TIMOTHY PALCHO

Timothy Palcho is a highly distinguished Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and Chief Flight Instructor based in Stow, Ohio. With over 5,650 total flight hours and more than 4,120 hours of dual instruction provided, he has been a pillar of the Northeast Ohio aviation community for over two decades. Serving the Cleveland Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), Palcho has held his DPE designation since 2005 and is a Gold Seal Flight Instructor holding Commercial, Instrument, and Multi-Engine ratings.

His professional background is deeply rooted in collegiate aviation at Kent State University, where he serves as a Professor and the Lead Flight Instructor for the Kent State Airport. Palcho has influenced the careers of over 2,500 students and was honored with the 2024 Outstanding Faculty Award for his dedication to education. His expertise is particularly concentrated in multi-engine operations and instructional theory, having logged over 1,000 hours in the Piper Seminole alone.

Palcho is widely recognized for his commitment to safety and regulatory compliance, regularly conducting FAASTeam safety briefings and coaching university precision flight teams. Although he maintains a clean safety record, his background in teaching Aviation Safety Theory and Physiology underscores a rigorous safety mindset. He remains a key figure in shaping the next generation of professional pilots through his dual roles as an academic educator and federal evaluator.