THE EXECUTIVE TEAM
TOM SMITH
Co-Founder
The late Tom Smith was the Co-founder of Centennial Flyers and a retired Legacy Airline Captain. Tom was also a recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. This award is the most prestigious award the FAA issues to pilots and requires more then 50 years of professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise.
SCOTT SMITH
Owner / President
Scott leads the club’s growth, safety standards, and long term fleet strategy. He is also a Boeing 777 pilot for a major airline and brings a disciplined, systems based approach to training, maintenance, and member experience. Scott is focused on keeping Centennial Flyers the best value at KAPA while building one of the most diverse and professionally run fleets in the country.
STEPHANIE SMITH
General Manager
Stephanie Smith serves as our General Manager, overseeing day to day operations, team coordination, and member experience at Centennial Flyers. She brings a strong background in office management, staff training, scheduling, and customer service leadership.
DEBI SMITH
Accounting
Debi is a practicing registered nurse, by trade, since 1985. Debi assists us with accounting and Scholarships at Centennial Flyers.
PILOT LEADERSHIP TEAM
Chief Pilot
PAUL SCIERA
Paul is a retired Continental pilot with extensive domestic and international experience. Over 32 years of flying as Captain and First Officer on B737, B757, B767 & Flight Engineer on B727, A300. He is also a flight instructor in general aviation for over 50 years with CFI, CFII, MEI, 3000+ hrs of instruction given and 33,000+ total flight time. Paul is also the recipient of the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award!
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BRANDON T.
Senior Safety Pilot
Brandon is a former naval aviator, aerospace engineer, and now program manager and part-time MEI/CFI. He is a hybrid instructor pilot educated through military and civilian flight programs, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and FAA Part 61, with 20 years’ flying experience.
Brandon offers integrated flight instruction, from discovery/intro flights, single and multi-engine training, to military jet aviators transitioning to general aviation. As a part-time FAA instructor pilot since 2006, he is generally available weekends, early morning/late afternoon weekdays, and potentially other times with sufficient planning.
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BILL DUNN
Assistant Chief Pilot
Native to Colorado, Bill grew up in a ‘flying family’ learning to fly in the Colorado mountains with his father, a natural resources pilot. In his youth, Bill gained hands-on experience in number of different aircraft. On his 16th birthday in Montrose, CO, he soloed planes including a 1947 Bonanza, a Piper PA18 Super Cub, and a PA28. Bill spent his career in aviation, and recently retired from Denver TRACON (Approach Control/FAA ATC) after 40 years in combined work different air traffic control facilities. In addition to flight instruction, he now works developing IFR procedures, and as a Flight Validation Pilot, for RNAV PBN procedures.
Bill holds ATP (ME Land), COMM (SE Land & Sea) and CFII/SE&ME certificates and ratings, with over 36 years of CFI experience. Bill specializes in high-elevation and mountain flight training, and is an assistant Mountain Flying Chairman with the Colorado Pilot’s Association.
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303-246-7758
billdunncfi@aol.com​
ED OLIVETT
Assistant Chief Pilot
Ed is a Colorado native and has been flying for over 10 years. First and foremost, he is a husband to Marie and a father to Lydia & Emmett. Ed loves to fly, watch movies, spend time outside, and travel. He has aspirations of becoming a bush pilot overseas and loves flying tailwheel airplanes.
Ed earned his private certificate in Gainesville, Georgia in 2014 and hasn't stopped achieving ratings since! He holds Commercial single- and multi-engine ratings with instrument as well as CFI/CFII/MEI. Ed obtained his A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) rating in 2020 and also holds his Inspection Authorization (IA). He works part-time at a shop to maintain his mechanic skills and currency.
Ed currently flies a Pilatus PC-12 for PlaneSense, Inc, but still spends his time at home helping with aircraft checkouts for new and current members as well as CFI checkouts. He also does a bit of contract flying and ferrying. Ed has experience in over 30 different models of airplanes from Beechcraft, Cessna, Cirrus, Diamond, Helio, Luscombe, Maule, Pilatus, Piper, Zenair, and more! Don't hesitate to reach out to see if Ed is a good fit for you and what you're looking to accomplish in your flight training!​
flywithed.com​​
JAKE ESAU
Assistant Chief Pilot
Jake is a full-time flight instructor who specializes in instrument training, procedures, and advanced use of aircraft avionics. Jake started his pilot journey in 2010 in the Kansas City area while working as a software engineer for Garmin. After a 12-year break to focus on his tech career, he resumed his pilot journey full-time after being laid off from a tech startup in 2023. He then became a CFI and CFII in June 2024. In addition to being an instructor, he enjoys flying to airports in small towns to get lunch at local spots. He also flies missions for Pilots N’ Paws, a non-profit organization that helps move rescue animals around the country.
CFI, CFII, MEI
785-979-1407