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AOPA’s Pilot Information Center
As the foremost technical resource available to the general aviation community, the Pilot Information Center strives to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and technical expertise. Our skilled group of pilots and flight instructors has over 30,000 hours of collective flight experience and plays a pivotal role in AOPA’s mission and objectives. During the course of a given year, our specialists respond to over 200,000 member questions and thousands of e-mails and letters.
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Paula Wivell, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President, performs a wide variety of administrative duties in support of the management/supervisory team and the technical services staff. In addition to assisting the PIC staff of 20, she is also part of the AOPA Flight Operations team. Paula assists in organizing and overseeing the utilization and management of AOPA company aircraft and helps ensure that AOPA efficiently and effectively deploys aircraft to meet the needs of traveling staff. Paula has 18 years of experience at AOPA including 10 years with the Marketing Department and eight years with Member Services. She transitioned to the PIC in March 2009. Paula is a lifelong student pilot, taking time off from flight training to raise her family. She hopes to finish her training soon. | |
 Toni Mensching, Supervisor of the Pilot Information Center, joined the team in February 2007. She holds a Bachelor of Business degree in Flight Operations and a Master of Commercial Aviation Management degree from Delta State University in Mississippi. Toni is a multi-engine and instrument rated flight instructor and has logged over 2,500 hours. . Prior to employment at AOPA, her background includes flying the DHC-8 for US Airways, participating in the accident investigation team for ALPA, and working for the FedEx Pilot Recruitment team. She now lives in Frederick, Maryland, and is a faithful Red Sox fan. Toni is also a chief judge with the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. | |
 Rodney Martz, Senior Aviation Technical Specialist, came to AOPA in 1990 from the finance and banking industry. He is a 2,000-hour private pilot who started in aviation as a lineman during college summers back in 1969. Rodney has a diverse background including real estate, FBO operations, maintenance, finance, and corporate operations. He currently owns a D35 Bonanza and a Cessna 140, both of which are getting “long-term” annuals! | |
 Craig Brown, Senior Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center in August 1997. Craig holds A&P, ATP, and CFI certificates. In his 25 years of aviation experience, he has turned wrenches, flight instructed, flown traffic watch and charter, flown internationally, and has both fixed and rotor wing experience in 97 aircraft types. He has logged over 9,700 hours of flight time and over 100,000 member requests for assistance and information since starting at AOPA. Craig lives with his wife and children near historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. | |
 Tom Zecha, Senior Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center team in 2005. He holds a B.S. degree in geography specializing in cartography from Frostburg State University. Tom has logged over 6,500 hours and has logged more than 2,000 hours of flight instruction in his 20 years in General Aviation. He is an instrument-rated commercial pilot and also holds flight instructor and advanced ground instructor certificates. Tom’s experience covers a wide range of GA activities from traffic pilot and wildlife survey to Director of operations at a Baltimore area flight school. Tom continues as an active flight instructor and exercises his commercial privileges during his off hours. He has extensive experience operating in the Washington ADIZ and FRZ. His work with AOPA includes handling a wide variety of aviation questions from members and he focuses a majority of his attention on airport issues. Tom also handles the airside operations for our annual Aviation Expo and Summit. | |
 Sean Collins, Senior Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center in 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Sciences from Bridgewater State College and holds a commercial pilot certificate with Instrument, single and multi-engine ratings. Sean dedicates a majority of his time to the Airport Support Network, working closely with members and ASN volunteers on various airport issues. When not working or flying, Sean is following his Red Sox and Patriots. | |
 Chris Prichett, Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center in 2007. Chris has B.A. in psychology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Originally from the Maryland area, he has spent time in Colorado and South Carolina. The majority of his flight experience results from more than five years of instruction in Harford County Maryland and enjoys grass roots flying from short unimproved strips. He will soon be adding add a CFII to his qualifications. He currently holds a commercial pilot certificate with Instrument, single-engine, and multi-engine ratings. | |
| Patrick Smith, Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center in 2008. He holds a B.S. in Aeronautics with a specialization in Commercial Aviation from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. He holds a Commercial ASEL, AMEL and CFI certificates, and has over 1300 hours dual given. A lifelong local Frederick resident, Patrick enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming and boating. Patrick and his wife live on a lake a few miles from the airport, along with their beagle “Ringo.” | |
| Patrick Timmerman, Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center in 2009. Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Western Carolina University. He is also a CFI and CFII and has given over 1300 hours of instruction and has over 2200 hours total time. Patrick has taught at several flight schools in southeastern Virginia and the beautiful Northern Mariana Islands. While out in the western Pacific he also flew Part 135 on demand charter. Patrick and his wife Maria have two sons, Joshua and Matthew. | |
