Club Flight Instructors
Michael Weimer
ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI
C182, PA28s, 8KCAB
Michael is the President and Owner of Prestige Worldwide Aviation. A professional pilot and flight instructor, Michael serves as a Gulfstream G-IV CaptIain & Check Airmen for a 135 operator, and holds CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates. Since establishing the club in 2019, he has focused on creating a welcoming aviation community built around safety, continued training, and making aircraft ownership more accesible to pilots.
Email: Michael@flylewis.com
Scott Hall
CFI, CFII
C182, PA28s, 8KCAB
Scott is the vice president of Prestige Worldwide Aviation and has been a member of the club since early 2022. He earned his private pilot’s license in 2009. Since that time, Scott has spent many years in various areas of the aviation industry as a flight instructor, ferry pilot and is now serving as first officer flying a Cessna Citation X. He loves all things aviation and has a passion for teaching and learning everything he can.
Email: Scott@flylewis.com
Jim Subka
ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI
C182, PA28s, 8KCAB
Jim attended Lewis University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Flight Management, graduating in 2022. He began flying in 2019, and joined Prestige Worldwide Aviation in 2022 as a way to build flight hours towards his ATP. Jim continues to fly with the club for fun now that he is a regional airline pilot.
Email: jim@flylewis.com
Chrisopher Kenney
ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI
C182, PA28s, 8KCAB
Christopher is our resident Grammy Award Winning Opera singer who has performed at Lyric Opera Chicago & the Metropolitan Opera NY. He is a current First Officer at United Airlines on the 737 out of ORD, Chris has experience in tailwheel, multi and advanced instruction.
With flying from the 747 to the J3 Cub, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge fun, and experience to your flying adventures as well as top instruction based on years of experience.
Ryan Scimeca
CFI
PA28s
Ryan is the plane captain for the warrior and has been with prestige for just over a year. He currently holds a CFI and is working on completeing his CFII. Ryan enjoys cross countries and going to different airports as well as flying various types of aircraft. He is a avid outdoors man and if you don't see him in the hanger at Lewis you will most likely find him fishing or hunting.
Email: ryanscimeca@gmail.com
Ben Graca
CFI
C182, PA28s
Ben Graca is a Commercial Pilot, Instrument rated, and CFI, currently working toward his CFII. With over 500 hours total time, he’s flown Cessna 172s and 182s, Piper Cherokees, and light sport aircraft, mostly around the Chicagoland area with cross countries all around the Midwest. He also has high altitude flying experience in Colorado.
During afternoons, Ben works airfield operations at O’Hare where he completes FAR Part 139 inspections and coordinates incident management. He graduated from Lewis University in 2019 with a B.S. in Air Traffic Control Management and holds a Master’s in Aviation and Transportation Management.
In his free time, Ben loves traveling to national parks, completing Spartan obstacle races, and enjoys cooking up some tasty dishes.
Email: gracaben@gmail.com
Gabriel Castenada
CFI, CFII
C182, PA28s
Gabriel is a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI/CFII) pilot with a diverse background in aviation, business operations, and team leadership. After more than 20 years leading and growing a successful automotive service organization, he transitioned into aviation to pursue his passion for flying and pilot development. Gabriel combines strong instructional skills, operational discipline, and a customer-focused approach to help pilots build confidence, proficiency, and a commitment to safety.
His background combines technical expertise, operational leadership, and a commitment to safety and training.In addition to his aviation credentials, Gabriel brings extensive experience in business management, and is recognized for his ability to mentor others, implement structured training programs, and manage complex operations. As a volunteer leader and vice president of a charitable organization, he also demonstrates a strong commitment to community service, teamwork, and organizational stewardship.
Email: gabe23_79@yahoo.com
Gurshaan Bal
CFI, CFII
PA28s
Originally from Sacramento, California, Gurshaan began flying in 2018 and has been a Certified Flight Instructor since 2020. His aviation experience includes aerial survey flying and working on the Gulfstream program at FlightSafety International. He is passionate about helping members build more confidence and become safer, proficient pilots. Outside of flying, Gurshaan enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, working on cars and trying new restaurants around the city.
Email: gurshawnsbal@gmail.com
Eivinas Skirgaila
CFI, CFII
PA28s
Avis is a full-time Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI/CFII) and a graduate of Lewis University with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Flight. Over the past two years as a full-time instructor, he has trained and mentored students at every stage of their aviation journey, from Private Pilot through Commercial Pilot certification, including Instrument Rating training. He has experience instructing in both Part 61 and Part 141 training environments, allowing him to adapt his teaching approach to each student’s goals, learning style, and training path.
He strives to create a safe, professional, and goal-oriented learning environment while tailoring each lesson to the individual needs of every student. His focus is not only on helping students earn their certificates and ratings, but also on developing the knowledge, confidence, and decision-making skills needed to become safe, proficient pilots.