Victor Mathieu

Asst. Chief Flight Instructor

Commercial, CFI, CFI-I

Victor was raised in a small town in Eastern KY called Louisa. After high school I attended Morehead State University and earned a Bachelors of Science. The plan in college was to finish my degree and continue education with Physical Therapy School. While working in physical therapy during college as an Physical Therapy Technician, I knew that I liked it alright, but it was not my passion. Having my dad as an instrument rated pilot and an uncle that is a corporate pilot, I decided to start taking lessons myself my senior year of college. After my first flight lesson, I knew I had to figure out how I was going to make this my career. I love teaching new pilots, and helping them reach the milestones in their flight training. I have seen more of the country in the last year than I did in my entire life before coming a pilot. I love sharing with students, what is possible with aviation and all of the different career paths that a pilot can take. Starting flight training was the best decision I have ever made, and I get excited when new students come in with the same aviation bug I had on my first lesson.

Tyler Conn

Flight Check Instructor, Lexington

Commercial, CFI, CFI-I

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Tyler was born and raised in Lexington.  He caught the flying bug when his parents gave him a discovery flight as a birthday gift and immediately knew that flying was his passion.  Tyler started his training when he was 17 and has been flying ever since.  He is currently finishing up his studies in Business Management at the University of Kentucky and projected to graduate in May 2020.  Tyler completed all his flight training at Nexgen.  He worked in Louisville as a Flight instructor for a semester and is excited to be instructing at Nexgen.

Kelli Gillispie

Director of Office Operations

Kelli grew up in Bowling Green KY and moved to Lexington in 2004. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration from Midway University. She has 12 years’ experience in all areas of office management from accounts payable and receivable, credit and collections, customer service, account management and marketing. “Making the change from healthcare to aviation has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding career moves for me, no day is the same and I love that”.

Landen Easley

Flight Instructor

Commercial, CFI, CFI-I

Landen was raised on an Angus cattle farm in Stamping Ground, KY. At a young age, he and his brother were gifted Microsoft Flight Simulator just to play around with. Hundreds of video game flying hours later, they both decided that flying for a living is what they wanted to do with their lives. After Landen finished his academic and athletic career at Scott County High School, he finally got the opportunity to begin his flight training at 18 years old with NexGen. Fast forward two years later and he is now a Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument for NexGen and is working towards an online bachelor’s degree in “Professional Pilot” through Utah Valley University. Landen is loving every step of the journey and is hopeful for a longtime career in aviation.

Michael Negaard

Flight Instructor, Lexington

Commercial, CFI

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Originally from Danville Kentucky, I had a love for aviation from a young age, spending many an hour playing around with flight simulators in my free time. I attended college at Auburn University as a chemistry major until an offer of “free pizza” led me to join Alpha Eta Rho Aviation Fraternity, and eventually switch to Aviation Management. Upon graduation in 2012, I obtained my FAA dispatcher’s license and worked first as a flight scheduler for Alltech Inc, and then as charter sales director for Nexgen Aviation. After work hours, I spent time working on my private pilot license. After a year of duty in Eastern Europe with the Army Reserve, I came back ready for a career change, completing my instrument rating, commercial rating, and CFI.

Neal Young

Flight Instructor, Lexington

Commercial, CFI

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Neal initially received his private pilot certificate in 1999 while still in high school and prior to joining the United States Army.  Since 2001 he has served as an Active Duty service member, he has served four combat tours between Afghanistan and Iraq and currently works on Fort Knox. Over the past 18 years Neal has lead, coached, taught, and mentored hundreds of Soldiers, completed his bachelor’s degree with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Professional Aeronautics with minors in Security & Intelligence and Management.  In 2018 he decided to get back into the cockpit completing his Instrument, Commercial, and Flight Instructor certificates with Nexgen Aviation, LLC.  Neal currently works part-time with us at Nexgen Aviation, LLC and truly enjoys teaching others to fly.

Austin Schaffer

Flight Instructor, Lexington

Commercial, CFI, CFI-I

Born and raised in north Alabama.  I fell in love with aviation in my youth flying back and forth between California and Alabama to visit family on the west coast.  On my 16th birthday I received a discovery flight as a birthday present and knew at that point, what I wanted to do as a professional.  I then went to school at Auburn University, where I continued to pursue my dream to become a professional aviator.  Being a competitive wake boarder at the time, I worked at a wakeboard school in Louisiana in the summer months as a wakeboard/waterski coach and developed a passion for coaching/teaching.  I then graduated from AU with a degree in Aviation Management.  After graduation I went to work on completing my Commercial Pilot’s License as well as receiving Certified Flight Instructor’s License.  I came to NexGen Aviation in December of 2016 to begin flight instructing.

Jim Donaldson

Flight Instructor, Lexington

ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI

Jim has had a long and illustrious career in aviation. He’s flown over 22,000 hours and many aircraft throughout his career including the Lear 24 and 35, Citations, King Airs, Barons, and many more. He was also the former Chief Pilot for Air Lexington.