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Professional Profile

Sparky Imeson was born and raised in Jackson, Wyoming. He grew up in the mountains where his grandfather homesteaded and he learned to appreciate the mountains "from the ground up." He was bitten by the 'flying bug' in July 1966, and began flying his father's Piper J-3 Cub and Cessna 205. Fueled by a love of flying, Sparky and his parents, Paul and Jennie, started Imeson Aviation, Inc. in 1968, at the Jackson Hole Airport.

Located at the base of the Grand Teton mountain range, Imeson Aviation offered on-demand charter, FAA Approved flight training and ground school, air ambulance, aerial application (spraying), mosquito spraying, aerobatic training, corporate flying, airplane sales (Cessna, Bellanca and Maule aircraft) and rentals, fueling, and maintenance.

Sparky became concerned about the number of general aviation accidents that were attributed to mountain flying, and finding no books on the matter, he wrote his own. He received the FAA Northwest Region's Flight Instructor of the Year award in 1974, 1979 and 1995, for providing effective and creative flight and ground instruction. Many of his 20,000+ flight hours have been in small airplanes in the mountains.

Sparky's strength as a writer, teacher and mountain pilot lends to his books a clear, concise style that is not only thorough, but fun to read. Sparky is qualified to teach you the techniques for flying the mountains and is available for mountain flying presentations and seminars.

Public Speaking

  • Sparky travels throughout the U.S. presenting his mountain flying lecture to large and small groups for the advancement of aviation safety.

Accident Consulting

Sparky is available for consultation, research, witness interviews, history of flight, performance analysis, data procurement, testing and case review of aircraft accidents pertaining to mountain flying to provide a comprehensive investigation and evaluation of the facts, circumstances and causal factors of aircraft accidents and incidents.

  • Extensive experience in mountain flying, air ambulance, aerobatic, agricultural application, mosquito spraying, flight instruction, on-demand charter, and corporate professional pilot.
  • Experienced flying different type aircraft throughout the United States, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Guatemala, and South America.
  • Award-winning writer and veteran Wings West magazine editor.
  • Five and one-half years law enforcement experience (dispatch, patrolman, patrolman specialist, deputy sheriff, chief deputy, undersheriff, chief investigator) including aircraft accident investigation. Seven years paralegal experience.
  • Co-owner of fixed base operation at Jackson, Wyo. for 11 years. More than 40-years experience as a professional pilot.
  • Technical, educational, computer, management and interpersonal skills.
  • FAA Accident Prevention Counselor since the program's inception in 1971.
  • Three-time winner of the FAA Flight Instructor of the Year award for the Northwest Mountain Region.

Pilot Credentials

  • Airline Transport Pilot Certificate - ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, BE-1900, CE-500, Ce-750, commercial privilege glider
  • Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate - ratings for airplane single and multiengine, instrument airplane, glider
  • Ground Instructor Certificate - rating for instrument ground instructor, advance ground instructor
  • Ministério Da Aeronaticá Brasil - airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, instruments
  • Canada Foreign License Validation Certificate Airline Transport Pilot - Aeroplane on Canadian Registered Aircraft

Flight Times

  • More than 20,000-hours logged flight time
  • Approximate times: 6,619 Turbo Prop; 5,533 CFI; 19,417 PIC; 3,210 Night; 14,724 AMEL; 1,679 Actual Instrument
  • Beechcraft - King Air C90, C90A, 200B, 300, 1900C; Excaliber D50/60, UC45J (D-18), 58P, 58TC, 95 Travelair, F33, V35, A36, A36TC
  • Bellanca 14-019, 17-30, 17-31ATC Viking, 7KCAB Citabria, 8KCAB Scout, 8GCBC Decathlon/Super Decathlon
  • Cessna 150, 152, 172, R172, 177, 182, 205, 206, TU206, T207, 1782RG, 177RG, R182, TR182, 170, L19, 180, 185, A188B Ag Truck, T188C Ag Husky, 208 Caravan, 210, T210, P210, 310, T310, 320, 337, P337, 340, 401, 402, 414, 421, 421C, CE-500, CE-502, CE-500 Aztec Eagle, CE-750
  • DeHaviland CHC-6 Twin Otter
  • Lear 35A
  • Maule M-4, M-5, M-6, M-7
  • Mitsubishi MU-2B-26A "P," MU-2B-60 Marquis
  • Mooney M20C, 20E, 20J, 20K, 20L 9PFM), 21, 22 Mustang
  • Piper J-3, PA-12, PA-16, PA-18, PA-22, PA-28, PA-28RT, PA-32RT Lance, PA-38, PA-24, PA-23, PAZT, PA-34, PA-31-250/310/350, PA-31P, PA-31T, PA-31T2, PA-42-720, PA-42-1000
  • Champion 7ECA/7AC/7DC
  • Helio Courier HT295/H395
  • Interstate Cadet
  • Stinson 108
  • Pitts S-2A
  • Taylorcraft BC-12D
  • Blanik L-13, Schweizer 2-32/2-33A, Schleicher KA-7
  • North American T-28

Books by Sparky Imeson

  • Mountain Flying, 1970
  • Private Pilot Flight Training Guide, 1972
  • Instrument Training Guide, 1973
  • Private-Commercial Learning Guide, 1974
  • Instrument Flying Handbook, 1974
  • Professional Pilot Training, 1974
  • Introduction to Aerobatic Flight, 1976
  • Private Pilot Flight Training Guide, 1978
  • Instrument Pilot Flight Training Guide, 1978
  • The Jackson Ho9le Bachelor's Cookbook, 1991
  • Mountain Flying Bible, 1998
  • Mountain Fury - Mountain Search Pilot Course Guide with CAP, 1999
  • Mountain Fury - Search Pilot Qualification Course with CAP, Ground School Handout, 1999
  • Mountain Fury - Search Pilot Qualification Course with CAP, Course
  • Mountain Flying Bible - Expanded, 2001
  • The Shirt Pocket Mountain Flying Guide, 2003
  • Taildragger Tactics, 2004
  • SkyGuide Flight Operations Handbook, WIP
  • Rules of Thumb - WIP

Accomplishments

  • 2001 Arizona Safety Counselor of the Year
  • Chose to CAP Mountain Fury team
  • Special Achievement Award, FAA (Idaho, Montana)
  • State of Montana, Jack Van De Riet Flight Safety Award
  • Flying Physicians Association Certificate of Appreciation
  • Montana Aeronautics Division, Distinguished Service and Outstanding Contribution Award
  • Designated Pilot Examiner –Private and Commercial Pilot Airplane Single-Engine and Multi-engine; Instrument Rating; Airline Transport Pilot, Multi-engine Cessna 300/400 series, Piper PA-23/PA-31 series; Flight Instructor - Airplane and Instrument (renewal, reinstatement, original issue)
  • FAA General Aviation Mechanic Safety Award Program committee member
  • Accident Prevent Counselor 1971-present
  • Alpha Epsilon Delta, National Premedical Honor Society, University of Wyoming
  • James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation, Cleveland, OH, design and welding award
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