Instructors
Paul LambChief Instructor
Senior Instructor
CFI, CFII, MEI, CSIP
I received my Private Pilot license in Hawaii in 1970 as well as an Airframe & Power Plant mechanic license. In 1995 I obtained an instrument rating and a Commercial license. The following year I obtained ratings for Airplane and Instrument Flight Instructor.
In 1998 I qualified as a Master Flight Instructor and am a Gold Seal Flight Instructor. Since 1998, I have added Single Engine Sea, Commercial Multi-Engine Land and Multi-Engine Instructor ratings. Upon my retirement as Postmaster of Smyrna in 2003, I am now devoted full-time to flight instructing at Wings. In February 2004, I qualified as a Cirrus Standardized Instructor and provide transition, recurrent and refresher training in Cirrus aircraft.
I reside in Smyrna with my wife Cathy and step-son Jason. I enjoy helping other pilots progress in their flying endeavors.
Mark RobeySenior Instructor
ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI
I took my first flight with American Airlines as a senior in high school on a trip from Orlando to Nashville…seeing the world from that viewpoint was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. As many pilots say, I wanted to fly since I was a child. I remember as young as 6 years old staring into the sky, looking at cloud formations and watching planes race through them. That’s when the dream began.
But as you know, life happens. It wasn’t until age 32 that I started my Private Certificate (all thanks to my wife pushing me to chase the dream). The experience of taking control of an actual aircraft, making it fly and then making it land? It’s a thrill unlike any accomplishment I had made thus far in my life. Now that I have become a Commercial Flight Instructor, I get to experience that all over again through up and coming pilots I work with!!
I earned my Private certificate with ExcelAvia, LLC at Nashville International Airport (BNA) and my Instrument, Commercial, CFI, CFII, MEI certificates with ATP Inc. at Bowling Green Regional (BWG). My training continues…daily.
If you find yourself looking into the sky wondering what it would be like to fly, you have got to try it today! If you have ever dreamt of piloting an aircraft…today is the day to make your dream come true!!
Allen CrossleyInstructor
CFI
When I was a child I always dreamed big. I wanted to be anything from a race car driver to an athlete and anything in between. One dream that frequently crossed my mind was the dream of flying. As I grew up, dreams faded into reality and I soon saw that I was not going to be a race car driver and certainly not an athlete, but I never could get rid of this dream to fly. For years when people asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would say "I don't know" or something like that because I thought becoming a pilot was not at all practical. I thought people who flew were somehow born into the industry or more likely bought into the industry so it still seemed like a silly childhood dream to be a pilot. Then, around the age of 15, I discovered that a family member that I had never met before was actually a pilot who flew in the airlines and had once flown fighters in the military. Flying didn't seem so silly now knowing that someone in my family was a pilot.
I was now determined to make it to my goals so I focused on school. I graduated from Page High School in Franklin, Tennessee and enrolled at MTSU. I majored in Aerospace with a professional pilot focus. I trained at MTSU as hard as I could and by graduation I was a commercial pilot with an instrument rating and a multi-engine rating. After graduation, however, I went through a period of time where I didn't know really what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be involved in aviation, but I was afraid that being a professional pilot was not going to happen. Finally, I decided to just go for it. I began training for my CFI at Wings of Eagles and now look forward to helping others pursue their dream of flying.
Bruce ChervenInstructor
CFI, CFII
"When once you have tested flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."
— Leonardo Da Vinci
As a child, I always had my eye toward the sky. I grew up in West Seneca, New York and St. Petersburg, Florida. It all started with my reading issues of Flying magazine in the elementary school library and daydreaming about landing my seaplane off some remote island to spend the day. While I haven't quite done the seaplane thing... the adventure (and interest) is still there. Is there yet another rating in my future?
My telecommunications career relocated me to Phoenix, Arizona, where I decided to carry out my childhood daydream and earn my Private Pilot certificate. This not only exposed me to flying within complex airspace, but allowed me to develop my mountain flying skills and fly some of the most beautiful country in the U.S. I have fond memories of flying the Sonoran and Painted Deserts, navigating the Superstition Mountains and landing on the mesa of Sedona Airport.
