Shane Tillekeratne
“Captain Chemtrails”
I’m just a long-time simmer and AV geek who turned hi
s dreams of becoming an airline pilot into a reality. My “simming” experience goes back to Microsoft Flight Simulator 95. Flight Simulation has been not only a hobby but also a passion that led to pursuing an actual career as an airline pilot. Today I have been fortunate enough to earn the title of “Captain” at a Real-World US Legacy carrier on the Boeing 737. In addition, I also hold type ratings in the A320, B757, B767 & CL65 aircraft as well as being a currently certified flight instructor (CFI/CFII/MEI). With approximately 7500 hours of real-world time and countless hours on the sim, it’s my pleasure to be able to participate in this year’s World Flight with Team Cali Crew. Outside aviation I enjoy the thrill of driving sports cars and riding motorcycles. After participating with one World Flight event previously, I definitely look forward to using my experience and knowledge to help again in such a charitable cause.
Anthony Gimenez
“Shadow”
Hola, my name is Anthony “Shadow” Gimenez . I have been a flight attendant for 7 years, and a sim pilot since 2004. My passion for aviation is unlimited, especially when I meet people who talk about it. I am in the process of completing my PPL and then will be working on getting the rest of my ratings. I am a new father to a beautiful 8 month old named Violet, and my amazing wife Arieanna has been very supportive on my passion and love for aviation. I have always been part of World Flight from my home and tried to following along as much as I could. Last year I finally had the chance to join in on a team and help with building the PC’s for the sim, help calibrate the screens, and meet amazing people who shared the same passion for aviation as I do and fly the event with a real scaled full sim. I am super excited that I have the opportunity to help build this team from the ground up and a great honor to be part of the team for many more years to come!
Hadley Workman
“Sheer Insane”
Hadley has loved aviation since he was a little kid. From his uncle taking him flying to spending thousands of hours in all type of simulator games. Hadley hopes to pass on his love of aviation to his two kids. Hadley did his first world flight event in 2022 with Team SoCal. For the year 2023 he will be apart of Cali Crew. He is looking forward to having another successful event. From providing his Technical knowledge from being the lead technician for Team SoCal to just providing onstream entertainment. Hadley is excited to be apart of it all.
Gavin
“Ghonco69”
I’m an aviation enthusiast with a fervent passion for flight simulation and all things aviation. From the first moment I sat and took off in a Boeing 737 , I was captivated by the world of flight. This passion has led me to explore the intricacies of aviation, from understanding aircraft systems to mastering navigation. In this lifelong journey, my passion for flight simulation and aviation continues to grow, taking me on new adventures and thrilling experiences. It’s a passion that keeps me grounded in my dreams and always reaching for new heights in the world of flight.
Quinton
My names Quinton AKA Shaq. I work as a AA ramper in Charlotte NC, Father of 3 beautiful girls and future pilot. When I’m not working I’m either with my family, cooking/ eating, sleeping, flying or simming. Aviation is a part of my life as it runs in my family. It’s allowed me to meet my wife and make amazing friends. I look forward to this team we all are on a journey to do great things. Stay Dangerous everyone!
Angelo Cosma
“ZLA_Pilot”
Angelo Cosma, 32 years old. Had a passion for aviation since my teenage years, got my Private Pilots license over 15 years ago and haven’t stopped flying since. I work for a major North American Aircraft Manufacturer and my specialty is in Flight Simulation and training. My prior career I was with the FAA in Air Traffic Control training. I have been simming since Flight Simulator 2000, and still enjoy the hobby to this day. I have an IT background, love to cook, and travel any chance I get.I am fortunate enough to get to share my life with beautiful wife Melissa, and two muts Chewie and Maci.
Colin Boone
My name is Colin Boone. I am a Phoenix-based corporate pilot. I grew up in Southern California and first got the interest in aviation at the age of 11. After the 6th grade, my parents surprised me with a Demo flight as a gift. I was already confident that flying airplanes was what I wanted to do, but actually doing it as a 12-year-old confirmed everything I needed to know. I am now 23, and have been a massive aviation nut for over half of my life.
Flying has not always been sunshine and rainbows though, especially during my own training. There are lots of bad schools without a student’s best interests in mind, and there are very few exceptional instructors out there. I was fortunate enough to experience both ends of the aisle, and they both contributed equally to my passion for teaching. Though I now have a corporate flying job, I believe the aviation world needs more instructors with passion and experience. Teaching students properly from Day 1 is incredibly important, and I strongly believe in the use of flight simulators to help streamline training and save costs. I hope to spread that message with Cali Crew!
Robert D
“Douggy Doug”
Since my first flight on a Southwest 737 in 1990, I have been bitten by the aviation bug. I began flying flight simulators starting with Microsoft Flight Simulator (FS95). In 1997, I got my first taste of flight with an intro flight with the Young Eagles program flying a Cessna 172 at KWJF. In January 2001, I began my career in the airline industry as a flight attendant. After more than two decades in the airline industry I have held numerous roles including security, safety, operations, stations, and more.
