Chief Flight Instructor:
Julie Wang, FAA Certified Flight Instructor, CFI-A, CFI-I, MEI, AGI, IGI
Julie’s emphasis on systematic study, mastery of fundamentals, building a proper foundation for future learning, developing pilot-in-command attitude and aeronautical decision-making pervades the Zulutime Pilot culture. Julie discourages students from orienting their training primarily to pass their checkride.
Rather, in Julie’s words: “A student pilot must make the effort to master the all necessary skills – many of them mental – that will qualify you to be a pilot-in-command of an aircraft; through that effort, you will have forged yourself into a pilot. The examiner is evaluating you from the minute she lays eyes on you and will size you up as a pilot in the blink of an eye. Before you ever get near the airplane the examiner will have made up her mind that you are likely to pass or fail, and the checkride itself will just serve as validation. A sharp examiner will probe to see if your knowledge is based on real understanding or rote memorization. If your entire pilot persona – skills, knowledge, confidence, maturity, judgment and attitude—has not yet ripened, an examiner is unlikely to pass you.”
Julie is a regular contributor to various aviation publications on general aviation subjects and writes a column on flight instruction for Business and Commercial Aviation.
Yinjie Jason Zhang, FAA Certified Flight Instructor, CFI-A, CFI-I, MEI, AGI, MBA, MS
Born and raised in Beijing, Jason has always had a special passion for airplanes and flight, and countless hours of his adolescent life were spent reading about aviation, building aircraft models, and flying PC-based simulators. In 2001, Jason left China to pursue higher education in the U.S. and earned an MBA in finance. One sunny afternoon in 2004, at a little airport next to the Hudson River, he did something unthinkable at that time in China: he took control of a Cessna 152!
Eleven years later Jason is an active flight instructor, both in piston airplanes and in several Falcon jet models.
In Jason’s words: “Flying, with all its thrill and beauty, is totally liberating. Teaching flying has its own unique challenges, intrigue and rewards. I wouldn’t mind doing both for good. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t choose otherwise.”
In addition to his MBA, Jason also holds a Masters degree in Aviation Operations and Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. For the past 4 years he has been Business Development Manager for Dassault Falcon Jet, focusing on flight and customer support operations in Asia and the United States.
Jason was, and still is, a die hard Robotech fan.