Laconia Flight Academy Flight Instructors
Chief Flight Instructor Gena Adams (CFI/CFII/MEI) leads our Laconia Flight Academy Flight Instructors. Our diverse flight instructor team can support any pilot certificate, rating, or endorsement (High Performance, Tailwheel, and Complex) sought after.
Gena Adams
Chief Flight Instructor
CFI/CFII/MEI
Our flight instructor group is led by Gena Adams our Chief Flight Instructor. Gena grew up in the beautiful state of New Hampshire and learned how to fly at SkyBright when she was 19, earning her Private Pilot Certificate in 1997. She started her aviation career at Sky Bright/Laconia Flight Academy in 2001 and has been employed by SkyBright/Laconia Flight Academy for 21 years. Gena holds a CFII, MEI, and AGI for her instructing certificates as well as a multi engine Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. Gena also has four type ratings on her ATP certificate to include the Cessna Citation 500 series (CE-500), the Bombardier Lear 60 (LR-60), Embraer Phenom 300 (EMB-505), and the Cessna Citation Latitude (CE-680AS).
She has over 7,000 hours of total flight time with over 2,000 hours of flight instruction given. Gena followed the corporate path with her career that was started here at Sky Bright flying Beech Barons and King Airs on charter as well as flight instructing in many Piper, Cessna, and Beech aircraft.
Thomas Trowsdale
Flight Instructor
CFI
Thomas grew up just down the road in Tilton, and as a New Hampshire native, he has a deep appreciation for flying in the northeast. After attending flight schools in Missouri, Georgia, and South Dakota, he is happy to be back up in the mountains and forest. A third-generation pilot, he is passionate about having a hand in the creation of safe and conscious pilots.
Currently, Thomas teaches private and commercial students, and he runs a ground school every week for two hours that anyone can attend. He has his sights on the airlines eventually, but he is enjoying instructing and is thrilled to teach more pilots how to fly!
George Howarth
Flight Instructor
CFI/CFII
In 2021 George retired as a Master Electrician. He earned his Private Pilots License about 18 years ago and his Flight Instructor (CFII) rating 3 years later. He has been flying with Sky Bright and Laconia Flight Academy as a flight instructor for 10 years.
George enjoys flying all types of planes, including float planes and his own PA32. He also enjoys flying compassion flights for Angel Flight NE and PALS, and likes introducing the joy of flying to new students.
Mark Donovan
Assistant Chief Flight Instructor
CFI/CFII
Mark Donovan was introduced to flying at an early age while hanging out at Hyde Field in Clinton, Maryland, where his father worked part-time as an A&P mechanic and flew as a private pilot. In 2011 Mark finally got around to earning his own Private Pilot Certificate. He immediately continued on with his training, acquiring his Instrument, Commercial, CFI and CFII ratings in both ASEL and ASES (Airplane Singe Engine Land and Sea) Category/Classes. He also has his commercial AMEL (Airplane Multi Engine Land) rating, and holds high performance, complex and tailwheel endorsements. Mark has worked as a flight instructor at Sky Bright since 2019 and has over 2,000 hours of flight time and has given 1,400+ hours of instruction.
Mark is also a member of the New Hampshire Wing Civil Air Patrol, where he is a Mission Transport Pilot and Instructor/Check-pilot. When he is not providing flight instruction or on a sortie mission with CAP, Mark can often be found flying his PA18-150 Piper Super Cub.
Erin Freeman
Flight Instructor
CFI/CFII/MEI
Erin grew up in Keene, NH and began flying in 2021. She did the majority of her flight training in Hartford, CT, then spent a year flight instructing in Indianapolis, IN. She is very excited to be back in New Hampshire! Erin aspires to fly for FedEx alongside her dad one day, but she really enjoys helping pilots achieve their flight training goals in the meantime.
Erin currently lives in Raymond, NH with her husband. When she isn’t flying, she likes going for walks and enjoying the beauty of the Granite State. She also serves as an audio visual specialist at her church.