The Instructors

After graduating from college Mike spent 2 years in the Marine Corps and landed in Jackson Hole, WY in 1973. He began flying in 1979 in Jackson, but after obtaining his instrument rating and commercial license, in 1981, life intervened. He went to work for the Teton County Sheriff’s office as a Deputy Sheriff for the next 23 years. When he retired he was the training officer and in charge of search and rescue for the county. He moved to the Pueblo area in 2004 and decided to get back into aviation. He started flying for a skydiving operation and then Chrissy asked him about working as a flight instructor for Steel City Aviation. Mike has over 3000 flight hours and is currently organizing survival classes.

Derek began flying in 2001 due to his love with aviation since he was a child. He opened Steel City Aviation in October of 2002. Derek spends many hours at the airport teaching new students, helping fellow pilots, working as a mechanic, and flying airplanes.

Derek is a Certified Flight Instructor, an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic, and an IA. Derek truly enjoys every aspect of general aviation; flying, teaching, repairing and building.

Chrissy learned to fly at Centennial Airport, in Denver, CO. After teaching for just over a year there, she was hired on to an air ambulance company flying Learjet's both around the country and around the world. In January of 2003 she decided to return to flight instructing part-time as she had missed the joys it brings. When the air ambulance company shut their doors August of 2003, she decided that flight instructing was where the fun is. Chrissy is a career instructor, with 6,000 flight hours, and is available to teach all licenses and ratings, flight reviews, IPC’s, mountain checkouts, and much more!

Tim grew up in South Central Alaska where airplanes are the “family car” and he developed a passion for flying. Constant travel, career and family obligations never changed his desire to be a pilot. Tim eventually settled in Colorado to raise his four children. He currently has over 20 years of experience in the automotive repair business and owns “The Transmission Center” in Canon City. Still looking skyward in 2006, he began flight training with Steel City Aviation. In 2009, he became as a certified flight instructor and came onboard as one of the team at Steel City. Tim loves to fly and teaching others is fast becoming a new passion.