Instructors

Adam Jones Assistant Chief Flight Instructor, CFI, CFII, MEI

Originally from Fayetteville, AR. Adam is attending the University of Arkansas pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Business. Adam received his Private, Instrument, Commercial, CFI, CFII, and MEI from SkyVenture Aviation and has been instructing since February of 2008. To contact Adam, please email AJones@skyventureinc.com. Adam instructs at our Fayetteville training base.

Mark Frankum Chief Flight Instructor, CFI, CFII, MEI, DPE

Originally from Toccoa, Georgia, Mark Frankum began flying in 1973. After graduating from Emmanuel College, he entered the U.S. Air Force where he served eight years of active duty as an Aviation Meteorologist. Upon leaving the Air Force in 1986, he took a position with Eastern Airlines as a Staff Meteorologist at Miami, FL. Within a year, Mark moved to Memphis, TN and became one of the founding members of the Federal Express Meteorology Department. He rose to the position of Senior Meteorologist for the Federal Express in 1989. While living in Memphis, he acquired a part-time position at the CBS affiliate at Memphis as the Weekend On-Air Meteorologist while continuing his duties at Federal Express. In 1993, Frankym left Federal Express for full-time employment with WREG-TV as an On-Air Meteorologist.

 

Throughout the years in Memphis, Mark continued to fly regularly and earned his Flight Instructor Certificates. While working as a Television Meteorologist, he instructed on a part-time basis for flight schools such as Douglas Aviation at Olive Branch, MS and Central Flying Service in Little Rock, AR. In the fall of 2000, Frankum accepted the Chief Meteorologist position at KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, AR. While instructing part-time for Sharp Aviation at Jonesboro, he met Kathy Moore. Ms. Moore had come to Sharp Aviation to earn her Private Pilot Certificate. Mark and Kathy purchased the flight school from Sharp Aviation and transformed it into an FAA Part 141 Approved Pilot School and a Cessna Pilot Center. The school was remanted "SkyVenture Aviation". SkyVenture opened a second flight school at Jackson, TN in 2004. This school was relocated to Drake Field, Fayetteville, AR in May 2006.

 

You may contact Mark Frankum by email: mark@skyventureinc.com

 

David Dye M.D., A.M.E., CFI

David brings a diverse background and over 25 years of aviation experience to the SkyVenture team. He began his aviation career in 1985 earning his pirvate pilot certificate at Executive Beechcraft in Kansas City, Missouri while attending college and medical school at the University of Missouri. He continued flying with Executive Beechcraft in Wichita, Kansas earning his instrument and multi-engine ratings while completing a family practice medicine residency. After completing his residency training in 1990, he served 5 years in the United States Navy serving two tours assigned to Marine Corps aviation units, seeing combat action in Desert Storm where he served as a medevac physician flying in Northern Iraq. After completing his military service, he moved home to the northeast Arkansas area where he has practiced medicine since 1996. David is and FAA designated Aviation Medical Examiner and a graduate of the Continental Airlines Pilot Training Center in Houston, Texas having received training in the Boeing 737-800. David instructs at the Jonesboro office and can be reached by email: david@skyventureinc.com

 

Jeff Williams CFI, CFII, MEI

Jeff Williams was born at Jonesboro, AR and has always lived in the area. He completed all of his flight training at SkyVenture Aviation over a period ranging from 2006-2009. Aside from flying, Jeff enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting and boating. Jeff is also a skilled farrier. A farrier is a "specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof and the placing of shoes to the horse's foot". In other words, he can shoe a horse! Another rare skill is Jeff's qualifications as a Falconer, a hobby that began while still in high school. You may reach Jeff by email: Jeff@skyventureinc.com

David Vaughan ATP, CFII, AGI, Pilot Examiner, A&P, IA

Assistant Chief Flight Instructor David grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and learned to fly while stationed in Honolulu with the Coast Guard in 1965. Most of his time in the Coast Guard was spent on a Weather Ship in the North Pacific. Upon discharge he pursued a flying career attending flight schools in Nevada and California and doing occasional Ranch Work to supplement income. He moved to Arkansas in 1967 working as a Flight Instructor and Charter Pilot for a small operator in North Little Rock and then Little Rock. After a brief period at Colorado Aero Tech to acquire skills for his A&P, he moved to Jonesboro to fly corporate where he stayed for 33 years. He was active in many areas of the company including sales and marketing. David has always had his hand in Flight Training and continues to do so at SkyVenture, where he has been an examiner since 1992. David enjoys skiing, sailing, backpacking and just working at his new home in the hills when he is not flying.

Chris Evans CFI, CFII, MEI

Chris is originally from Dayton, Ohio. He grew up playing soccer and baseball throughtout his high school career. Chris attended Sinclair where he earned his Private Pilot Certificate and Instrument rating. He then transferred to Bowling Green in North Western Ohio where he completed the rest of his training through MEI. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Flight Technology and Operations in Augst 2010. Chris has been instructing since February 2009. To contact Chris, please email: Chris@skyventureinc.com

 

 

 

Matt Rasmussen CFI CFII MEI

Matt grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA.  While in school in Iowa he enjoyed playing soccer and running track.    He attended Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN where he received his CFI, CFII, and MEI as well as a Bachelors degree in Professional Flight.  Matt has been instructing for SkyVenture since November of 2010. To contact Matt please email: Matt@skyventureinc.com

Colin Smith CFI, CFII, MEI

Colin Smith is a native of Madison, Wisconsin. Colin earned a BS in Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2008. After graduating from college, he worked briefly in sales before answering his lifelong dream of becoming a professional pilot. He earned his Commercial, Instrument, CFI, CFII and MEI in only five and one-half months! An avid outdoorsman, Colin enjoys a number of sports including wakeboarding, fishing, and following Wisconsin sports (Packers, Brewers, and Badgers). “When the weather is nice I would rather be outside than sitting in an office which is one of the main reasons I became a pilot.”  To contact Colin please him Colin@skyventureinc.com