Neel Smith | Flight Instructor

Certificates & Ratings Held:  CFI, CFII

Aircraft Specialization:

Instructor Bio

I was born and raised on the East Coast and relocated to the PNW as part of a career change to aviation. My first career was in healthcare, where I worked for the last 20 years as a physical therapist. After 20 years in the industry, I was interested in trying something new and different, and decided in sign up for a discovery flight in 2021. I enjoyed it far more than I anticipated and was hooked. Something that seemed like it could be a cool hobby, felt more like something I wanted to make a career. I quickly changed my work schedule to fly more, and soon began planning a career change. 

When I'm not flying, I like to spend time in the mountains running, hiking, camping and snowboarding. I'm very happy to be a part of this great team at Rainier Flight Service. I look forward to sharing my passion and knowledge with you, and help you achieve your aviation goals and dreams.