OUR MISSION
Build a friendly and engaging community for aviators interested in unique flight experiences.
West Coast Aerosport is a Los Angeles based flight school out of Hawthorne, California, serving pilots passionate about flying tailwheel, classic and aerobatic aircraft.
We own and operate a Stearman, a Super Decathlon and a Cessna 170; offering primary flight training, tailwheel endorsements, spin training, a basic aerobatics course and solo aircraft rental to SoCal pilots.
Stearman
The Stearman is the ultimate classic warbird – designed as a primary trainer in World War II, it’s easy to fly but challenging to master. Over 10,000 were built and around 1,000 remain today.
Power plant: 220 HP Continental
Aerobatic classic warbird trainer
Experience the thrill of open cockpit flying
Rates:
$420/hr with fuel + instructor
Dual Only
Super D
The American Champion Super Decathlon is a versatile aircraft – docile to handle on the ground and on landing, but able to hold its own in aerobatic competition or cross country flying.
Power plant: 180 HP Lycoming
Inverted fuel and oil system
Rated for +6/-5 g’s in
aerobatic category
Rates:
$200/hr with fuel
$100/hr for tailwheel instructor
$125/hr for aerobatics instructor
Cessna 170
The Cessna 170 is the original bush classic – designed as the family car of the air, its 4 seats and excellent short field performance quickly made it one of the most popular planes for the back country.
Power plant: 145 HP Continental
800 lb useful load
Excellent short takeoff and landing performance
Rates:
$200/hr with fuel
$100/hr for instructor
INSTRUCTORS
Mona Creta
Instructor
Mona studied business and interior architectural design before ‘accidently’ walking into the world of aviation. From the airlines to corporate jets, Mona’s roles have included customer service, charter sales, airline operations, jet management and flight coordination.
When not instructing, you’ll find her serving the aviation community through involvement in organizations like the EAA and Commemorative Air Force, or spot her flying around low and slow in the California high desert and Idaho backcountry.
Ben Remy
Instructor
As an engineer at SpaceX, he operated the Dragon spacecraft on missions to the International Space Station, but thinks tailwheel flying is way more fun.
MANAGEMENT
John Malsbury
President, Chief Instructor
Co-Founder
John is an CFI/CFII with experience in a variety of aircraft. He holds a single-pilot rating for the SA-227 Metroliner, and has provided several hundred hours of instruction in the SuperD. John is a SpaceX alumni, and CEO of AnySignal, developing end-to-end RF solutions for aerospace and national security customers.
Jay Aranha
VP of Operations
Co-Founder
Jay knows that real aircraft have the big wheels in the front. He has 300+ hours in tailwheel aircraft, is a Mission Director at SpaceX, and spends most of his time working to make life multi-planetary. He’s also an auto racing driver/engineer and amateur parent.
Francois Moller
VP of Finance
Co-Founder
Francois is an experienced finance executive having served business across a broad spectrum of industries. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, flying and being active outdoors doing things like kite surfing and snowboarding.
Mike Heiman
Secretary, Instructor
Co-Founder
Mike “Solo” Heiman is a former Air Force test pilot with over 2,000 flight hours in high performance military aircraft. He’s an engineer at SpaceX, enjoys flying and maintaining his RV-7, helping students master the art of wheel landings, snowboarding, and being a new dad.