Graham McFarland

Deputy Head of Training

Graham has been flying for over 40 years. He has a huge wealth of experience in all areas of aviation, including General Aviation, Commercial Flying and Instructing.

After a successful career in Civil Engineering and hot air balloons, Graham flew commercially on aircraft including the Short 360 and A320. His love for aircraft extends to smaller aeroplanes too, having flown and instructed on just about every single and multi-engine piston. He has also owned many aircraft over the years, and taught at an array of flight schools, including at MCC level.

Graham instructs many levels of training with us, from PPL up through Instrument Ratings. We are honoured that he has chosen to come and instruct with us.

Lee Merritt

Chief Flying Instructor

Lee has been flying for over twenty years with several thousand hours of flight time, and is a full-time professional flight instructor and CAA Examiner for initial licenses and advanced ratings. He studied ATPL theoretical knowledge in-house at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in Oxford and holds a Commercial Pilot's License. He has PIC time on some 50+ types.

Lee currently holds the following licenses and authorisations:

• GBR FCL CPL

• Danish EASA FCL.900(c) instructor authorisation

• Danish EASA FCL.1000(c) examiner authorisation

Lee currently holds the following ratings:

• SEP (Land)

• MEP (Land) / DA42

• TMG

• Night

• IR(R)

• Aerobatic

Lee currently holds the following certificates:

• FI(A): including Night, Instrument, FIC

• CRI SE

• IRI(A)

• FE(A) PPL/CPL: SEP, TMG, GR(A), IR(R), FRTOL

Jonathan Jones

Operations Manager

Johnny is our Operations Manager. He has a Private Pilots Licence and is currently working towards his IMC rating.  

With a passion for aviation from a young age, Johnny aspires to become a commercial pilot.

Ian Leech

Instructor

Ian has been flying for over 20 years and has been an instructor for more than 10 years. Ian is also an accomplished commercial pilot with many hours on executive jets amongst other aircraft. He is passionate about flying and enjoys the process of trying to pass on that enthusiasm through teaching and flying training

Giles Barr

Instructor

After a successful career within the music industry, Giles qualified as a commercial pilot with a Frozen ATPL in 2019. When the global pandemic unfortunately cut short his airline journey after completing his A320 type rating with a large UK carrier, he turned to a Flight Instructor course here at Cranfield Flying School. Now recently qualified, he is looking forward to helping others achieve their pilot dream.

Michael Clifford Smith

Senior Instructor and Examiner

Michael has worked for Cranfield Flying School for the last 14 years mainly on Saturdays. He gained his CPL in 2005 and his Instrument Rating (SE) and Instructor Rating a couple of years later. He instructs and is also an examiner for the PPL and IRR, and is available and willing to teach associated ground school subjects. If he is asked, Michael will tell you that he doesn't like flying - he loves it

Steve Barrat

Senior Instructor

Steve has been flying since 1982. Given an interest in vintage aviation he took the unorthodox route of learning to fly on open cockpit, biplane Tiger Moths, an interest that has never left him. Somehow a natural progression took him into instructing, examining and eventually the Head of Training for the club that taught him.

Although never intending things that way he was lured from a career  in  business and industry career into flying professional full time; this some years after obtaining an ATPL merely as an exercise to continue his own learning.  

Throughout his professional flying he maintained an active interest in the grass roots of aviation, particularly instructing and examining, a theme he continues now he sleeps in his own bed regularly once again.

When not instructing he is involved with ownership and restoration of his own vintage aircraft and is an active trustee of a charity encouraging the ongoing development and support of future generations of younger pilots and engineers in vintage aviation.

Steve currently holds IR(R), night, aerobatic and examiner privileges and instructs part time at Cranfield.

Scott Camber

Instructor

Scott is a part time instructor and examiner with worldwide experience on various business jet aircraft types and holds a degree in Air Transport Management. Scott has been instructing locally for fourteen years.

Scott gained his love and passion for aviation in his early years from his father’s inspiration. He keeps his hand in giving something back to grass roots flying by regularly teaching ab initio pilots.  

Heinz Kochel

On-Site Maintenance

Heinz looks after any odd jobs that need doing in and around the clubhouse. If it needs fixing - Heinz is your man! He is a also highly experienced pilot, and has amassed a great many number of flying hours over many years of flying all over Europe. We are very lucky to have Heinz as part of the team at Cranfield.

Hannah Cresswell

Compliance Monitoring Manager

Hannah has flown with Ryan Air as a captain and Virgin Atlantic and after a short spell instructing with us has moved on to fly with Tui. She will be back with us from time to time to check that we are following all the rules and procedures.