Motorgliding USA owner and Chief Instructor Steve Dee began his flying career at the tender age of 13, and has been flying every kind of aircraft he could get into ever since. His first solo was in gliders in 1967, one of the younger members of the Adrian Soaring Club. Learning to fly in the shadows of such soaring giants as AJ Smith, Dick Schreder, and Eric Mozer created a lasting desire for mastering the finer techniques of thermalling, cross country planning, and competition strategy. Unfortunately for his career in soaring, the needs of higher education and gainful employment kept getting in the way!

    After graduating from High School, Steve attended Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and then the United States Air Force Academy, where he became the first Freshman (Cadet Fourth Class) Soaring Instructor in the history of the Academy. After finishing at the top of his Pilot Training class, Steve earned his Air Force Wings, and stayed in Del Rio as a T-38 Instructor. Tours in the C-9A, C-12F, A-7D, and F-16C followed, the latter two served in the South Dakota Air National Guard.  Steve now serves as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, and volunteers with the Tennessee Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.  

    Accumulating over 4000 hours in the USAF, and another 8000 hours of civilian time, Steve has flown as a Flight Engineer, Copilot, and Captain ins such aircraft as the 727, 757, DC-9, and DC-10. He is currently a B-757 Captain and Check Airman at FedEx, where he was the manager over all B-757 and DC-10 Flight Instruction. In his "spare" time, he has completed a Gold Badge with 3 Diamonds, a One Lennie Pin, and competed in local and Regional contests in his Diamant 18, and DG-400. He has logged nearly 1700 hours in almost 3200 glider flights.  Steve currently flies his ASH-26e for fun, and trains with a Scheibe SF-25C Rotax Falke.

    Steve is a Life Member of the SSA, an SSA Master Instructor, a Trustee of the Soaring Safety Foundation, and President of the Auxilliary Powered Soaring Association. (ASA) Steve is a CFIG and FAA Pilot Examiner in gliders, qualified in all launch methods, and specializes in Self-Launch. He was selected as the CFI of the Year by the Memphis Flight Standards District Office for 2010, and enjoys nothing more than introducing pilots to the joys of unpowered flight, especially when Self-Launched!