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KC Flight Team Pilots

 

Phillip "Ripper" Lamb-FFI Check Pilot, Flight Lead, Safety, Co-Founder
KC4-Member since 2009,
FFI Initial Card October 2011

SAC Formation DM & Solo
Ripper started in an all-white 210hp RV-8 he built with another KC Flight Team member, he is currently in the building process of a new RV-4.  He is a native of Blue Springs, MO and grew up with a passion for aircraft, from R/Cs’ to the real thing. He has worked for the Kansas Gas Service for 23 years.  Formation flying has become an extreme passion, which includes training, promoting, scheduling events and helping KC Flight grow which is the goal for all our team members. He is married, has 4 children, and 6 grandchildren. Ripper is a 1500 hour Commercial pilot with over 850 hours of tailwheel aircraft.

Kent "Yobo" Yohe - Flight Lead and VP

KC7-Member since 2011
FFI Initial Card April 2012
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Yobo is originally from Glen Ellyn, IL -- a suburb of Chicago.  He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1984 and then attended Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, TX.  Yobo accumulated over 3100 hours in the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog.  While serving in the Air Force, Yobo flew in England, Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona, and ended his career at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.  He served in Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, Afghanistan in 2002, Iraq 2003-2004 where he completed over 100 combat missions in those 3 wars.  He retired after 26 1/2 years in 2010 and is now a Captain for Southwest Airlines and flying the RV4 for fun. His total flying is time over 18,500 hours with 400 hours in his RV-4 and his most unusual flying experience is having 1.5 hours flying a Russian MI-24 Hind Helicopter. Married to his wife, Karin, for 34 years and recently moved to Dallas, TX. They have two sons, a daughter and 2 daughter-in-laws and 1 grandson.

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"Oly" Olson - Wingman
KC9-Member since 2013
FFI Initial Card November 2013
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Flying the RV-8, Oly is our St Louis contingent to KC Flight. During his 23 year military career, Oly has been stationed at numerous worldwide military bases. He has a Bachelors and Masters degree from Embry Riddle University. His flying background includes the US Army OH-58 "Scout", the UH-1 "Huey", the AH-1 "Cobra" helicopters, the Air Force A-10 "Warthog" and the F-16 "Falcon". His flying assignments included roles as a Safety Officer, Flight Test Pilot, Instructor Pilot, Flight Examiner and Standardization Officer. Since retiring from the Air Force in 1998 he has owned an assortment of taildraggers including the single seat RV-3, RV-4 and the RV-8. Oly is a retired Air Force Officer and United Airlines Captain. He's logged 1500 hours in helicopters, 3000 hours in fighter jets and has a total flight time of 25000 hours.  Oly is married to his wife Cheri of 40 years and they have two sons and a grandson. They live in Wildwood, Missouri just West of St. Louis. 

Jon "Fitz" Fitzimmons - Wingman
KC11-Member since 2013
FFI Initial Card September 2014

Fitz is flying his RV-4 painted in in the classic high-visibility "don't hit me" yellow. Why fly so tight in formation then and on purpose? He bought his airplane back in April of 2013 and has flown it over 430 hours in less than 3 years! When he's not flying his RV-4, Fitz flies for a Delta Airline. Before that, he flew for 15 years in the Air Force flying a variety of C-135 aircraft that were not tankers. He has over 4000 hours of flying time and a little over 300 hours of combat time (if you call combat flying over someplace at 30,000 feet without any weapons). He's a multi-engine ATP pilot type-rated in the Boeing 707 and DC-9, classics. Fitz is married to Dani and they have one young daughter, Piper. Will a future son be named "Van"? Only time will tell! They live in Omaha, Nebraska and would like to say in closing; GO BIG RED!!

Paul "Anchor" Amey - Flight Lead and Web Master
KC12-Member since 2014
FFI Initial Card September 2014
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Anchor is flying the silver RV-8, nicknamed the "FAUX FIGHTER" with his former KC Hawgs 303rd Fighter Squadron insignia. He is a homegrown kid, attending St Mary's high school, Benedictine College, KS and a graduate of the University of Central Missouri, "UCM" in Warrensburg, MO.  He earned his Navy wings of gold in 1990.  He accumulated over 1000 hours in the F/A18 Hornet and 247 carrier traps while attached to the USS Kitty Hawk. He also flew the F5 Tiger for over a 1000 hours as a Navy Aggressor Pilot, training Naval Aviators in the art of Air-to-Air Combat. He soon wised up and joined the US Air Force Reserves at Whiteman AFB, MO. Flying the durable A10 Warthog and accumulating another 1600 hours in the Hawg. He retired after 30 years of military service with a total of 3700+ fighter hours and over 360 combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been flying for United Airlines since 1998 and is currently a Capt on the 757/767. On his free time he flys for Draken Intl as a contract Red Air pilot flying the L159 Honey Badger and seasonal work flying an Air Tractor crop dusting for "Pink" a former KC Flight Member. Total Time 9100hrs.

