Richard Whittemore

This is Whittemore’s third NAFI Master accreditation. Whittemore is from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He fell in love with aviation at age 14, soloed at 16, and earned his private certificate a year later. Whittemore’s goal was to become a missionary pilot. After completing flight training, he moved to Argentina to study Spanish. After returning home and completing his degree in aviation management, he began managing the airport and flight school where he learned to fly. Over the next two years, he earned instrument, commercial, multiengine, CFI, CFII, and MEI ratings. In addition to instructing, began his first professional flying job in a Beechcraft Baron. He earned a commercial seaplane rating in 2011.

Whittemore earned a commercial helicopter certificate in 2012. He and his family moved to Brazil in 2013 where he flew as a missionary pilot in a float plane on Amazon River. Whittemore moved back to the United States in 2016, where he earned his multi-engine ATP and helicopter CFI.

Later that year he began flying a Citation XLS+ and helicopters in Texas and owned and operated the only dual rated flight school on the Texas/Mexico border. In 2017, Whittemore added ASEL to his ATP rating. In 2020 earned his ATP helicopter and helicopter CFII and worked as an EMS helicopter pilot serving rural communities. He became a night vision goggle instructor and started a flight school in Birmingham, Alabama.

In 2022, Whittemore transitioned fulltime to his wholly owned and operated company. He serves as PIC in Citation CJ series, Hawker 800 series, and King Airs. He provides in- aircraft and simulator instruction in the CJ for a nationally recognized training company and is chief pilot for a Part 135 operator.

Whittemore believes a good instructor never stops learning and is currently pursuing his long-time goal of becoming a designated pilot examiner.