​Aviation is an industry full of plenty of friendly people, who want to teach you the skills to be a pilot, and who are happy to help you get to where you need to be. However, in my experience, it is ultra-rare to come across an instructor like Jarren Nesbitt, who can truly perceive the potential in a student, hold them accountable to that high standard, and inspire that aviator to reach that potential.
When I was working on my Private Pilot’s License, Jarren was one of two primary instructors who spearheaded my training to complete the entire syllabus in roughly a month’s time. Jarren took me from being unable to properly intercept “Best Rate of Climb”, make a simple radio call in the working area, or explain anything beyond that basics about the internal mechanics of a Cessna, to nailing short field approaches regularly, executing steep turns off near-purely visual references, and being confidently able to describe and artistically depict a four-stroke cycle engine. There is no easier way to describe this than in plain terms: Jarren ensured that I didn’t just become a pilot; he worked with me to become a great pilot.
The journey toward growth is never an easy one; nor should it be. Without those moments of adversity, there is no improvement; it’s just movement. And in my journey toward my PPL, it sure wasn’t always pretty. Jarren was always open and honest when he knew I could do better than I was doing, both performance-based in the plane, and knowledge-wise on the ground. Now, don’t get me wrong, Jarren is not abrasive! He is a kind and personable instructor, which is always a great plus; and as mentioned earlier, he has a tremendous quality that many flight instructors don’t—if he senses an unreached potential in you, he will let you know. This trait is absolutely invaluable. Anybody who is pursuing a Private Pilot’s License is a driven person, and likely very goal-oriented. With Jarren by your side, you can be confident that you will never sell yourself short in what you can achieve! Those moments I alluded to—when my performance was not up to standard—were not simply brushed off as “work on that next time.” No way. Post-flight, Jarren always took the time to ensure that we were on the same page with conceptual understanding, whether it was altitudes/power settings/airspeeds in the pattern, or the correct nose-up attitude for a power-on stall. I never left a flight, good or bad, with a lingering question or confusion over any aspects of the hop.
It is apparent, through Jarren’s level of realizing maximum performance from his students, that he holds himself to an incredibly high standard as an instructor, professional, and aviator. Jarren will put in the time and effort to ensure that you receive every ounce of advantage you can get to make yourself a better pilot! For me, that meant showing up at 4:30 in the morning; It meant sharing me various documents that he found useful in his own PPL pursuit; It meant teaching me multiple ways to use additional app features to make flying, logging, and studying even easier; And really, it meant constantly being there for me as an instructor.
I consider myself INCREDIBLY fortunate to have flown so often with Jarren, and to have been able to utilize his own deep knowledge base to enhance my own. Without Jarren’s guidance, could I have passed a checkride eventually and become a licensed pilot like so many out there? Sure, probably so. But being “a” pilot was never the goal—and thanks to Jarren, I truly feel I can call myself a safe, confident, skilled pilot. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION TO WORK WITH JARREN!

I had the privilege of completing my private pilot training with Jarren Nesbitt, who relentlessly pursued molding me into a safe, confident pilot. During my training, Jarren was a great, dependable resource, that pushed me to exceed minimum requirements in all aspects of training.
I had various roadblocks during my training, including learning initially difficult flying skills, and challenges associated with balancing my time between work and flight training. Jarren was always willing to accommodate my difficult schedule and worked with me to overcome any challenges that arose. Further, Jarren always found new ways for me to think about the skills we were learning, constantly providing me with the materials and training to reach my best.
Throughout my training, Jarren enforced a focus on situational awareness, putting me in scenarios that forced me to adapt to local terrain, traffic, and simulated conditions. In the end, Jarren’s training style made my check ride feel much easier than I anticipated, and the simulated exercises taught me new ways to prepare and handle stressful scenarios. For example, during my check ride, I used Foreflight to view the sectional chart but roughly 10 minutes into our flight in 105 degree weather, my iPad shut down due to overheating. However, the preparation and thought process Jarren instilled in me led me to immediately grab the back-up paper version in my bag that I had prepped and folded for this very scenario. The few passengers I have flown since receiving my license have noted that I frequently point out emergency landing areas during our flight; another habit I have due to Jarren’s instruction.
Further, the cross-country flying we chose to do exercised these practiced principles as we chose to perform more complex flights, rather than bare minimum. From our home airport (KSDL), we trained for solo cross-countries to Sedona (KSEZ) where I had to account for unique terrain and techniques at a high-density altitude airport, and Tucson International (KTUS) where I transitioned over Sky Harbor International’s (KPHX) Bravo airspace. On a flight from KSEZ to KSDL, Jarren noticed I was heavily reliant on my GPS for navigation, and created an opportunity for me to improve my VOR and visual navigation skills. Later, we performed a cross-country flight using solely VOR and visual navigation, helping build my confidence as a pilot and navigator. These experiences made training more difficult, but ultimately made me a more capable pilot, and I have Jarren’s trust and instruction to thank for that.
I would recommend Jarren to any prospective student, and would feel very confident flying with a pilot who had Jarren’s endorsement and instruction.