Upon relocating to Nashville, I decided to advance my skills earning my Instrument, Multi-engine, Commercial, and Flight Instructor certifications and ratings. Much of this coursework was accomplished at Wings of Eagles. I enjoy teaching here. It is rewarding to help someone develop their flying skills.
I hold a number of degrees and certifications in music, business and computers including an MBA.
Being an avid adventurer, I've hiked mountains and back-country, skied, sailed, four-by-foured, mountain biked, snowmobiled and motorcycled many locations across the U.S. I've been a professional drummer and percussionist as well as hold an Extra Class Amateur Radio License.
I reside in Smyrna with my wife Jan.
Richard GarrettInstructor
CFI, CFII
I guess you could say that I grew up with aviation in my blood. My grandfather was a Navy Fighter pilot during the Korean War flying the F-9F. He was a captain for Eastern Air Lines by the time I came along. He was one of the first 40 pilots to fly the Airbus A-300. He was my hero!
I attended MTSU and began taking flying lessons while attending school. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Administration, but never finished my pilots license. I worked for Delta Air Lines for seven years and ended up in Atlanta, GA. I was furloughed from Delta, but my passion for flying remained. With strong encouragement from my wife Jill I finally finished my private license nine years after college. So, if you started your license and never finished let me help you realize your passion to fly.
I moved back to Nashville in 1989 to start a restaurant and after 10 successful years, we sold the business. I earned my Instrument, Commercial, Multi-engine, and Certified Flight Instructors ratings in a little over a year. I have the heart of a teacher and love pursuing my passion every day teaching others to fly.
Instructor
CFI
It isn’t the thrill of being thousands of feet above the canvas of the earth.
It isn’t even the ability to defy gravity that keeps me enthralled with aviation.
It's everything.
It's the physics of how a wing generates lift; it's the Air Traffic Control system; it's the revolutionizing technology; it's the reflective feeling of accomplishment of "I can't believe I am doing this!"
It's addictive.
My name is Tyler Willman and I have been an (aviation) addict since consciousness. I earned a private pilot's license in 2006, a Certificated Flight Instructor rating in February 2010, and graduated MTSU with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace. I don’t remember my first experience with flight, but I know that every flight continues to drive me back for more. Let me help you turn aviation fascination into aviation fixation—it is easier than you think.
Chris CarnettAssistant Chief Instructor
Senior Instructor
CFI, CFII, MEI
"To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation,
the sky is home."
— anon
In 1998, I received a Discovery Flight as a birthday gift. It was the start of my passion involving airplanes. In 2002, I moved to Murfreesboro and began my formal flying education. While earning my B.S. and M.Ed. in Aerospace I was lucky enough to begin serving as a Flight Instructor at Wings Of Eagles. In the fall of 2007, I was hired by a regional airline in Saint Louis, MO operating the Embraer 145. After the latest airline economic downturn, I returned to Wings Of Eagles in 2008 to continue flying and teaching. In 2009, I was hired by MTSU's Aerospace Department as an Adjunct Professor and have recently begun acting as the Assistant Chief Flight Instructor at Wings.
When I'm not flying (which luckily, isn't often) I spend time at my home in Murfreesboro with my beagle Abigail and serve on the Board of Directors of a local public theater.
Donnie UnderwoodSenior Instructor
ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI
I took my first flying lesson in 1981 just for "grins", and soon discovered that flying an airplane was something that I really enjoyed. I obtained my pilot's license in 1982 and decided that I wanted to learn everything I could about flying so in 1985 I earned my Flight Instructor certificate. Since then, flying has become a major part of my life.
Do you think you have the flying bug? If so, give Wings of Eagles a call and let us make flying an enjoyable experience for you. You'll be glad you did.
Gabe HenkelSenior Instructor
CFI, CFII, MEI
I was born into the world of aviation since my dad had made a career with the United States Air Force. I suppose I finally got the flying itch when I was eight years old and my family was returning to the USA from a four-year tour in West Germany. We came back across “the pond” on a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The entire eight-hour flight was an adventure in my mind. I especially remember the captain calling for all the children on board to come up to the cockpit and see the flight from the crew’s perspective. I was amazed at the view, both inside and out. The first thing I noticed upon entering their domain was an overwhelming myriad of dials, switches, and lights; beyond that, through the windscreen, all you could see was what looked like a blanket of snow for as far as the eye could see.
