My experience with Jose Eduardo Capellan (Pilot, Flight Instructor, CFI/CFII/IGI)

Editorial note: Dave’s account: Jose Eduardo Capellan had instructed me to request aircraft rentals through him and send a TAF with each booking request. I began this exchange by following those instructions. EX-001 shows the forecast and request below; the prior instructions are my recollection.

Editorial note: School and personal names are redacted in brackets. The first message is marked “Edited” in the original image. EX-003 masks this passage more broadly.

Editorial note: 10:38 a.m. CDT · incoming call, six minutes. Dave’s recollection: Jose Eduardo Capellan called immediately after my texts about other aircraft and training options. I explained that weather uncertainty made planning ahead difficult. I asked for aircraft-availability access for me or my executive assistant, who manages my schedule. I could teach her to gather weather information to help coordinate possible flying times.

I had made clear to Jose Eduardo Capellan from the beginning of our training that I was pursuing aviation as a hobby. During this call, after I felt he was making it difficult to arrange flying around my other commitments, I said, in substance, that while aviation was his whole life, it was a hobby and only one part of mine. I felt the conversation became more strained from that point onward.

I also recall Jose Eduardo Capellan saying that weather was the pilot in command’s responsibility and refusing availability access for either of us. My request was for scheduling help. I did not dispute my responsibility as pilot in command; evaluating the weather and making the final decision to fly would still be mine.

I experienced his response as defensive. He identified a 5:00 p.m. opening. I do not recall him mentioning concerns about my flying during the previous day’s lesson in this call.

Editorial note: 11:35 a.m. CDT · incoming call, one minute. Dave’s recollection: During this call, Jose Eduardo Capellan asked when I had last flown solo, then supplied August 2 as the date himself and cited the gap of more than three weeks.

I vividly recall his tone sounding irritated to me. The question came across to me as rhetorical because he supplied the answer himself. My follow-up text, “My last solo was 8/2?”, was questioning the date he had just given me.

I still do not recall him mentioning concerns about my flying during the previous day’s lesson in this call. Coming after our discussion of other options, the timing and tone contributed to my feeling that the denial was a reaction to our disagreement. That is my interpretation of the exchange, not proof of his motive. Jose Eduardo Capellan later wrote that his decision was based on the previous day’s flight, not our morning conversation.

Editorial note: Later written clarification, August 31, 2026: Glenn wrote that GEM Aviation had no separate solo policies beyond FAA requirements. His response did not identify a school-wide three-week cutoff. He also stated that solo authorization remained at the individual CFI’s discretion.

Editorial note: The logbook now available in EX-025 records a first solo on August 2 and a second solo on August 3. EX-026 records further training flights on August 8, 13, and 29. Those entries show what was flown, not why the flights were dual. Dave’s account of the booking constraints and Jose Eduardo Capellan wanting to fly with him is presented separately with EX-026. The earlier messages remain exactly as written.

Editorial note: Later that day. EX-008 marks the following message at 3:59 p.m.