One-on-one flight lessons in Louisville with a dedicated CFI
I'm Diego Suarez, an FAA Certificated Flight Instructor teaching at Bowman Field (KLOU). Instead of being handed to whichever instructor is on the schedule, you work with the same instructor every lesson — ground and flight, from your first takeoff through the checkride.
Flight instruction and ground instruction, from the same instructor
Most training problems come from a gap between the ground and the airplane: the flight lesson assumes knowledge nobody taught you, or the ground course has no connection to what you're doing in the cockpit. Teaching both sides means your ground study is always aimed at the next flight lesson, and your flight lessons reinforce what we covered on the ground.
I did my own training at Bowman Field, so the airspace, the tower flow, the local weather patterns, and the practice areas are home turf. That context shows up in every lesson.
Services
Private pilot flight training, from zero experience through checkride
Logbook endorsements: solo, solo cross-country, knowledge-test sign-offs
Flight reviews for certificated pilots getting current again
Written-test prep and checkride oral prep
An honest note on credentials
What my certificates cover — and what they don't
I hold a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine (CFI ASEL), an Advanced Ground Instructor certificate (AGI), and a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating. That covers primary flight training, endorsements, flight reviews, checkride recommendations, and all ground instruction. I do not hold the instrument instructor (CFII) or multi-engine instructor (MEI) ratings — if you need instrument or multi-engine flight instruction, I'll tell you that plainly and point you toward an instructor who holds those ratings rather than pretend otherwise.
Start here
New to training? Map the certificate path, medical, written test, cost, and timeline before booking aircraft time.
What's the difference between an independent CFI and a flight school?
A flight school sells you a program: a fleet, a syllabus, and whichever instructor is available that day. An independent CFI is one instructor accountable for your whole path — the same person plans your ground study, flies every lesson with you, signs your endorsements, and recommends you for the checkride. The trade-off is scale: a school has more airplanes and more schedule slots, while an independent instructor has more continuity and flexibility. Which fits depends on how you learn.
How does pricing work — hourly or a package?
Instruction is billed hourly, for both flight and ground time, rather than as a large upfront package. You pay for the time you actually use, which keeps the structure simple and lets you control the pace. Current rates and how the overall cost breaks down are covered on the homepage and the training-planning page — and I'm happy to walk through the numbers for your situation before you commit to anything.
Who do you teach?
Beginners with zero experience working toward a private pilot certificate, student pilots who started elsewhere and need continuity, certificated pilots who need a flight review or want to knock the rust off, and anyone who needs written-test or checkride oral prep. If your goal needs a CFII or MEI, I'll say so and point you to the right instructor.
Can we do ground instruction remotely?
Yes. Most ground topics — airspace, weather, regulations, performance, navigation, test prep — work well over a video call, and remote sessions are easy to fit between flight lessons. Flight training itself happens in person at Bowman Field. Details are on the remote ground instruction page.
Next step
Tell me what you're working toward
First certificate, flight review, written test, or a checkride you're getting ready for — send me your goal, where you are in training, and your availability, and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right instructor for it and what the next step looks like.
