Meet The Instructors

Melissa Boan

CFI, CFII, Gold Seal, Chief Flight Instructor

Melissa grew up in Virginia and has also lived in Germany and California. After being a stay at home mom for 7 years she decided to make her dream of flight a reality.

It took her 16 months to go from Private, Instrument, Commercial, and then CFI at Blue Ridge Aviation.

She’s excited to be part of the school where she learned and is ready to share her love of flying with new and seasoned pilots. When not flying, she enjoys spending time with the two best kids in the world.

Vincent Coverdell

CFI, CFII
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Vincent's deep-rooted passion for aviation sprouted in his early years. Currently a senior, he is diligently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Aviation Technology through the University of Alaska's online program. Vincent's aviation journey took off in the vast Alaskan skies when he earned his private pilot license. Since then, he has expanded his horizons by attaining his instrument, commercial, and CFI certifications at Blue Ridge Aviation. Alongside his love for flying, Vincent finds solace and excitement in engaging in outdoor activities, including skiing and snowmachining.

Tanner Runion

CFI, CFII
After taking his first ever flight in an Aeronca Champion over Ocean City, Maryland in 2013, Tanner finally decided to pursue his passion of flying in 2021 with Blue Ridge Aviation and has been here ever since.
He loves helping aspiring pilots achieve their goals and dreams. Outside of his passion for aviation, Tanner finds enjoyment in cars, exploring national parks, snowboarding, and photography.

Ethan Barnhart

CFI, CFII
Ethan grew up locally in Grottoes, Virginia. His love for flying started as a child when he took an international trip, he knew from then that he wanted to be a pilot. Ethan started his flight training at Averett University, where he graduated with two degrees; A Bachelors in Aeronautics: Flight Operations, and a Bachelors in Aeronautics: Aviation Business. He obtained his flight ratings up to Commercial Multi-Engine Airplane at Averett University, and did his CFI & CFII at Blue Ridge Aviation. Ethan also played college football for two years at Averett University so he is a big football fan. Outside of flying, Ethan loves to travel, hike, kayak, and golf.

Zack Reese

CFI, CFII
Zack is from Harrisonburg, VA and started his flight training in 2016. After returning to his passion in 2022, he earned all his ratings in just shy of 2 years at Blue Ridge Aviation. When he is not flying, he enjoys competing in disc golf tournaments and attending sporting events.

Sonet Gandhi

CFI

Sonet did his entire flight training at Blue Ridge Aviation (Private, Instrument, Commercial and CFI).

He received his Bachelors at Bridgewater College in Business Administration and played for their Men's Tennis team (4 Years)

Sonet loves traveling and trying new foods and enjoys playing tennis during summer and snowboarding during the winter.

Nick Ruddle

CFI
Nick grew up in Warrenton, Virginia, where he took his first life-changing flight at the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport at just 15 years old. After high school, he moved to Harrisonburg, Virginia, and began his flight training in January of 2023. Completing all of his training at Blue Ridge Aviation, Nick has fully embraced the culture and close-knit community that defines both SHD and the Blue Ridge Aviation family.
Now a Certified Flight Instructor, Nick is excited to share his passion for aviation and help others achieve their flying goals.
Outside the cockpit, Nick enjoys off-roading, snowboarding, and just about anything that gets him outdoors

Former Instructors

Colton Landes

Colton Landes embarked on the next stage of his career with CommuteAir after attaining his hours as an instructor with us at Blue Ridge Aviation.

Hannah Freepons

Hannah grew up in the Shenandoah Valley where she did her flight training befor embarking on a career that took her to Washington State. She is an accomplished Captain for Skywest Airlines

Corey Philbrook

Corey joined our team as a Flight Instructor where he brought his positive attitude and a love for aviation to our school. He was a great member of our team before moving onto a career as a pilot with Spirit Airlines

Chris Miller

Chris Miller instructed with us for several years before going onto an airline career with Mesa Airlines which took him and his family up to Northern Virginia!

Cindy Ferek

Cindy is a highly dedicated instructor who had a deep passion for teaching and aviation as she started on her second career with us. After finishing training, she instructed with us, which was followed by a fulfilling career with ABX, the third largest Air Express company in the United States.

Daniel Oleyar

Daniel achieved all of his ratings then instructed for us for several years. Afterwards, he flew a private jet for a company in North Carolina. He is now a pilot for the US Government