Aviation runs in the Sheble family
For more than 35 years, Sheble Aviation has trained commercial pilots, seaplane pilots and flight instructors quickly and flexibly, in airplanes few schools still fly. Today every lesson happens at Kingman Airport in Kingman, Arizona, a field with a deep aviation history of its own.
A family that grew up in the air
Joe “JoJo” Sheble grew up around airplanes. In the 1980s his father ran a flight school in Blythe, California, and JoJo spent those years on the ramp, in the cockpit and teaching. His father’s Super Cub on floats gave him his first taste of seaplane flying, and it stuck.
He moved fast. JoJo soloed at 16 and earned his commercial certificate at 18. At 22 he earned his multi-engine sea rating flying a Twin Beech on floats, and he fell for the airplane. At 23 he became the youngest pilot examiner in the country.
Founded to fill the gaps
In 1990 JoJo opened Sheble Aviation around a simple idea. The ratings that move a pilot forward (multi-engine, seaplane, instructor, ATP) shouldn’t take months or cost a fortune. He built focused, accelerated Part 61 programs and kept examiners close so checkrides happen on schedule. He also built a fleet you won’t find at a typical flight school.
That Beech 18 on floats made Sheble a name in seaplane circles. Plane & Pilot magazine listed the school in its guides to seaplane and multi-engine training. Pilots have come from across the country and around the world, and many arrive for one rating and leave with two.
- 1980sWorks at his father’s flight school in Blythe, California, and first flies a Super Cub on floats.
- Age 16Solos.
- Age 18Earns his commercial pilot certificate.
- Age 22Earns his multi-engine sea rating in a Twin Beech on floats.
- Age 23Becomes the youngest pilot examiner in the country.
- 1990Founds Sheble Aviation.
- TodayAll training at historic Kingman Airport, Arizona.
Home at historic Kingman Airport
All Sheble training now happens at Kingman Airport, in the Route 66 town of Kingman. The field opened in 1942 as Kingman Army Airfield, one of the nation’s top aerial gunnery schools during World War II. After the war, thousands of surplus warbirds were stored and sold here.
Today the airport has two runways over 6,700 feet long and sits at nearly 3,450 feet elevation. It offers wide-open desert airspace and flying weather almost year-round. Our office is right on the field, steps from the airplanes, and JoJo, Rob and our instructors are there every training day.
A fleet with character
Beech 18 on floats
The classic radial-engine Twin Beech, and the airplane for our multi-engine seaplane (AMES) rating.
Lake LA-4 Buccaneer
An amphibious flying boat that lands on its hull and operates from both runways and water.
Piper Super Cub on floats
The airplane that started it all for JoJo.
Beechcraft Travel Air
Our twin for the Commercial Multi-Engine Add-On (CAMEL), our most popular course.
Cessna 172
For private, instrument and commercial training.
How we train
Ratings in days, not months
CAMEL takes 3 days, seaplane add-ons take 3 to 4 days, and multi-engine seaplane takes 3 days.
Part 61 flexibility
We build training around your experience and schedule. The goal is proficiency, not a fixed hour count.
Checkrides without the wait
We arrange the examiner, so you aren’t left waiting weeks.
Real experience in the right seat
JoJo has logged about 12,000 hours, 4,500 of them in seaplanes. He holds an ATP multi-engine certificate, a commercial helicopter certificate and an A&P mechanic license.
International pilots welcome
We help with the TSA Flight Training Security Program, English proficiency requirements and license conversion.
Shaun Sheble
JoJo’s brother Shaun learned to fly with the family in Blythe, soloed at 16, and taught at Sheble Aviation early in his career. From there he served aboard the USS Nimitz during Desert Storm and flew Caravans for FedEx. He went on to fly firefighting tankers and MD-11 cargo jets around the world. Shaun died in 2009 doing what he loved, and he is honored on the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Wall of Honor. His love of flying is still part of every lesson here.
Meet the team
Joe “JoJo” Sheble
Founder, CEO and Chief Instructor
Rob Kisner
Operations Director
Gavin Rader
Director of Flight Education
Quick facts
- Founded
- 1990, by Joe “JoJo” Sheble
- Location
- Kingman Airport, 4800 Flightline Dr, Kingman, AZ 86401
- Training type
- FAA Part 61
- Specialties
- Commercial Multi-Engine Add-On (CAMEL), single- and multi-engine seaplane ratings, instrument, CFI and ATP
- Phone
- (702) 222-3617