President
Parrish has his bachelor’s in Business and Psychology. He previously owned a flight school offering Citation Type Ratings and owned a banner towing business. His love for aviation came from his father who is a retired TWA pilot. He likes fitness, hiking, reading and travel.
Instructor
Originally from Indiana, Ryan acquired his aviation training in Sacramento, California. Captured by the beauty of California, Ryan decided to teach here as a CFI to bring up the next generation of pilots as he himself continues to realize his dreams of eventually becoming a corporate pilot. In his spare time Ryan also enjoys camping, hiking and skiing.
Instructor
Hama is from Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia and speaks Arabic, French, English and German. He has trained in both Florida and California and is enthusiastic about his career as a Flight Instructor. Hama is an avid reader and loves to cook for friends and family in his free time.
Instructor
Jeff is a Southern California native having grown up in Escondido, California. He studied Business at Palomar College and then went on to earn his Flight Instructor rating. On his off time, Jeff trades the skies for the ocean while scuba diving.
Instructor
Brennan Gray grew up in Evergreen, Colorado and attended the University of Colorado-Boulder. There she studied Pre-Med but moved on to Aviation because of her passion for flying. She derives a great amount of satisfaction from the success of her students. When not flying she is watching football, or participating in one of the many sports she pursues.
Instructor
CFI Alex Gonzalez is from Seal Beach, California and is just as comfortable in the water as he is in the skies. He studied Graphic Design at Cal State Long Beach, but then his love of aviation took him into flight training and eventually a Commercial Pilot license.
Instructor
CFI Louai Khafagi was raised in both Ann Arbor, Michigan and Cairo, Egypt and speaks English and Arabic. Louai studied aviation in Greece, Qatar and Dallas, Texas making him one of the most international of our CFI’s. In his spare time he enjoys playing chess and surfing.
Instructor
CFI Rio Jasso is a California native raised in Moorpark. He studied Aviation Flight Technology in college with a goal to become Captain for a major airline. Rio loves spending time with his family camping and playing basketball.
Instructor
CFI Andrew Aldrich grew up in beautiful Evergreen, Colorado and enjoys everything outdoors as well as drawing and painting. He studied Political Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder but rather than a path into politics he took to the skies with a career in Aviation.
Instructor
CFI Mohamed Elserihi is from Cairo, Egypt and speaks Arabic and English. In his spare time he enjoys muscle cars, rally racing and fishing. He studied Architecture and Design at Cairo University but like all of our CFIs, chose to pursue a career in Aviation.
Instructor
CFI Mohammad Al Masarwa was born and raised in Syria and he speaks both Arabic and English. His free time is spent scuba diving and driving high performance autos. Mohammad obtained his education at Royal Jordanian Air Academy in Jordan and here at California Flight Academy.
Hired by Airlines
David’s passion for flight began watching a Blue Angel airshow as a small boy, it was then he knew aviation was his future. He grew up in Prescott Arizona where his father taught aviation and is proud to continue with the family tradition of taking to the skies.
Hired by Airlines
Alchikh is a proud California Flight Academy graduate. As one of our youngest flight instructors, Alchikh has already earned 5 flight certificates, and is working on more. Alchikh’s love for aviation began at age 15 and was fueled by his brother’s interest in flight. Alchikh was born and raised in Damascus, Syria. After graduating high school, he started pilot training here at C.F.A. His ambition and motivation makes him a wonderful role model for his students. When not flying, you can find Alchikh on the basketball court. Someday, he hopes to fly for Emirate Airlines.
"I was looking for very good customer service, good location, plenty of airplanes to train in, and good weather. I found everything I was looking for in CFA. When I emailed the school, I received an immediate response from a Captain who was flying in Volaris Airlines. I got very excited!"
“After much research I chose CFA. The friends I made here and the knowledgeable instructors have made it very easy for me to secure my future in the skies. In my opinion, this is the best place to study and to get your license.”
“I just want to say thank you for my whole private pilot training experience. Two months ago I passed my final release check ride and now I’m an Airbus 319 First Officer!”
"CFA was a great experience for me. I had everything to take my first steps in aviation. I'm now a Boeing 737 First Officer!"
"CFA was my choice from the moment I heard about the school. It's the experience I got here that was very valuable."
"I’m glad I chose CFA, because all of the staff and instructors are very humble and kind. All the students here are very friendly, and I have made friends from all over the world. This makes CFA my home away from home."
"My CFA experience was amazing. The instructors are so loving and caring - the best I could have asked for."
"My time at CFA was good - sometimes a bit hard - but I really enjoyed this experience with my friends and the CFA staff."
"CFA has the best weather to fly with good training facilities. The airport is located between mountains so that you learn the instruments and different approaches, which helped me become a great pilot. Now I'm a Boeing 737 First Officer at Miat Mongolian Airlines!"
“Solo quiero agradecerles por todo mi entrenamiento que empezó desde piloto privado hasta terminar como piloto comercial. ¡Hace dos meses pasé mi último examen de revisión y ahora soy Primer Oficial de un Airbus 319!"
“Mi experiencia en CFA fue increíble, a veces un poco difícil, pero realmente disfruté esta experiencia con mis amigos y el personal de CFA”.
“Encontré todo lo que estaba buscando en CFA. ¡Me emocioné mucho!"
We are pleased to announce that all CFA staff and instructors have received the Covid-19 vaccine as of March 26, 2021. We also have vaccines available for students if needed. This means you can rest assured you are training in one of the safest environments in the U.S. We also maintain the highest standards of safety for all our aircraft at or above FAA standards. To learn more about taking that first step into the cockpit in sunny San Diego, please call +1 619 448 2212.
