Meet The Team
Brian Mellor
Head of Training
Frank Thompson
Flight Operations
Director
Kevin Miller
Flight Instructor
Richard Thomas
Chief Flying Instructor
Brian, our Head of Training, began his working life as an IBM engineer, qualifying for a PPL in his late 20’s. He soon realised that a career in aviation was what he wanted and began training for his commercial licences, while still earning a living in computers.
A 3 year assignment to the USA added to his experience and he holds an American ATPL, with single/multi-engine ratings (land and sea), and instructor ratings. Later he worked for many years in Spain as a flying instructor.
Brian’s UK licence covers examining and instructing both private (PPL) and commercial pilots (CPL) and Instrument Ratings (IR) on single and multi-engine aircraft. Of his 10,000+ total flying hours, 8000+ are instructional hours, with experience including air taxi and ferry flying and parachute dropping.
Frank is our Flight Operations Director. After a long career in the Royal Navy and then as a training manager in the defence industries, he now has considerable experience as a private pilot. As one of the founders of our partner company Phoenix Aviation, he and his fellow directors have expanded the business from one leased aeroplane, to the seven they now operate and which are flown by PAFT.
Our CFI had a career in the Royal Navy and then left to pursue a long-held ambition to become a commercial pilot. He worked initially as a flying instructor, then obtained a Commercial Pilot’s licence and Instrument Rating at schools much like PAFT.
Richard’s first job was part-time, flying a King Air B200 engaged in air ambulance work all over Europe. Moving to airline flying, he flew Jetstream 31, Dash 8 300 and 400 turboprops, Embraer 145/170 and 195 jets for European Airways/Brymon Airways/BA Connect/BA Citiexpress and Flybe.
Graham Sayles
Senior Flight Instructor
Until 2020, Graham was a full-time Synthetic Flight Instructor and examiner, training professional pilots on Dash 8-400 and Cessna CJ2 aircraft simulators at Flight Safety, Farnborough.
Before that, he was a Captain with BMI Regional and BA Citiexpress, flying Embraer 145/135 regional jets and the Dash 8-300 turboprop, on routes throughout the UK and Europe.
He became an airline pilot after 5 years as a flying instructor, including time working in the USA. We are very pleased to have the benefit of his extensive flying and training experience.
Kevin was working as an industrial chemist when he earned his PPL aged 28. He soon realised that he wanted to make flying a career, so studied and trained part-time for his Commercial Pilot’s Licence and flying instructor rating.
After 2 1/2 years working full time as a flying instructor, he added an Instrument Rating to his licence and was then qualified to work as a commercial pilot.
At age 36, Kevin got his first commercial job flying F27 cargo aircraft for Channel Express and then transferred to Air Contractors, re-training on ATR 42/72 aircraft, flying freight operations throughout Europe. Kevin then worked for Flybe on Dash 8 aircraft based at Southampton until joining PAFT as an instructor.
Rob Chapman
Flight Instructor
Rob started his career with Phoenix!
Originally with an IT background, Rob knew his passion and ambition ultimately lay in aviation. After completing his route to a modular CPL & Multi-Engine Instrument Rating on the Diamond DA42 around work and other commitments, Rob went on to gain his flight instructor rating with PAFT.
A dedicated and enthused member of our team, Rob is driven to help other aspiring pilots achieve their own dream and to share his stories to both prospective pilots and the many of whom that are just starting their own journey.