ED CUTTLE | PARTNER

Ed Cuttle has been with Blue Skies Flying Services for over 15 years. Ed was a partner for many years and has been instrumental in bringing Blue Skies in to the 21^st century by adopting new technology and methods. Ed is still Mike’s go-to guy when it comes to discussing business matters or difficult decision-making, but most importantly he is his best friend and confidant.

Without Ed, Blue Skies would not be where it is today. The things that Ed has put in place at Blue Skies have a lot to do with the business being on the AOPA Honor Roll for many years as well as becoming the Top Flight School in the Midwest in 2017. Thank you, Ed, for everything you do!!

STAN SERWITZ | CO-FOUNDER

Stan Serwitz was one of the original founders of Blue Skies Flying Services in 1993. He and Mike Carzoli originally started the business as just the Pilot Shop in 1993. Stan held the shop together during the day while Mike was working his full-time job.

While Stan is not actively flying anymore, you can still find Stan hanging out at the Pilot Shop sharing stories with all the customers and pilots that pass through. No matter where he is, Stan still talks and promotes Blue Skies to anyone that will listen.

DAVE MORROW | CO-FOUNDER, CFII & FAA MASTER PILOT

Photo: Dave receiving his “Wright Brothers Master Pilot” award

Dave Morrow was one of the original founders of Blue Skies Flying Services in 1993. Dave was instrumental in starting the Flight School portion of the business in 1995. He was the first and only Flight Instructor with Blue Skies in 1995 when we started the Flight School with our first plane. Dave and his wife Betty Jo were the faces of Blue Skies for many years. Although Dave retired from Blue Skies, he is still actively flying and maintains a partnership in a beautifully restored Cessna 170. You can still find Dave at the airport almost daily, either polishing his Cessna 170 or hanging around the airport or at Blue Skies.

Dave Morrow is a FAA Master Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor—Airplane Instrument with over 7,700 hours (includes 57 hours in multi-engine, remainder in single engine land). He has over 6,000 hours of flight instruction and 30,000 hours (EST) in ground instruction.

Qualified in Airplane – SEL, TW, Hi Perf, Complex, MEL. Has been flying for over 53 years and has been a Certified Flight Instructor for over 35 years. Civil Air Patrol, 22 years. Associated with Blue Skies for 18 years. Of the numerous aircrafts that Dave has flown he enjoys flying the No. 1–Piper J3, No. 2–C 170 cross country and the Bonanza A36–Cirrus SR22.

JERRY COARSON | CFI & FAA MASTER PILOT

Jerry Coarson was one of the first Flight Instructors to come to work for Blue Skies Flying Services. He was instrumental in putting together the Ground School classes for Blue Skies as well as the Saturday morning seminars for the area pilots. Jerry has shown tremendous patience while working with Mike Carzoli, the owner of Blue Skies in achieving his Commercial Pilots License and states that, “Without Jerry, I don’t think I would have ever completed the rating.”

Jerry Coarson’s first flight lesson was on October 16, 1962 at an Air Force Base in Maine on a Aero Club SOLO. He has also flown a Cessna 172 at Presque Isle AFB in Maine. He has ratings of CFI, IGI, ATP and Multi-Engine and was selected by the FAA as a Remedial Training Program CFI for DuPage FSDO. Also selected by the FAA to do Pilot judgment and ADM workshops for DuPage FSDO.

After completing his military service, Jerry returned to McHenry County and finished flight training at Galt and Midway Airports. His first CFI job was at Mitchell Field in Lombard, Illinois and then back to Galt. He was also a corporate pilot in a King Air 90.

Jerry began instructing at Blue Skies in 1998 where he is a part-time CFI and presents the written test classes. His total flight time is 4,600 hours and received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot award from the FAA for 50 years of flying. He is also the owner of the “CFI Toolbox” a provider of flight instructor ground school presentations.

MAGGIE GITTINGS | DISPATCH & TESTING CENTER PROCTOR

Photo: Maggie at her dispatch desk

Maggie was the face of Blue Skies when people would come in from 2000 until she retired in 2016. She was instrumental in expanding the testing center as well as improvements in the Pilot Shop. She was the heart and soul of Blue Skies for 16 years. She still visits from time to time to check in on us. Maggie and her husband Brian were the force behind the annual Blue Skies Picnic every year and we can’t thank them enough for all that they have done.

JOHNNY BLANKENSHIP | FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

Johnny Blankenship has had a love for aviation for a lifetime. He completed his electrical engineering degree at the University of Kentucky and worked for Motorola before starting flying lessons at DuPage Airport in 1989. By 1990 he had earned his Private Pilot license. His flying education continued with the Instrument Rating in 1995, Commercial Pilot’s license in 1997, and Flight Instructor Certificate in 2000. He then started part-time flight instruction at Blue Skies Flying Services, and continued working full time at Motorola until he retired in 2004. While teaching others to fly at Blue Skies, he earned his Instrument Instructor rating in 2009. In 2012, he earned his Commercial Seaplane Pilot Certificate. Johnny has accumulated over 3,400 hours of flight time, with 2,500 flight instruction hours.