Solid Ground Aviation flight instructor teaching a student at the simulator controls in Fort Meade, MD

Meet the Team

Train with airline, military and career flight instructors who bring decades of experience to every lesson at our Flight Training Center.

Your Instructors

The Pilots Behind
Your Training

Every instructor here holds an FAA instructor certificate, and most have flown for the airlines, the military or corporate operators. You'll learn from people who have done the flying they teach.

Leadership

Our founder and chief instructor is an airline pilot and ATP who started Solid Ground so pilots at every experience level could train with the simulator and the airplane working together.

Todd O'Brien, Founder, Chief Instructor at Solid Ground Aviation in Fort Meade, MD

Todd O'Brien

Founder, Chief Instructor

CFI CFII MEI ATP

Our Instructors

Our certificated flight instructors bring airline, Navy, Civil Air Patrol and decades of teaching experience to every lesson, with the simulator built into how they teach.

Marty Sacks, Instructor at Solid Ground Aviation in Fort Meade, MD

Marty Sacks

Instructor

CFI CFII
Todd Breese, Instructor at Solid Ground Aviation in Fort Meade, MD

Todd Breese

Instructor

CFI CFII MEI ATP
Mike Allen, Instructor at Solid Ground Aviation in Fort Meade, MD

Mike Allen

Instructor

CFI CFII
Jeff Barnett, Instructor at Solid Ground Aviation in Fort Meade, MD

Jeff Barnett

Instructor

CFI CFII MEI ATP FE

Fly With Our Team

Start With a Discovery Session

Meet an instructor, see our Flight Training Center at Tipton Airport and get a plan for your first steps in flying.

Book a Discovery Session