In January 2020, I reached one of my goals and received my PPL. As I continue my career in aviation, I look forward to enjoying the camaraderie of Cali-Crew.
“How do planes fly? How does it stay in the air for hours at a time?”, wondered while quietly sitting at the window seat on a flight that seemed to last forever. These questions were enough to intrigue me and my journey in aviation began! From watching videos on YouTube to try and get my questions answered, came across flight sim videos and discovered a whole new world. I quickly got myself P3D and started flying. The rest is history! Deep into flight simming, I decided to share my passion began streaming! Someday, I hope to become a real-world pilot and continue my passion! With World flight, I intend to inspire more people and be a part of this huge charitable cause.
Mariano Flores
As a kid in 2006, after a trip to Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, I returned home with a fresh copy of FSX and got to playing as I was fascinated in these flying tubes of metal. Fast forward a decade later and I finally began digging further and further into the world of aviation and have developed a new love within it. I enjoy travelling the skies all over the sim world and flying all kinds of planes, although exclusively the 737. Outside of the sim world I enjoy playing/watching soccer/football which I am also very passionate about. Here in Cali Crew I am excited to share the passion of aviation with others and create memorable moments with each other. I am extremely thankful to be given the opportunity to be here and participate in something that is for a good cause all while having fun. Keep climbing 🙂
Theodore
“ZippyZapple”
“Hello there! My names Theodore, AKA ZippyZapple or “TheFakeGreendot”. I am a huge Avgeek based in the UK. Originally obsessed with British Military aviation, I rolled on over to civil aviation and have been working towards making a career in the industry. I have embaressing amount of hours in Flight Simulator but nothing can stop me adding more at this point! Huge Airbus fan for modern jets, but absolutely love classics like the 757 with some RB211’s! I look forward to completing my first WorldFlight with the Cali Crew! See ya on that flight deck! :)”
Aaron
“IEFlyingRamper”
“I’m Aaron, also known as IEFlyingRamper (IE: Inland Empire). I got my start in the flight simulation world back with FlightSim 95 and it really kicked off with Microsoft Flight Simulator 98. I’ve worked on the ramp for various contract vendors since 2003 and airlines that no longer exist like Great Lakes Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines ‘Branded’ operations in 2008. I was last with Southwest Airlines in DEN, SNA and ONT from 2015 to 2022 when I left and went to ATP Flight School. I’m a commercially rated, multi-engine pilot volunteering my talent and time with Civil Air Patrol as well as Mission Flight where I fly Cessna 172s, Piper Cherokee 6 and SIC typed in the Metro III flying doctors, dentists, nurses, other supplies and staff to conduct clinics throughout Mexico. I’m glad to be here, serving, learning and having fun with other like minded individuals.
Hi, my name is Charles Gray. I work as an IT Analyst and I’m a father of 2 amazing children. I have been fascinated with aviation since I was a child. Growing up, my family went to countless air shows and air races, fueling my passion for flight and motivating me to learn and experience as much of it as I could. Since then, I have strived to expand my knowledge and experience by obtaining a Student Pilot’s License and owning each release of Flight Simulator since Flight Simulator 95. I have dedicated a large amount of my life to aviation and can’t wait to take my next steps with the amazing people here at Cali Crew!
Felicia
“CaliSimmer”
Hi everyone! My name is Felicia aka CaliSimmer, and I’m super excited to be a part of this amazing World Flight team! I’ve had a passion for aviation for a very long time! Ever since I was a little girl and my mom worked for Continental Airlines and I got to fly in the simulators that pilots trained in, I was hooked! Ever since then, I’ve had a love of aviation. I’ve traveled globally and throughout the states and every time I’m a passenger, I’m always amazed at the technology of flight! Being able to flight sim, gives me some of that thrill when I’m not actually flying in real life. So now that my youngest child is about to start college, I’m ready to fulfill my dreams and pursue my PPL. Until then, I love to flight sim! So I’ll see you in the skies! I’m thrilled to be here!
![](http://cali-crew.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CaliBio-scaled.jpg")
Hello all! My name is Blake otherwise known as Wrong Side Simulations, bringing you the best content from the wrong side of the airplane.. the right seat! I’m currently Manager of Flight dispatch at my airline, and wouldn’t be sitting where I am today without flight sim! I’ve been simming since 2009, and the knowledge I’ve obtained has been the foundation of my drive to continuously grow within professional aviation as well as teach and bring others up. I began my aviation career in 2010 as a ramper for 5 years, flight dispatch for the next 7, and have now been dispatch management for 1. Flight sim allows me to contextualize real life problems faced by my pilots to then develop a solution using what I’ve learned from high fidelity flight sim aircraft. It’s a great tool that I love to use to show my dispatchers the pilot side that they don’t get to see in detail. I’m extremely honored to join the World Flight Cali Crew and sim for a cause bigger than myself!