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Mike Hollenbush, Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the team in 2009. Mike holds a degree in Criminal Justice from Penn State University. He is a Commercial Pilot with a CFI, CFII and MEI. Prior to working at AOPA Mike flew charter out of Harrisburg, PA. He was a sergeant in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. As a guardsman Mike operated electronic communications equipment. Besides flying, Mike loves boating. He has two children and a loving wife who supports his flying addiction. Chris Moser, Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center in 2009. He holds a Bachelor's degree in History/Secondary Education from Towson University. He is also an airplane single and multiengine, and instrument rated instructor with over 1000 hours of dual given, and 1900 hours total time. Prior to employment at AOPA, Chris had 12 years of secondary teaching experience, and flew as a freight pilot for Ameriflight in Piper Lances, Chieftains, and Beech 99's. He is currently working toward a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Science at Embry Riddle with a specialty in Aviation Education Technology. Chris currently lives in the Frederick area with his wife and son. Andy Sable, Aviation Technical Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center in 2006. Andy is a CFI, CFII, and an MEI and has given over 800 hours of instruction and has more than 2300 hours total time. His diverse aviation career covers a wide area of experience including banner towing, teaching tailwheel, ag flying, and flying Part 135 charter in Citations and a King Air. Andy recently acquired his seaplane rating and is looking forward to exploring Maine and Alaska on floats in his spare time. Before moving to Maryland and becoming a professional pilot, Andy lived in Winter Haven, FL where he was a world-renowned barefoot waterskiing coach and a U.S. National Barefoot Waterskiing Champion. | |
 Kathy Dondzila, Web Information Specialist, joined the Pilot Information Center team in 2001. Kathy is a long-timer at AOPA with 20 years of experience working in various capacities within the association, including the Air Safety Foundation, Seaplane Pilots Association, and AOPA’s Marketing Department. Kathy’s background is in publications and much of her work in the Pilot Information Center involves writing and managing technical information for members. Kathy is a 300-hour instrument-rated private pilot and holds an instrument and advanced ground instructor certificate. She also holds a Masters degree in Business Administration. She likes to be outdoors whenever possible, and is an avid gardener. She enjoys spending time with her grown children and her three energetic grandsons. | |
 Eddie Tyeryar, Digital Products Support Specialist, came to AOPA in 2000 to provide Local Area Network and Telecommunications support for the entire association, and then made the move to the Pilot Information Center in December of 2007. Eddie has a strong understanding of software support and web technology troubleshooting, but admits that it’s "getting under the hood" and tinkering with hardware that he really enjoys. Eddie prides himself on having a very close relationship with the AOPA’s IT and Web Development Departments. It is a liaison position that allows him to provide valuable assistance to members on the full range of AOPA's digital products. | |
Medical CertificationFor many of our members, this team is the reason they are able to fly! Our medical certification specialists respond annually to more than 20,000 phone calls and e-mails that cover the spectrum of medical conditions from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes to color vision and kidney stones. The medical staff works closely with the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification Division in Oklahoma City and with the Office of Aerospace Medicine and Federal Air Surgeon in Washington, DC to ensure that the information we provide members is accurate and comprehensive and that our advocacy efforts result in the best possible outcome for members. | |
 Gary Crump, Director, Medical Certification Services, has been with AOPA since 1987. A native Texan from the Panhandle city of Amarillo, he was an Operating Room Technician for 10 years and a professional firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician for six years before returning to school to complete his bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida. He has more than 20 years of experience in dealing with FAA medical certification issues, and stays in contact with all the key players in the FAA aeromedical community. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with instrument, multiengine, and single-engine sea ratings. He and his wife, Lisa, live under the shadow of P40, the prohibited airspace surrounding the Naval Support Facility known as Camp David in the northern Maryland town of Thurmont. | |
 Jo Ann Wilson, Senior Medical Certification Technician, joined the Medical Certification department in 1994. She attended the Frederick Community College School of Nursing and has worked in numerous fields of nursing, including hospital medical surgical care, and the emergency room department. She was an Activity Director at several local nursing and retirement homes and one of the founding members of the Frederick County Elder Services Provider Council. In her spare time, Jo Ann is active in her local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star and also is Chairman of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Survivor Reception. Jo Ann, her husband Jim, and her mom reside near Libertytown, Maryland. They have two grown children, Amanda and Anthony, who with his wife, Jacki, welcomed a daughter, Anna Marie in March 2009. | |
 Jacquie Brown, Senior Medical Certification Technician, joined the Medical Certification group in October 2004. She has a diverse medical and customer service background, which includes Frederick Memorial Hospital, American Homepatient, Baltimore Headache Institute, and York Health Systems. She is married and the mother of two and resides in southern Pennsylvania. | |
 Marianne Hays, Medical Certification Specialist, joined the Medical Certification department in June 2007. She graduated from the Medix School in Baltimore, Maryland and has worked for more than 15 years in the medical field. Her medical office experience includes internal medicine, ophthalmology, and medical laboratories. Her husband has been a pilot for over 40 years she enjoys flying with him and combining her aviation knowledge together with her medical background to assist fellow aviators. Marianne resides in Frederick with her husband, Bill, and two sons. They spend many weekend hours flying from Frederick Airport to many area airports, and she hopes to further her aviation experience by pursuing her pilot certificate in the future. | |
Woody Cahall, Vice President, Pilot Information Center, is responsible for the Pilot Information Center, Medical Certification department and Research Center. The department is also responsible for producing much of the technical information content on the AOPA Web site. In the years prior to joining AOPA, Woody was very involved in a wide range of general aviation activities. Woody has accumulated more than 10,000 hours of flight time in a wide variety of aircraft and operations. Among his airman credentials are commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates and instrument and multiengine ratings as well as Commercial glider and seaplane. Woody is a U.S. Army veteran and served a tour in Viet Nam.Updated February 17, 2010
