Michaela Thompson
Founder & CEO
John Silver
Co-Founder · President, Aero Access Network™
Steven Chandler
Co-Founder · Lead Instructor
Vision
Michaela Thompson
Founder & CEO
Michaela Thompson is the Founder and CEO of Aero Detailing Academy. With over 15 years in marketing, building online systems, working with luxury clients in a concierge environment, and mentoring people to reach their full potential, she didn't enter aviation looking for a job. She saw a system that didn't exist and built it.
Raised inside the global aviation market through her father Angelo Correa's two decades at International Aircraft Wholesalers, Michaela understood something most never do: aviation isn't just about skill. It's about access.
She is the architect of the A.I.R. Method™, the AeroElite™ Certification, and the complete system that turns skilled operators into certified aviation professionals.
Proximity
John Silver
Co-Founder · President, Aero Access Network™
John Silver is Co-Founder and President of the Aero Access Network™. With over two decades operating inside elite entertainment environments working alongside global artists including Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, and Usher . Private jets were not a luxury for John. They were normal.
But even at that level, there was no clear path in as an operator. He went looking, found nothing, and then stepped onto the ramp. John has also run successful luxury transportation companies, giving him a deep understanding of high-standard client service and the operational discipline required in premium environments.
As President of the Aero Access Network™, John serves as the liaison between the entertainment industry and private aviation, building and maintaining the real relationships that give graduates access to environments where the work already exists.
John's own luxury detailing company, Silver Line Detailing, serves as the preferred hiring partner for Aero Detailing Academy , actively recruiting top-performing graduates from each class and providing a direct employment pathway into the industry.
Skill
Steven Chandler
Co-Founder · Lead Instructor
Steven Chandler is Co-Founder and Lead Instructor of Aero Detailing Academy. With over 25 years of hands-on experience working on real aircraft, he has been the preferred detailer at Southeast Ramp for over 20 years and has operated regularly at MillionAir for the past decade, building a reputation one job at a time through precision, consistency, and an uncompromising standard of excellence. He has also worked with prestigious NBAA shows, bringing that same elite-level professionalism to some of the most high-profile events in private aviation.
Steven has worked with prestigious NBAA shows, bringing that same elite-level professionalism to every aircraft he touches. Aircraft owners trust him when precision matters most.
He is the technical backbone of the AeroElite™ Certification. When he signs off on a graduate, it means something.
The Complete System
Individually, they had pieces.
Together, a complete system.
Access. Vision. Proximity. Skill. No single person had all four. But together, they built something no one else had: a complete system for turning skilled operators into certified aviation professionals with real access to real aircraft.
Other programs in the marketplace will teach you how to detail and clean a plane. We create Aviation Appearance Specialists who operate in excellence and with a high standard — because the instructor behind the curriculum has spent 25+ years earning that standard on real aircraft.
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Start with the free Hangar Report and discover exactly how operators are entering private aviation and earning $1,500 to $5,000 per job.