Jimmy Z.
Though working in the IT industry, my passion into aviation and flight siming has never decreased ever since getting a copy of FS9 many years ago. I have always been fascinated by how efficient the modern-day air transport system has become thanks to the tremendous amount of engineering in it. Being a flight simmer allows me to experience these engineering masterpiece of modern aviation (including airliners/planes, for sure) on the firsthand while being able to virtually travel and do sightseeing (MSFS is really a masterpiece in Computer Graphics). I’ve been regularly flying on VATSIM and is now willing to take a step forward in my passion with World Flight this year. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to be here. I’m so excited to work with like-minded people with the same passion, while being for a good cause!
Robert Perez
Robert Perez , 29 years old, Orange County , CA. Had a passion for aviation since as long as I can remember and always dreamed of becoming a pilot one day. I’ve been a flight sim user for over over 15 years now going back to the early days of FSX and now currently enjoying MSFS 2020. In the real world I’ve been flying for roughly 15 years and have over 5,000 hours of flight time.
Through the use of flight simulator I was able to aid my real world flight training and by the age of 17 I earned my Private Pilots License. Shortly after that I attended ATP Flight School and by the age of 19 I was an Instrument and Commercial rated pilot also holding full flight instructor certifications (CFI,CFII,MEI).
I’m currently fortunate enough to be flying for a real world US Legacy Airline flying the Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 aircraft. In addition to the 737 I’m also rated on Airbus A320 series aircraft as well as Embraer 175/190 series aircraft.
Brandon
“Cobra”
Aviation and technology enthusiast. I’ve had a long career in corporate IT before deciding to follow my childhood dreams of becoming a pilot. Currently, I’m a private pilot working on IR and CPL, hoping to make it a career as soon as possible!
I feel very fortunate to have found and joined Cali Crew. It’s so inspiring to work with such intelligent and dedicated people and I’m already learning a lot.
I’m excited to take part in my first WorldFlight event next year and team-build with all the great Cali Crew members!
Brendan
“OWLZzFS”
My name is Brendon also known as OWLZzFS. I am a flight sim content creator with over 32 thousand subscribers. I make videos and live streams. I mainly live stream realistic flights on vatsim. This means I use checklists and realistic airline flows/sop’s. I am starting to become widely known in the flight sim community, mainly for maturity and age. Being only 16 and having such vast knowledge about aviation, has caught the attention of many other like minded aviation enthusiasts.
My dream for aviation started when I was little. I used to travel with my grandma all over the east coast on breaks for summer vacations. Because of this we used to choose aircraft as our transportation to these places. I would always choose the wing seat. Something fascinated me. The way the ailerons danced and the flaps dropped. As I got older I had the blessing of receiving my first gaming computer. I downloaded X-Plane 11 and started learning the aircraft systems and how to fly. From there I joined the vatsim community and started getting deep into the immersion factor.
I had past experience from streaming other FPS games on Twitch. I moved my knowledge from Twitch and YouTube and started streaming flight sim. After realizing I’m having the most fun in my life with something, I knew for sure I wanted to become an aircraft pilot. I just started flying in real life in hopes to start my journey to the airlines! I’m currently around 14 hours flying a Cessna 172! I can’t wait to participate in WorldFlight 2025. I’m looking forward to all the knowledge I will gain from this experience, and I am very honored to be a part of the Cali Crew!
Wendy T.
“Logical Snowflake”
Hello, I’m Wendy, and I’m delighted to be a part of the Cali Crew team! When I’m not working behind the scenes, I cherish my time with my family. My husband, our two loyal canines, and our spirited stray kitten who stole our hearts. When I have some free time, I find joy in photography, capturing various subjects like aircraft, cars, animals, beautiful landscapes, and delicious dishes. When I’m not behind the camera or tending to our furry friends, you might find me engrossed in a good book or exploring the fascinating world of aviation, even if it’s from the ground!
I feel honored to be a small but significant contributor to this team, collaborating with truly remarkable and like-minded individuals who are dedicated to giving back and making a positive difference through charitable endeavors!
WorldFlight Team Cali Crew (Nosotros) WorldFlight Team Wings For Hope WorldFlight Team USA WorldFlight Team Virginia
WorldFlight Australia WorldFlight Team Mangrove WorldFlight Team Perth WorldFlight Team Airbus WorldFlight Team Illawarra
WorldFlight Hamilton NZ
WorldFlight Team Simfest WorldFlight Team Velocity
WorldFlight Team Germany
WorldFlight Team Turkey WorldFlight Team JeeHell A320
