James Hanover — Head Coach
James Hanover manages the Private Pilot Program at Embry‑Riddle and oversees the operation of the Eagles Flight Team as Head Coach. He is a commercial pilot with over 1,500 hours and several thousand landings, as he was a previous competitor on the Flight Team. James grew up on the water — sailing, building and restoring boats. He learned to fly in his hometown in Southern California while in high school. His favorite part of the Flight Team is the competition; he thrives on the competitive atmosphere and drive to be the absolute best. He graduated with his B.S. in Spaceflight Operations and MBA.
Saiful Jihad (REC) — Assistant Coach
Saiful Jihad is a flight instructor at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University and acts as the team's Assistant and Aircraft Recognition Coach. He is from Jakarta, Indonesia, and has been part of the team since 2016. He has accumulated 1,800 flight hours and competed in several events, including Aircraft Recognition, Ground Trainer, Message Drop and Power-Off Landings. Jihad's favorite part of the team is the ability to connect and share the passion of aviation with aspiring and professional aviators in the industry. Outside of aviation, Jihad enjoys playing soccer and computer games, cooking, and traveling. He aims to help the team achieve a national championship.
Ippu Shibuya (SCAN) — Assistant Coach
Ippu Shibuya serves as the Assistant Coach for the Eagles Flight Team. He is also a Flight Standards Instructor in the Flight Training Department at ERAU. He earned his bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Science with a minor in Meteorology from ERAU, and he is expected to complete his master's degree in Aeronautics, specializing in Space Operations, from ERAU Worldwide in 2024.
Dong Hwan Kim (COMPACC) — Assistant Coach
Dong Hwan Kim is an assistant coach of the Eagles Flight Team for Computer Accuracy. He's also a full-time instructor pilot at the university with more than 600 hours of flight time. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, he joined the team in his freshman year in 2018 and has so far competed in multiple competitions. He is working hard to guide the team to the National Championship this year.
Sean Hwang — Assistant Coach
Sooyeon Hwang, known as Sean, is a dedicated Airline Transport Pilot with 3,000 hours of flying experience. Born in South Korea, he is an Assistant Coach in Crew Resource Management (CRM) events and values the professionalism of his team. Sean's passion for sports fuels his ambition, and he aims to secure first place in the National CRM event.
Taegoon Bae — Assistant Coach
Bae is a flight instructor at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University and acts as the team's Assistant and IFR Sim and Ground Trainer Coach. He has accumulated 1,300 flight hours and has been participating in the NIFA flight team since 2020 as a member, captain, coach and supervisor at several universities. Bae is from Seoul, South Korea, and his favorite part of the team is to share love in aviation and see the progress and success of each individual. Outside of aviation, Taegoon enjoys playing tennis and exploring new restaurants with friends.
Marlena Gutshall — First Officer
Marlena Gutshall has been on the Eagles Flight Team for two years and is excited to lead the team as First Officer this year. She is a commercial licensed pilot majoring in Aeronautical Science and minoring in Airline Operations and Air Traffic Management. Originally from Arlington, Virginia, Marlena loves dogs, playing piano and spending time outside. She’s grateful for all the cool things she’s been able to experience while being a competitor on the team and is excited to welcome new team members in the fall!
Quinn Dooley — Second Officer
Quinn Dooley is from Denver, Colorado, and is a sophomore this year. He’s majoring in Aeronautics along with four minors, while also participating in Air Force ROTC and competing with the flight team. He joined the team his freshman year, hoping to keep his pilot skills up to par, and is grateful for the friends he’s made and the things he’s learned on the team. He looks forward to doing it again this year. Go Eagles!
Nicholas Sears — Chief Pilot
Nicholas Sears is a graduate student pursuing his MBA at Embry‑Riddle. He joined the team his freshman year because he loves competing with others to show off his skills, so this was a perfect place to compete in something he’s passionate and knowledgeable about. He looks forward to this coming year and is excited to compete with the team.
John Kalvin — Assistant Chief Pilot
John Kalvin, better known to his team as Jakjak, is a graduate student from Chicago, Illinois. He is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration with the long-term goal of becoming a cargo pilot. John joined the Eagles Flight Team as an undergraduate in the College of Aviation to showcase his competitiveness, professionalism and dedication as an aviator. He is eager to leverage his passion for aviation and competition to assist in elevating his teammates to new heights and horizons.