John B. Hoff is an aviation technical consultant for our firm.  He draws on a wide range of operational and mechanical experiences in a wide spectrum of aircraft and operational experience.  He is an experienced General Aviation pilot, a Part 121 airline pilot (with American Eagle and Envoy Airlines, operating the EMB 145), a USAF F-16C “Viper" pilot, and is still a Captain in the USAF Active Reserves (93^rd Fighter Squadron, 482^nd Fighter Wing, Homestead ARB, FL).  He has had Combat Deployments to both Iraq (2006) and Afghanistan (2014).

John has an FAA Airline Transport Pilot’s license, and is a fully-qualified former USAF Crew Chief and mechanic (for over 7 years) in the F-16.  In General Aviation, he has flown everything from corporate turbine aircraft (Falcon DA-10 SIC), gliders, bi-planes (Stearmans, Tiger Moths, etc.), Rotorcraft (Robinson R-44), the Fuji Blimp (an Airship 602), warbirds (T-6 Texan), and a wide variety of other single and multi-engine GA aircraft.  He is a CFI, CFII, and a CFI-ME.

He “soloed” on his 16^th birthday – the earliest that anyone in the U.S. can fly alone as a pilot in command of an aircraft.  He enlisted in the Illinois Air National Guard at age 17, and graduated from high school in 2003, and went on to attend the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.  He attended USAF Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX, in the summer of 2003, immediately after graduating from High School.  He took one semester off from college the University of Illinois to attend the 6 month USAF “Tech School” at Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX, in 2004, graduating #1 in his class.  John deployed to Iraq the summer of 2006 with his Illinois ANG F-16 unit, and eventually achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-5).  He became a fully-qualified “7 Level” A.F. Crew Chief before earning his commission as a 2/Lt in the Air National Guard and the AFRES Component in 2008.  He has served in both the Illinois ANG (6 years) and the Iowa ANG (5 years) before transferring to the AFRES in 2012.  He graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 2007, in just 3 ½ years, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, and a minor in Aviation from the University’s Institute of Aviation.  Hired as a pilot by American Eagle in 2008, he became a First Officer (Second in Command) of an EMB 145 after graduation from the combined American Airlines/American Eagle Flight Training Center at DFW.  After 18 month with the airline, he received a 5 year Military Leave of Absence in 2008, after being selected to enter into USAF Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT).  He earned his officer’s commission in Officer’s Training School in 2009, and was thereafter sent to Laughlin AFB (Air Education & Training Command), Del Rio, TX, for SUPT for the 13 month training program.  There, for the first 7 months, he flew the initial A.F. trainer, the Beechcraft single-engine, turbo-prop, T-6II.  Thereafter, he went on for another 6 months of specialized advance training in the USAF supersonic Northrop T-38C “Talon” aircraft.  He graduated at the top of his class, #1 (out of a starting class of 33), and uniquely “swept” all 5 of the trophies offered upon graduation from SUPT, and receiving his silver USAF “Wings” on November 19, 2009.  After an additional 4 months of Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) in the T-38C there at Laughlin, he departed for Luke AFB, Phoenix, AZ, for the “B” Course, Replacement Training Unit (RTU), and up-grade operational transition training in the USAF F-16C “Viper” aircraft, graduating in 2011.  He then returned to the 132^nd Fighter Wing, Iowa ANG, Des Moines, IA, for 6 months before transferring in 2012 to the AFRES, and being reassigned to Homestead ARB, FL, where he is presently assigned as a line pilot to the 93^rd Fighter Squadron, 482^nd Fighter Wing.  He remains on a Military Leave of Absence from American Eagle.

He has authored two articles on aviation safety, and is a frequent public speaker on aviation, military and related safety issues.