While that experience made a lasting impression on me, I didn’t realize that it had created such a burning desire to become a pilot until after I had already graduated from college. In 2005, with the support and encouragement of my wife, I finally decided to pursue this passion. In a little over a year-and-a-half, I had not only earned my commercial certificate with single-engine, multiengine, and instrument privileges through MTSU’s aerospace program, but I had also earned my flight instructor certificate and had begun training student pilots.
Since 2006 I have gained a great deal of experience in the flight training environment. I have added the instrument and multiengine ratings to my flight instructor certificate and have also earned the Gold Seal flight instructor designation. I have spent nearly 500 hours with the Garmin G-1000 avionics platform and have even had the opportunity to train FAA aviation safety inspectors in that system.
While I truly have a passion for flying, I also have a passion for teaching. I love seeing someone “get it” for the first time and knowing I had a part in that. What’s even more satisfying is to know that I am shaping careers and instilling the same passion for flying that I have in others.
Aviation is a broad field. While I’m not certain of my next step there, I know that I will always instruct. As a matter of fact, I can’t wait for the day when my son, Eli, is old enough to begin training for his own private pilot certificate. What an incredible experience to begin a lineage of pilots within my own family. Who knows, I might even be able to convince my wife and daughter to one day take the controls as well.
Charles DayhuffInstructor
CFI, CFII, MEI
Growing up, I never had the desire to fly an airplane. I liked airplanes but preferred to view them from the ground. My only experience had been as a passenger on a commercial airliner, which made me quite nervous. Then one night, I was at a friend's house and he introduced me to a computer game called Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator. The game was a lot of fun, and I bought my own copy the next day. Within a month, Microsoft enticed me to buy another game called Flight Simulator 2000 by promising me the experience of flying the 747 Jumbo Jet. This, of course, led to the 2002 and 2004 editions as they were released. A close friend, who is an airline pilot, saw my enthusiasm for PC flying and suggested that I really try it. The opportunity presented itself, and I jumped in head-first, acquiring my Private Pilot License immediately followed by an Instrument Rating. Next came my Commercial License, Multi-Engine and then finally my Flight Instructor Ratings. I'd be happy to share my passion for flying with you. Come visit us in Smyrna and let us help you realize your dreams of flying. Earn your license and experience a joy and freedom you have never tasted before.
Instructor
CFI, CFII
I’ve been extremely lucky and blessed in my dream of learning to fly and making it a career.
Growing up in Vancouver Washington, right across the Columbia River from Portland Oregon, I was able to watch planes take off and land almost any time from Portland International Airport (PDX). PDX is a little different from most airports though as it houses the 142nd fighter wing, home of the F-15 Eagles. Every day I looked forward to when four F-15’s flew directly over my house in formation. They captured my interest with their beauty and power at a young age of two years old. I knew then that being a pilot was the only thing that would make me that happy, and my goal was set; I was not going to quit until I had achieved that goal!
I searched and toured many colleges and decided that MTSU and their flight program was the one for me. Before I officially started MTSU I was directed to Wings of Eagles by my father, who had recently earned his Private license there. I flew, often twice a day and did ground lessons just as often and earned my Private license in February 2009 and my Instrument rating in May 2009 with Wings of Eagles.
During my private training, shortly after departing runway 32, I looked over and saw my flight instructor and it hit me. I realized something that had yet to dawn on me until that moment; I could not achieve my dream of being a pilot without this man sitting next to me helping me. I made it my new goal to, while achieving the first goal, become a CFI and hopefully have the opportunity to instruct at Wings of Eagles as well, helping others achieve their goal the way my flight instructor was helping me with mine.
I began my Commercial license headstrong in July 2009 and finished it in August 2009 with MTSU, going straight into my CFI in September 2009 and finishing in early December 2009. I wanted to further myself with my CFII, so I obtained it in February 2010 and am now working on my Multi Engine rating and will follow that immediately with my MEI. I can’t get enough of flying and have been blessed to make my dream job my life by the age of 19.
Becoming a pilot and flying for business, pleasure, or both, is very realistic with the right help. Let us at Wings of Eagles be a part of that help. I would be honored to have the opportunity to take to the skies with you and make flying and dancing with angels the reality that so many before you have made it.