Commercial Ratings Now Offered, Building on PPL, IFR Courses

Western Nevada College has embarked on offering a commercial pilot class for its spring semester, building on a history of offering students their Private and Instrument ratings.

The school brought on a pair of new instructors to kickstart the new professional-pilot program, Russell Smith and Frank Monack, who recently held their first classes under the program. All pilot courses at Western Nevada College are an ‘open entry’ offering, allowing students to enroll until the "9th week of the semester" and "work at their own pace".

Smith has held a PPL since 1971, flying in a raft of SAR and disaster operations via the Civil Air Patrol, and International Cadet Exchange with Switzerland. He capped off a lifetime career as a pharmacist, allowing him to go on to get his commercial and CFI ratings. Since then he's gone on to nab recognition as FAA Flight Instructor of the Year in 2019, right before he saw recognition with the Master Pilot Award for 50 years of accident and incident-free flying.

His companion, Monack, began his aviation career in the U.S. Army where he operated the Unmanned Aerial System RQ-7b Shadow. His expertise in unmanned aerial systems and commercial flight operations is extensive, having managed UAS flight departments during his service and later at the Minden-Tahoe Airport.

FMI: www.wnc.edu