Jake Melampy has had a life-long love of aviation, being introduced to aircraft at the ripe age of 5. Earning his Private Pilot certificate in 1997, he was flying Lear 25s for a freight/charter company by 2001. To date, he has logged well over 11,000 hours in aircraft ranging from Cessna 152s, DC-3s, Waco biplanes, a variety of business jets, and tactical military fighter jets. During all this time, he’s never lost the love of teaching and sharing his affection for aviation. He has continued to maintain his CFI/CFII ratings, logging in excess of 5500 hours of dual instruction. He has the rare ability to instill real-world experience into flight training and the syllabus at Speed Hunter Aviation is built around his experience in the cockpit.

Born while his father was serving in the US Air Force, Jeremiah Kilmer grew up around aircraft and developed a love for aviation at an early age. In 1998, while still in college, he began flight training at the Middletown Regional airport and earned his Private Pilot license under the instruction of Jake Melampy. He then went on to obtain the remainder of his professional ratings and licenses. Having trained in dozens of different types of aircraft from vintage taildraggers to technically advanced aircraft, he is able to pass along to his students the art of flying while also preparing them to become a safety conscious and competent pilot.

Ed Loxterkamp started his aviation passion with model airplanes and RC gliders in high school. He earned his Glider Pilot rating while on an Air Force scholarship at UC. He went into the Air Force and flew satellites instead of airplanes. After retirement from the Air Force, he added a powered rating so he could travel places and take family and friends to enjoy the experience allowed by flying. He’s owned three airplanes, crossed the Rocky Mountains four times in his own airplane, and has landed it in all lower 48 States plus Alaska and Canada. He has flown in the world’s busiest airspace to enjoy the view of New York City from above the Hudson river and Central Park. He brings those real world experiences to the young and the young at heart. He is a CFI/CFII with over 2900 hours and enjoys sharing the freedom we have when we fly.

Jonathan Banks has been flying with us since November of 2023. Jon has eagerly been chipping away at a promising career in aviation. Following a passion discovered at a young age, Jonathan's long term goal is to establish himself as a professional career pilot. As a kid, Jon always had an interest in anything and everything mechanical. This interest, along with a rich family heritage of Naval aviators on his mother’s side of the family, as well as his father’s and grandfather’s flying history, sparked a passion like no other. Today, Jon enjoys his time instructing and loves sharing his passion of aviation with others. Jonathan currently holds CFI and CFII certificates.

Jennifer Cortez joined the Speed Hunter team in 2024, after earning her Commercial Pilot certificate and Certified Flight Instructor certificate here over the summer. Jennifer comes from a long line of aviators, with a family history of pilots dating back to World War II. She soloed at age 16, earned her Private Pilot certificate at 17, and later returned to aviation as a second career, turning her lifelong passion into a profession. As a CFI, Jennifer loves sharing the joy of flying, whether students are pursuing aviation recreationally or professionally. With a deep appreciation for both the technical and personal journey of becoming a pilot, she is dedicated to guiding students through the process and helping them achieve their goals in the sky.