Daytona Beach · Spruce Creek · Massey Ranch

Independent flight instruction for serious students.

Part 61 instruction with a commercial pilot and CFII. Private, instrument rating, commercial SEL, BFRs, tailwheel, complex, and any on-demand work — with aircraft available at multiple locations near Daytona Beach, including Spruce Creek (7FL6), Massey Ranch (X50), and other local airports.

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About

A direct, focused approach to training.

I'm Thomas Vidal, an independent Part 61 flight instructor based at Spruce Creek Fly-In in Port Orange, Florida.

I work with students one-on-one — from primary training through advanced ratings and finish-ups. Without the overhead of a large flight school, I can offer flexible scheduling, personalized instruction, and a clear path to your certificate or endorsement.

Whether you're chasing your instrument rating, transitioning to a tailwheel aircraft, getting your complex endorsement, or finishing a certificate that stalled out elsewhere, I focus on training that actually sticks beyond the checkride. I pride myself in training patient, safe, competent pilots — not just pushing students through a curriculum.

Thomas Vidal standing next to a Cessna 172

Ratings & Endorsements

  • Commercial Pilot · ASEL
  • CFI / CFII
  • Instrument Rating
  • Tailwheel Endorsement
  • Complex Endorsement
  • High-Performance Endorsement
Background

A lifetime around airplanes.

I've been flying my entire life and have been passionate about aviation since I was a little kid.

Originally from Brazil and now a proud American citizen, I've lived in Brazil, Uruguay, and the United States. I've called Spruce Creek home since I was 10 years old — and I haven't been able to stop flying since.

My long-term goal is to fly for the airlines or in corporate aviation. I don't have a specific dream airframe or a single career path in mind — I just want to fly airplanes for a living. Beyond that, I love taking deep dives into aircraft systems and operations, and I'm just as comfortable nerding out on avionics as I am wheel-landing a tailwheel.

Outside of aviation, I spend time at the gym, working on cars, and flying my home flight simulator — I've logged over 3,000 hours in VATSIM across multiple platforms, which has only sharpened my IFR and procedural knowledge.

Training & Certifications

Private (Part 61) · Epic Flight Academy

Earned my Private Pilot Certificate under Part 61, then completed Instrument Rating, Commercial Single-Engine Land, CFI, and CFII at Epic Flight Academy.

Education

Purdue University

Pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Aviation Business Management.

Aircraft Flown

Type Experience

Cessna 172 · Piper Archer · Piper Arrow · Citabria · Legend Cub · Grumman AA-5 · Piper PA-31 Chieftain · RV-7 · RV-9 · RV-10 · Waco YMF-5 · Long EZ · Extra 300

Training

What I instruct.

Certificates, ratings, and endorsements offered under Part 61 instruction.

PPL
Private Pilot Certificate
Ab initio through checkride. Single-engine land.
IR
Instrument Rating
Scenario-based IFR training, IPCs, and currency.
CPL
Commercial Pilot — SEL
Commercial maneuvers, cross-country, and checkride prep.
BFR
Flight Review
FAR 61.56 reviews and insurance check-outs.
TW
Tailwheel Endorsement
FAR 61.31(i). Stick-and-rudder fundamentals.
HP
High-Performance Endorsement
FAR 61.31(f). Aircraft with engines over 200 HP.
CMPLX
Complex Endorsement
FAR 61.31(e). Retractable gear, flaps, and controllable-pitch prop.
+
Finish-Up & On-Demand Work
Stalled training, lapsed certificates, custom requests.
Fleet

Aircraft available.

Aircraft available for instruction at multiple locations. All rates are wet and include instructor.

[Add Photo] Cessna 172
Cessna 172
Single-Engine · Fixed Gear

[Description coming soon]

$230/hr
Wet · Includes instructor
[Add Photo] Piper Archer
Piper Archer
Single-Engine · Fixed Gear

[Description coming soon]

$230/hr
Wet · Includes instructor
[Add Photo] Piper Arrow
Piper Arrow
Single-Engine · Complex (Retractable)

[Description coming soon]

$240/hr
Wet · Includes instructor
[Add Photo] Citabria 7GCBC
Citabria 7GCBC
Single-Engine · Tailwheel

[Description coming soon]

$150/hr
Wet · Includes instructor
Reviews

What students say.

Real feedback from pilots I've trained, sourced from Google Reviews.

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Contact

Get in touch.

The fastest way to start is a brief intro call. Tell me where you are, where you want to be, and we'll figure out the path.

Email

tvidal2005@gmail.com

Based At

Spruce Creek Fly-In (7FL6)
Massey Ranch (X50)
Daytona Beach area, Florida

Phone

(386) 589-2846

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/thomasjcv