying in the airlines.Juliana likes to spend her time being athletic, enjoys all types of traveling, and likes to study different subjects.
Alix beatty
Flight Training Manager
alix@igniteflight.com
Alix joined Ignite Flight as an administrative assistant in 2018 to help us better serve our customers. She loves human interaction and customer service, and she exhibits impressive skills when it comes to scheduling flights and ensuring our customers stay on track to achieve their goals. Alix enjoys spending time with family and friends,
fishing, golfing, competing in just about any sport, and spending time outdoors with her dogs.
kyle soto
Certified Flight Instructor
Ever since the young age of 4, Kyle has always wanted to be a pilot. At the age of 17, he made dreams become reality and earned his Private Pilot Certificate. Kyle has worked his way up in aviation and now has his CFI. Kyle originally joined the Ignite Flight family in September 2018 cleaning airplanes. Now you can find him teaching
others to become pilots as well as run our social media. Outside of his busy work and flying schedule, Kyle is a freshman at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, majoring in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Communication Studies. He also has a heart for missions and works closely with The Hope Venture. Combining missions and aviation, Kyle’s career goal is to become a missionary pilot, flying oversees, and help those in need. For leisure, Kyle loves photography, working out, and spending time out in nature. You can also catch Kyle in a banana costume at the Husker Football games.
sam simoneau
administrative assistant
sam@igniteflight.com
Sam joins us from a small town in Kansas where she grew up near Wichita, the capital of aviation. Coming from a family full of military pilots, it was no surprise that she would want to follow in their footsteps. After graduating from the University of Nebraska with a degree in Nutrition, Exercise and Health Sciences, Sam aspires to
finish the remainder of her ratings and eventually become a professional pilot. Sam loves spending her time at the airport making relationships with other fellow aviation enthusiasts and taking Chuck, her Cessna 150, to grass strips and on long cross countries to see her family.
sarah heckathorn
controller
sarah@igniteflight.com
Sarah has been part of the Ignite Flight family since its founding in 2004. She is an integral part of the team as she is equipped with an extensive understanding of how the company operates behind the scenes. She handles all of Ignite’s accounting and manages various other administrative tasks.
Whether Sarah is in her office or greeting people at the front desk, her strong attention to detail and dedication to customer service remain constant. Outside of work, she enjoys immersing herself in books and cherishing time spent with her family.
Travis Schmid
Certified Flight Instructor
A transplant from the Pacific Northwest, Travis started flying over the vast forests and the beautiful coastal regions of Washington State. He continued his passion for flying through Central Washington University, earning more certificates and ratings along the way, until settling in as a flight instructor. Travis’ favorite part of flying and instructing has been enjoying the
awesome mountain views and grabbing a bite to eat at the many restaurants located at airports around Washington. Travis comes to Ignite Flight Academy hoping to share his experience of flight instructing, create new memories and meet new people. Outside of flying, Travis enjoys hiking and camping along remote mountain lakes, or spending a day floating down a river in the summertime.
Madison Parde
Certified Flight Instructor
Madison Parde was born and raised in Ceresco, Nebraska. A small town fifteen minutes North
of Lincoln.
She recently graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in aviation with
a concentration in professional flight. She plans to pursue a career as an airline pilot.
Outside of flight instruction, Madison is an enlisted member of the Nebraska Air National Guard.
She serves as a Logistics Planner for the 155th Air Refueling Wing in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is
responsible for developing, evaluating, coordinating, and monitoring logistic operations to include
coordinating with various agencies and wing staff to identify deployment and redeployment support.
In short, she helps “get the right things, to the right place, at the right time.”
When she is not busy flying or working as a Logistics Planner, Madison enjoys physical activities to
include biking, kayaking, and lifting weights in the gym.
She serves as a Logistics Planner for the 155th Air Refueling Wing in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is
responsible for developing, evaluating, coordinating, and monitoring logistic operations to include
coordinating with various agencies and wing staff to identify deployment and redeployment support.
In short, she helps “get the right things, to the right place, at the right time.”
When she is not busy flying or working as a Logistics Planner, Madison enjoys physical activities to
include biking, kayaking, and lifting weights in the gym.
Torrey Wilson
Certified Flight Instructor
A transplant from the Pacific Northwest, Travis started flying over the vast forests and the beautiful coastal regions of Washington State. He continued his passion for flying through Central Washington University, earning more certificates and ratings along the way, until settling in as a flight instructor. Travis’ favorite part of flying and instructing has been enjoying the
awesome mountain views and grabbing a bite to eat at the many restaurants located at airports around Washington. Travis comes to Ignite Flight Academy hoping to share his experience of flight instructing, create new memories and meet new people. Outside of flying, Travis enjoys hiking and camping along remote mountain lakes, or spending a day floating down a river in the summertime.
Mason Pfeiffer
Flight Training Support
Mason is currently a senior at Lincoln Southwest High School and grew up in Lincoln. He has always loved aviation and at a young age decided he wanted to become a pilot. In school, he has always had a love for math and physics. Mason started his flight training at Ignite Flight Academy in June of 2022. He is currently working towards his
his Private Pilot Certificate and is seeking to pursue a career in aviation in the future. Mason also enjoys spending his time playing sports, running, and hanging out with friends and family.
Molly heckathorn
Admissions Representative
Raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Molly has grown up to love the charm and culture of the Midwest. From a young age she has been immersed in the world of aviation, experiencing the thrill of flight through countless adventures with her dad. After a year of studying in Kansas City, she returned to Lincoln, where she joined the Ignite Flight family.
Outside of her work in admissions at Ignite Flight, she continues to study online, working towards a degree in counseling. In her free time, she pursues her passion for music and can often be found playing piano. She also enjoys hanging out with friends and family and doing almost any activity outside.
joey heckathorn
team mascot
Hi, I am Joey Heckathorn. I am a dog. In this short time on earth, I have learned I really like a tug of war. I often win because I am smol but mighty. My legs are very short and I can’t climb over things well. However, it does not stop me from trying.
Flying is fun and I like to watch the planes. No one will let me outside though because they are scared
I will run towards the planes.
You can find me behind the front desk. I will most likely be sleeping, eating, or playing with Alix.
about Lincoln, nebraska
Home to the Nebraska State Capitol and the University of Nebraska, the city of Lincoln is a Midwestern community that appeals to young professionals because of its trendy shopping, nightlife, affordable housing options, trails and recreational opportunities, and highly rated restaurants.
What more could you want, right?