SCHOOL & TRAINING: Meet the Instructors

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Charlie Hayes, Certificated Flight Instructor Glider (CFI-G)

Bio coming soon!

Quest Richlife, Certificated Flight Instructor—Glider (CFI-G)
(Also Flight Instructor in Single and Multi-Engine Airplanes, and Instruments.)

Quest is an aviation enthusiast with 4,000+ hours of flight time in airplanes, gliders and helicopters. He has logged 10,500+ accident & incident-free flights, with 5,000+ glider tows. He enjoys flying recreational aerobatics in gliders and the Pitts S-2C. Quest is also rated as an Airline Transport Pilot, and earned the position of Captain with a commuter airline on the east coast where he flew for more than 1,000 hours. He has flown as a Commercial pilot in seven different locations in the US, including Alaska, Arizona, Florida, the Northeast and the Caribbean. Currently, he is the owner of Hollister Soaring Center LLC, based at the Hollister Municipal Airport (KCVH). Hollister Soaring Center LLC (HSC) provides glider tows and Flight Instruction in gliders for the greater Bay Area glider/soaring community.

Growing up in the western suburbs of Portland, Oregon, Quest became enamored of flight by a nearly constant stream of airplanes flying over the family home. That nearby airport in Beaverton was soon turned into a shopping mall, but his initial interest led Quest to sign up for an aviation course offered in the 9th grade. He flew his first dual cross-country in a Cherokee when he was fourteen, and went on to get his Private Pilot airplane certificate on his 21st birthday. Quest pursued a Commercial Glider Rating in 1999, and the Glider Flight Instructor Certificate that same year. After exploring commercial aviation opportunities for several years, Quest settled in Hollister as the owner of HSC in 2005.

Quest believes that all people crave some form of freedom in their life, and that humans have met the challenges of flight in order to expand this experience of freedom. He feels that when any average person decides that they wish to experience the exhilaration of flying a glider, or the thrill of soaring on the air currents with the freedom of a bird, that person can reap these rewards if they are willing to work to meet the challenges required to become a pilot. Quest always enjoys sharing this feeling of freedom and accomplishment with passengers and potential new students.

With freedom comes challenges & responsibilities. As a Glider Flight Instructor, Quest believes that the goal of safe, fun aviating is obtained by emphasizing the importance of certain basic concepts, and then building on them. These are: 1) Mastering precise aircraft control through visual perception, good stick & rudder skills, and a refined kinesthetic sense; 2) Fostering calm, relaxed, disciplined flying habits, and mature, conservative, professional pilot attitudes; and 3) Developing a personal dedication to ongoing training and pilot development.

Whether you are interested in exploring the personal rewards of simply flying a glider as the pilot-in-command, or in pursuing the ultimate aviation challenge of cross-country soaring flight, feel free to call, e-mail or stop by Hollister Soaring Center LLC soon. Quest is available most days to provide introductory lessons, or to guide you in your journey to the completion of your Private or Commercial practical test and beyond.

See you in the sky, and happy soaring!

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