Anchor is type rated in the B777/767/757/737, A320, F5, T38, L39 and L159.

He is married to Renee Wozniak Amey and they have 4 kids. Anchor resides in Lake Winnebago, MO. 

Mark "Cash" Edwards - Wingman
KC13-Member since 2013
FFI Initial Card November 2014
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Mark "Cash" Edwards, is the CFO "Head Bean Counter" of a local Packaging Company.  He has a Master's Degree in Business and a Bachelors in Accounting from UCM.  He always had his head looking to the sky or was found sitting at an airport watching the planes. It was one of his life's dreams, to fly, but never really thought it would happen.  Then in 1996 his wife (Charlotte) surprised him with ground school lessons and to his wife’s surprise he then went on to get his license. She thought the ground school was it and he would be happy.  Little did she know what she had un-leashed. Through the joy and burden of getting 2 kids through college and job changes, he had to shelve the flying until 2010. In 2012 he purchased his first plane, a Cessna 172 SuperHawk and then in 2014 he moved up to a Cessna 182, then to the Vans RV7A and now a Harmon Rocket II.  Mark now has earned his Commercial Pilot’s license, FFI Formation Card, and is currently working on his Instrument Rating.

Craig "2B" Wilcox - FFI Check Pilot, Flight Lead, Training Officer
KC15-Member since 2015
FFI Initial Card May 2009
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Craig "Two Blade" but shortened to "2B" Wilcox grew up in Raytown and graduated from Raytown High School in 1973.  After attending MU-Columbia, 2B served in the US Air Force in Arizona, Idaho, England, New Mexico and North Carolina.  He logged 3300 hours of fighter time flying the F-111 Aardvark and F-15E Strike Eagle, including a combat tour during Desert Storm.  After retirement Craig joined Southwest Airlines, where he has worked for the past 20 years.  2B moved back to Kansas City in 2006 and now lives in Smithville.  Craig is an ATP-rated 737 Captain, CFII, and FFI Check Pilot.  He purchased his White, Blue, and Red RV-8 in 2015.  He initially felt humbled while earning his tailwheel rating, even after 35+ years as a Pilot.  However, now he feels at home in his RV-8 and tucked in a formation with KC Flight.  In addition to his RV, Craig also flies formation in his Beech Bonanza with the local BeechNutz Formation team, his formation training business and has accumulated over 20,000 hours of total flight time.  He has been married to his wife Sheila for over 40 years and they have two adult children and two grandsons.  His other "RV' is just a very large camper on wheels -- boring!

Keith "Pedlar" Vasey - Wingman and Treasurer
KC16-Member since 2011
FFI Initial Card November 2014
SAC Formation DM & Solo

When Pedlar was still a young boy in south-central Kansas his father began flying lessons. His Dad was taught in a J-3 Cub by an old man named Orville Hickman – who also trained Charles Lindbergh to fly. The Vasey family always had an aircraft in the hangar. In 1970 they flew to the EAA convention when Pedlar was 11 - the first year in Oshkosh after being relocated from Rockford, Illinois.  After that trip, Pedlar's Dad began a plans-built project which became the first flying P-51 replica. Still, with all this rich flying heritage, Pedlar didn’t take his first flying lesson until 1987 and suddenly he realized he should have begun a lot sooner (when his father may have paid for it).  Pedlar has logged 4,975 hours as a pilot with Commercial, Multi-Engine, Sea Plane and Instruments ratings.  He has been trained in 68 different models of aircraft and is currently in his 19th year as an aircraft salesman (also a bike enthusiast, hence Pedlar has a dual meaning!).  Pedlar's wife, Valerie doesn’t share the passion for flight, but greatly appreciates the ability to travel – with a pilot in the family. His two boys, Ben & Henry, haven’t begun flying lessons yet, but they provide invaluable assistance when Pedlar is faced with replacing components in hard-to-reach places. Pedlar flies the RV-8 he built. His build process was delayed by the arrival of two children and – equally – the finances to purchase the new engine. In 2012 he sold his RV-8 to a doctor in Texas. He flew it for a year and installed some avionics upgrades.  After 12 months, Pedlar couldn’t stand it anymore and bought it back from the doctor!  He has the RV Grin back and it is even bigger when flying formation with KC Flight.

