Samuel Sumner

Sumner got his start in aviation when he was selected to attend USAF Undergraduate Pilot training in Texas in 2014. Upon graduation after flying the T-6 and T-1, he moved to Georgia to fly the E-8C JSTARS. It was there he first became an instructor and discovered a love of giving back knowledge to the aviation community. After spending five years flying the 707-based platform, and a few international deployments, he volunteered to go back to pilot training to instruct.

Over the last three years, Sumner has helped hundreds of students get their wings throughout instruction in basic flying maneuvers, navigation, instruments, and formation training. While flying the T-6A primary trainer, he has served as Chief of Training, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, and currently serves as the squadron chief pilot, mentoring more than 70 other instructors and validating course graduation standards. He recently acquired his civilian CFI, CFII, and MEI ratings and looks to continue growing his aviation skills.