Flight instructor · KFFZ
JacobHicks
CommercialCFI
Let’s get into the sky and fly!
- Teaches
- Private · Commercial
- Students
- Taking new students
About · Desert Skies Aviation
Who you’llfly with.
Desert Skies Aviation is a flight school on Falcon Field in Mesa. Thomas Ferrier started it after growing up watching airplanes over this airport, and he is still our chief flight instructor.
Founder · Chief instructor
Thomas Ferrier
“I started Desert Skies to make real flight training accessible, personal, and honest.”
- Hometown
- Mesa
- Grew up flying here
- Pilot
- Commercial
- Single- and multi-engine
- Instructor
- CFI · CFII
- Flight and instrument
- Role
- Founder
- And chief instructor
01How we train
Part 61,explained honestly.
We train under Part 61 of the FAA rules, not Part 141. Here is what that changes for you, and what it does not.
The certificate
Part 61 · Desert SkiesThe same FAA certificate, tested to the same standards.
Part 141The same certificate and standards.
Part 61 · Desert SkiesYour instructor plans the training. Ours follows the syllabus in our portal.
Part 141The school must follow an FAA-approved course and syllabus.
Private pilot minimum
14 CFR 61.109(opens in a new tab)Part 141, appendix B(opens in a new tab)
Part 61 · Desert Skies40 hours of flight time.
Part 14135 hours of flight training.
Hours from another school
Part 61 · Desert SkiesLogged training counts toward the minimums, wherever you flew it.
Part 141Credit is capped at 25 percent of the course for training outside part 141 or 142.
Part 61 · Desert SkiesNot available for flight training here.
Part 141Possible after the private certificate, in a VA-approved program.
We plan past the minimum
Our private pilot plan budgets 60 hours in the airplane, not 40, so your estimate is not built on the legal minimum.
Bring your logbook
Training you have already logged counts toward the minimums here, so changing schools does not start you over.
Rules reviewed Nov 2, 2026
02What we add
A systembuilt for students.
Part 61 leaves the structure to the school. We built ours into the portal every student and instructor works from.
The syllabus
Private through CFII, written out lesson by lesson, each lesson tied to the maneuvers and ACS standards it trains.
The portal
Your schedule, your progress through the syllabus and your logbook, signed by your instructor, all in one login.
The Flight Plan
Pick your certificates and how often you can fly. It lays out your timeline and cost from our current rates.
The simulators
A Redbird FMX and a Gleim BATD down the hall, with device time included for active students.
03The team
Ourinstructors.
Each has a page in our portal with their certificates and background, where you can book a discovery flight with them.
From our portal · updated Nov 6, 2026
Meet the instructorsFlight instructor · KFFZ
ThomasFerrier
CFICFII
Train with confidence in Arizona skies
CFI & CFII · Discovery flights & primary training · Patient, structured, checkride-ready instruction at Falcon Field.
- Teaches
- Private · Instrument · Commercial
- Students
- Taking new students
04The record
How ourstudents do.
6 FAA checkrides on record since September 2026. Every one passed on the first attempt.
Every result comes from the portal, where instructors record each checkride.
From our portal · updated Nov 1, 2026
Reviews and the full record- Checkrides
- 6
- On record
- First attempt
- 6
- Passed first try
- In training
- 18
- Students now
05Where we train
Suite 132,on Falcon Field.
Our office is at 2550 N Thunderbird Cir, in a suite we share with Jaybird Sim Center. Ground school, briefings and the simulators are all through the same front door.
Redbird FMX
Motion simulator · AATD
Gleim BATD
Procedures trainer · BATD
Classroom
12 seats
Briefing room
4 seats
Conference room
8 seats
Lounge
Café and golf simulator
Partners
Simulators
Jaybird Sim Center
The simulator center in our suite. Active students get 10 Redbird hours a month and unlimited Gleim time at no device charge.
Visit Jaybird Sim Center(opens in a new tab)Airport · KFFZ
Falcon Field Airport
A towered City of Mesa airport that has trained pilots since 1941.
In his words
“Man… how lucky are we?”
What Thomas says on every takeoff. Book a discovery flight and hear it for yourself.