Todd "Tinker" Nichols - Flight Lead
KC17-Member since 2015
FFI Initial Card May 2016
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Todd "Tinker" Nichols was born in Wichita, Kansas but grew up in Liberty, Missouri not far from where he lives now.  Tinker started his aviation career as a Flight Attendant for TWA in 1996 where he lived in New York for 5 years and met his wife Karen, who is a Flight Attendant for Delta Airlines.  After they got married they moved from New York back to Kansas City where Tinker started flying lessons at the Roosterville Airport in Liberty, MO where he received his CFI, II, MEI ratings and instructed over 1200 hours and solo'd 26 students. After instructing he flew freight for Central Air Southwest out of MKC (Kansas City Downtown). His airline life began again in 2004 when he was hired with Expressjet Airlines where he spent 10 years as a Captain and a Check Airman in the Embraer 145.  During those 10 years, Tinker and Karen had 2 boys. Today Tinker hangs his hat at Southwest Airlines and flies the 737.  To date, Tinker has logged over 13,000 hours and has loved every minute of it.  While not flying, Tinker does lots of camping and traveling with his family and tinkering on his

RV-4.

Dan "Flower" Wahl - Wingman
KC18- Member since 2015
FFI Initial Card May 2016
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Flower grew up in Kansas City and is currently the saugage king of Kansas City. He is an avid flyer and just purchased a F1 Rocket and is currently modifying his engine with a new FADEC. Photos to follow and updated BIO.   

Dave "Spyro" Prather - Wingman
KC19- Member since 2016
FFI Initial Card May 2016

Spyro grew up in Kansas City and attended Rockhurst High School when he earned his Private Pilot's License in Olathe.  He was a glider instructor pilot at the Air Force Academy and flew F-15s in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and in the United States.  He is credited with one Mirage kill in the First Gulf War.  He also flew F-16 Aggressors and is now a Captain for Southwest Airlines.  He has logged over 15,000 hours and retired from the Air Force in 2008.  He is married with two children and participates in Prison Ministry in his spare time.

Ryno
Ryan "Ryno" Bendure - Wingman
KC20- Member since 2017
FFI Initial Card April 2015
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Ryno grew up and graduated high school in Sheridan, WY. He was enamored with airplanes since he was a small boy. He attended aircraft maintenance school in Cheyenne, WY and obtained his A&P certificate in 1984. He was hired by United Airlines that same year at their San Francisco maintenance base. He earned his Private Pilot License in San Carlos, CA in 1986. In 1989 he transferred to Denver, CO with United Airlines where he lives today at VanAire Airpark. Ryno has built two aircraft to date. His first was a Vans RV4 which took over 4.5 years to build, finishing it in 1994. He flew it for 16 years and put 1100 hours on it before selling it and moving on to his current aircraft and his second build, the Harmon Rocket II. I guess the he had "A Need for Speed". The Rocket took just 3.5 years to build. He finished it in 2012 and has put 400 hours on it to date. Ryno has over 2500 of flying hours in various aircraft and is a Commercial rated pilot. He is married to Maureen Bendure. They have has two sons Casey and Nolan. Casey and his wife Brittaney delivered 3 grandchildren to Ryno and Maureen. Nolan his youngest boy is working on his Private Pilot License.

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Sam "Bull" Leslie - Wingman and President
KC22- Member since 2018
FFI Initial Card May 2019
SAC Formation DM and Solo

Sam "Bull" Leslie is the newest member of KC Flight Team, flying his blue and white RV-8 in the Number 4 position. He is a commercial pilot and has flown recreationally for 10 years, accumulating over 400 hours. Bull has spent over 20 years working as a police officer for the Kansas City Police  Department, he is also in charge of hi level security, from rock stars, celebrities all the way up to and including the President of the United States when they visit Kansas City! He began formation flying with the BeechNutz Formation Flying Club in 2018.  Always looking to take his skills to the next level, Sam purchas ed an RV-8 and joined the KC Formation Flight Team in late 2018.  Bull grew up in Los Angeles, CA and has been a resident of Kansas City since his teens.  When he isn't flying or protecting the city, Sam spends his time with his two children, Braden "Taxi" and Annabelle.

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Dave "Kicks" Schmitz- Wingman
KC23- Member since 2018
FFI Initial Card April 2015
SAC Formation DM & Solo

Kicks BIO under construction!

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