Delanie McDonald is a flight instructor at Quality Aviation. After attending an airshow in the summer of 2021, she became fascinated with flying and decided to pursue a career in aviation. This shift led her to abandon her law school plans and begin her aviation journey at the Peachtree Dekalb Airport, where she worked in operations and developed a passion for flight training. Upon completing her ratings, she began teaching at PDK under DPE Dan Emin, who has over 55 years of flight training experience. 

 

Delanie holds a degree in Political Communications from Louisiana State University. After studying abroad in college, her passion for travel was ignited. Delanie has traveled to six out of seven continents and over 25 countries. She hopes to visit Australia, her last continent, soon. When she isn’t traveling, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen, diving into a good book, or enjoying quality time with her nieces and nephews.

 

Delanie’s aviation journey has given her the opportunity to fly with various instructors in unique planes. After her first aerobatic course with Greg Koontz, she learned she had a passion for aerobatic flying. That interest led her to earn a tailwheel endorsement and continue her training in aerobatics. Her long-term goal is to become an airshow pilot, enjoying the thrill of performing tricks in the air. 

 

Delanie is passionate about growing the number of women in aviation. She is an active member of Women in Aviation and serves as the Treasurer. She also serves as the Vice President of PDK Lady Pilots, her local non-profit.