Unusual Attitude Recovery Training ::: Foundation Flyers, Inc.

Lowell Hinchee, President
Master CFI - Aerobatics

His most recent accomplishment in 2007 has been to attain the Master CFI designation in aerobatics from the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI). According to NAFI, among the 90,000 certified flight instructors in the United States, only 600 have attained the distinction of Master CFI and only twelve (12) has attained MCFI-Aerobatics.

It was at Northeast Louisiana University that Lowell, assistant professor of aviation, took on the challenge of resolving problems pilots were having with unusual attitudes. During this time Lowell produced a research-based unusual attitude course that would benefit all pilots regardless of their skill level and the type of airplane being flown. It has now evolved into a program of unusual attitude courses unique among comparable programs of this type offered throughout the United States. Lowell’s courses are based upon his dedication to meet each customer’s needs in a positive, comprehensive, and methodical manner. To date, hundreds of pilots have participated in his unusual attitude courses.

Lowell has been flying since 1969 with thousands of hours of flight time in many areas of expertise. One such area would include his CFII and MEI along with owning and operating his own flight schools …both traditional and aerobatic. In the non-traditional flying arena, Lowell gathered some of his most valuable unusual attitude flying experience as an aerial applicator (crop duster). This led to his position as Head of the Agricultural Aviation Department at Northeast Louisiana University. His research compelled him to start his own company, Foundation Flyers, Inc. that was founded in 1999.

Bob Chandler, BS Nuclear Engineering & MBA
Vice-President

Bob’s background in business, flying, and nuclear engineering brings a unique perspective to our program. He stays in tune to the financial stability of the company.

Education and Career: During a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy, Bob instructed at the Navy’s Nuclear Power Training Unit. During his career in the Navy, Bob also earned a BA in Business from St Leo University, and an MBA from Golden Gate University. After retiring from the Navy in 1984, Bob started a new career in maintenance and operations of Nuclear Powered Electrical Power Stations and then U. S. Navy Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carriers (CVN) at Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN).

Aviation: Bob started his flying carrier as a hobby, but quickly fell in love with it and became interested in learning more and more. As he did, he followed a long time interest in teaching. He earned his CFI and MEI rating, and started teaching part time at a local area flight training center. In June 2003, with a partner, he established a flight school, Chesapeake Aviation Services, located in Chesapeake, Virginia. Bob and his partner started with one aircraft, a twin engine Piper Seminole, and they have grown Chesapeake Aviation into a successful business with seven aircraft. Chesapeake Aviation was recently selected as a remote flight training center for Utah Valley State’s Global Aviation Program. Bob and his partner continue to grow their business, and are now serving international students from several European countries including England, France, and Holland.

Hugh C. Ward, Jr., Ed.D.,
Director of Educational Programs

Dr. Ward has over thirty years experience in adult, continuing, secondary, and higher education settings as a teacher, media specialist, curriculum specialist, professor, and as an educational program manager.

His role in Foundation Flyer’s, Inc. is to ensure that all flight training programs include research-based adult education learning strategies. He is further responsible for assessment and updates for all curriculum guidelines for courses. This review of curriculum follows Mr. Hinchee’s dictate that all courses must be constantly evaluated and fine-tuned to better serve our customers’ flight training needs.

Early in his career, his experiences with traditional and non-traditional students and his interest in creating practical teaching tools and strategies, led to his founding in 1980 of H.C. Ward, Co., an educational software development, sales, and instructional technology consultation company. Since that time hundreds of educators, in a wide variety of settings, have used his company’s products and services.

Dr. Ward has been an avid flyer since 1994. His passion for flying, and his experience with developing educational products and services led him in 1997 to start creating aviation education products, and he has been adding them to his company’s list of offerings ever since. These products are meant to improve and maintain a pilot’s radio communications, checklists, and memory requirements. The very popular VFR Communications Kit was written by Dr. Ward in 1999, and is widely used throughout North America. Dr. Ward self-publishes his offerings, and markets them directly and through retail outlets.

Harold Mize, PhD
Advisory Committee Member

Harold Mize belongs to an elite group of educators and aviators. His accomplishments in education and aviation span a range of a half century.

Education: Harold received his B.G.S. degree from Louisiana State University. He received his Masters degree from Southern Methodist University with major studies in philosophy and psychology. He received a PhD in aviation from the U.S. Air Force Training Command.

Aviation: This man’s experience in the field of aviation is almost unprecedented. He has accumulated 30,000 hours of flight time in which 27,000 is command time.

His flying experience started at the age of 16 with his career experience beginning in 1961 when he entered the first U.S. Air Force UPT all jet training class and was selected to return as a jet instructor. In 1966 he became a U.S. Navy jet pilot. His military reserve status kept him flying until 1979 and retired from the reserves in 1985 as a Navy Commander.

Dr. Mize is an ATP with type ratings in FK-28, B-737, B-727, B-757/767, DC-8, and DC-9. His airline career started in 1965 with Braniff International at the age of 26 and retired in 1998 while flying for U.S. Air. He flavored up his flying skills in 1982 taking on a job as an aerial applicator (crop duster) for a year before returning to the airlines.

He presently gives instructional flights in the SNJ, T-6, and Stearman aircraft and continues sharing his vast knowledge of aviation.

It is with great honor we point out that Dr. Mize was the 2006 Recipient of the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.