Certified Flight Instructors
More than any other aspect, what sets Alpine Flight Training apart from other local flight schools is our instructors. At Alpine Flight Training you will receive instruction from experienced professionals that have extensive aviation knowledge and are adept at teaching the art and science of flight. Our instructors practice what they teach, using their skills and strategies to fly to places like Alaska, Montana, Idaho. You can learn more about our instructors below.
Loren French
DPE | ATP SE/ME | Seaplane/Landplane CFI | CFII | MEI | Gliders
Loren is our on-site Designated Pilot Examiner and Chief Instructor. Loren has worked in a variety of different aviation businesses of the last 22 years. Prior to living in Gypsum and operating Alpine Flight Training he worked for Eclipse Aviation in Albuquerque New Mexico developing aircraft and training programs as well as Frontier Airlines in Denver, and iAero Group flying a variety of airframes. Loren is type rated in the AirBus 320 Series, and the Boeing 737 series aircraft.
Loren holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) in single engine and multi-engine land aircraft, a commercial license in single engine seaplanes, and gliders. With over 8000 hours of instruction given, Loren holds instructional ratings for single engine and multi-engine airplanes, and instrument airplanes as well as ground instructor certificates for advanced and instrument ground instruction as well as seaplanes. Loren is a Gold Seal CFI and NAFI Master CFI. Loren originally learned to fly at Eagle County Regional Airport in 1995, and the bulk of his 13000 hours of time has been flying and teaching in the Colorado Rockies. In addition to instructing for Alpine Flight Training, Loren is a member of the FAAST Team (FAA Aviation Safety Team).
Jim Spahmer
Commercial | CFI | CFII
Jim specializes in single engine Cirrus Aircraft training. He is a retired business owner in Vail.
Alexa Mark
Commercial | CFI | CFII
Alexa is an Italian-American Ohio native with an affinity for the mountains. Her love for Colorado comes from annual ski trips she took with her cousins each year to Beaver Creek. After graduating from Ohio State, Alexa moved to Avon to teach skiing while she began her flying career. She completed her instrument, commercial, CFI, and CFII ratings at Alpine Flight School, and she is thrilled to be teaching in such an incredible and challenging environment. Alexa loves to cook, bake (peach pie is her specialty), and spend time with family. She enjoys skiing, hiking, reading, riding horses, and, of course, cheering on the Buckeyes.
Zak Thrall
Commercial ASEL/AMEL | CFI | CFII | MEI
Zak was born in Vail and raised in Eagle, Colorado. Most of his youth was spent snowboarding and playing football. He then took his love for football to the college level playing five years of Division 1 football as the starting center for the University of Northern Colorado Bears.
Zak’s love of aviation began with his mom’s United Airlines job, which gave him free flight benefits he has used to travel the world since college — and still enjoys today. During a focused 13 months at ATP Flight School in Centennial, Colorado, Zak earned his CFI, CFII and MEI certificates and knew he would always return to the mountains where he grew up to instruct.
Zak’s goal as an instructor at Alpine is simple: turn out pilots who are methodical, safe, and have a real respect for the challenges that mountain flying can present. Outside the cockpit, Zak spends his free time playing guitar and banjo with his band, often touring throughout the U.S. and Europe. He’s engaged to Rachael, with a wedding planned for next year.
Mihailo Durovic
Commercial | CFI | CFII
Mihailo dreamed about becoming a pilot since he was a young boy. The main reason he moved to USA from Serbia is to become a pilot and be able to handle the expenses of flight training. And here he is! Years later Mihailo is enjoying mountain flying in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado where we enjoy blue sky almost every day. He took a discovery flight lesson here at Alpine Flight School back in 2021 and obtained all of his ratings in the mountains. He is enthusiastic to share his love of aviation!
Traci Mcnamara McCoy
Commercial | CFI | CFII
Traci Macnamara McCoy loves sharing Colorado’s mountain skies with student pilots and Vail-area visitors. She completed her private pilot and commercial pilot training with Alpine Flight and did her instrument training in the clouds near Duluth, Minnesota. With a background in communications and writing, Traci got interested in aviation while working a seasonal communications job at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, where a variety of aircraft support polar science projects and researchers. A lifelong athlete and adventurer, Traci enjoys cycling, skiing, and being outdoors when she’s not inside a plane.
To schedule time to meet or fly with one of our instructors call Alpine Flight Training today at (970) 401-5105