Meet Jerold “Tony” Malone

Flight Instructor • Aviation Mentor • Ferry Pilot

A Lifelong Passion for Aviation

My passion for aviation started early. I can remember being five years old, fascinated by airplanes—reading everything about aviation I could get my hands on and even memorizing details such as the landing speeds of aircraft like the Boeing 747-200.

At 13, I attended an aviation Explorer Post meeting in the San Francisco Bay Area. That experience would change the direction of my life.

It was there that I met my mentor and friend, Solomon Adio, an aviation entrepreneur and flight school owner. Solomon recognized my enthusiasm for aviation and gave me an opportunity that went far beyond simply learning how to fly.

Within six months, I was working weekends at the flight school.

My education in aviation quickly expanded beyond the cockpit. I learned about aircraft maintenance, flight school operations, customer service, managing employees, contract negotiations, technology, and the day-to-day realities of operating an aviation business.

And my compensation?

Flight time.

By 17, I had earned my private pilot certificate. By 18, I was managing the flight school full-time and helping oversee an operation with six aircraft and two locations.

More Than 30 Years in Aviation

Today, I have been a licensed pilot for more than 30 years, an FAA-certified Advanced Ground Instructor for 17 years, and a flight instructor for five years. I am certified to provide both primary and instrument flight instruction.

Over those years, aviation has taught me that becoming a good pilot involves much more than learning how to manipulate the controls of an airplane or preparing for a checkride.

Good pilots learn to make sound decisions, manage risk, understand their aircraft, recognize their limitations, and continue learning long after earning a certificate.

Those principles form the foundation of my approach to flight instruction and mentorship.

My Approach to Flight Training

At Malone Aviation, my goal is not simply to help you meet the minimum requirements for a certificate or rating.

I want to help you become a safe, confident, knowledgeable, and proficient pilot who is prepared for real-world flying.

Training is personalized around your experience, goals, and learning style, with an emphasis on:

• Aeronautical decision-making

• Risk management

• Aircraft knowledge

• Real-world flight planning

• Scenario-based training

• Confidence and sound judgment

Whether you're pursuing your first pilot certificate, working toward an instrument rating, returning to aviation after time away, preparing for a checkride, or simply trying to become a better pilot, your training should support what you actually want to accomplish in aviation.

Why Malone Aviation?

I created Malone Aviation to provide the kind of personalized aviation instruction and mentorship that had such an important influence on me early in my own aviation journey.

Every pilot brings different goals, experiences, strengths, and challenges to the cockpit. My approach is intentionally personal: understand where you want to go, identify what you need to get there, and develop the knowledge, proficiency, confidence, and judgment necessary to move forward safely.

The goal isn't simply to help you pass your next checkride. It's to help you continue developing as a pilot long after the checkride is over.

Your Aviation Goals

Not everyone wants the same thing from aviation—and that's one of the things I enjoy about teaching.

Your goal might be flying professionally for an airline or corporate operator. You may want to become a flight instructor yourself. Or perhaps you simply want the freedom and confidence to take an airplane around the Bay Area for the weekend.

Whatever your aviation goals, my role is to help you develop the knowledge, skills, confidence, and judgment to pursue them safely.

Let's talk about where you want aviation to take you.