Meet Our Staff

Senior Instructors

Jim Kwasek

Jim is the Owner and Chief Pilot at Chicago Executive Flight School. An active member of the flying community at Chicago Executive Airport, Jim is president of PAPA at Chicago Executive, the largest pilot organization at Chicago Executive Airport (formerly Palwaukee Municipal Airport). Jim started flying at Palwaukee in 1988, then went on to Southern Illinois University for his degrees in Aviation Management and Aviation Flight. When not flying, Jim enjoys teaching Tae Kwon Do.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI, Flight Engineer Turbojet

Dave Klopfleisch

Dave started flying in 1966 at Roselle Airport, now called Schaumburg Airport in Schaumburg, IL. He served in the Navy 1968-1974 with his last duty station at Miramar, CA. In the Navy, Dave flew the TA-4, single engine attack jet. Afterwards, Dave worked for various corporate flight departments and served as the Safety Officer at the NAS Glenview Flying Club from 1993-1996.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI and MEI, ATP, Part 121 Flight Dispatcher, current Safety Officer at Chicago Executive Flight School

Instructors

Adam Foster

At a young age, Adam became fascinated with aviation. He liked reading books about airplanes and enjoyed attending air shows with his family. Adam dreamed about one day becoming a pilot and accomplished his goal at the age of eighteen. He earned his CFI and CFII and is currently pursuing a degree in Meteorology. In his free time, Adam enjoys traveling, snowboarding and boating with his family and friends.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII

Dmitriy Kartavov

Dmitriy started to fly as a hobby a few times a month or on the weekends back in 2005. Since then he has turned flying into a career earning his private, commercial, and flight instructor certificates. He has also received a Bachelors of Applied Sciences in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University. Now he is focusing on flight instructing full time.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI

Richard Krauleidis

Richard did most of his flight training at American Flyers and has been flying since 1997. His professional experience as a pilot includes working both as a jump pilot flying skydivers and as a flight instructor training students.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI

Scott Layman

Scott started his flight training in 1986, and has been professionally flying since 1987. Since then he earned his Air Transport Pilot license and has flown thousands of hours under Part 135 air charter in a variety of aircraft from single and multi-engine props, single and multi-engine turboprops, and multi-engine jets. He now makes his aviation home with the Chicago Executive Flight School. When not flying Scott has been very active in the Chicagoland area as an ESL instructor, a speaker for not-for-profit organizations, substitute high school teacher, radio show host, and as an agent for New York Life and NYLife Securities.
Flight Qualifications include: ATP, CFI

Juan Lopez

Juan first learned to fly at Midway Airport about 30 years ago. He’s been flight instructing for the past 8 yrs at Chicago Executive Airport and working as a Customer Systems Technician with AT&T for 18 yrs.
Flight Qualifications include: CFI, CFII, and Commercial Multi-Engine