
A proud legacy of delivering value to clients and partners.
Guided by an unwavering commitment to safety, operational excellence and superior service — across private charter, aircraft maintenance and pilot training.
Three businesses, one standard.
Based at Los Angeles' iconic Van Nuys Airport, Clipper Aviation is guided by an unwavering commitment to delivering safety, operational excellence and superior service. We are a dedicated and client-centric organization that operates across three lines of business — private charter, aircraft maintenance and pilot training.
Our private charter division is defined by the care, dedication and expertise of our people, who bring extensive operational knowledge rooted in decades of industry experience. Leveraging highly trained pilots, technicians and support staff, we ensure every journey reflects the highest standards of safety, reliability and personalized service.
Clipper Maintenance prioritizes deep technical expertise, a safety-above-all-else mindset and a commitment to meeting promised turnaround times. By leveraging a highly experienced team and offering specialized services including pitot-static and transponder testing, we ensure aircraft are consistently maintained to the highest standards of airworthiness and readiness.
Our flight training program features a modern fleet of Cirrus aircraft providing structured, personally tailored instruction from private pilot through to advanced ratings. As a company of passionate aviators, each of whom began their journey as a student pilot, we hold dear our commitment to cultivating a safe and capable next generation.
Integrity, transparency and accountability stand as the guiding principles by which we manage our business. This approach has allowed us to develop numerous long-term, trust-based client relationships, all while maintaining the highest operational standards and consistently delivering value across each part of our business.
The people behind every flight.
Pilots, technicians, coordinators and the founders, all of them reachable, accountable, and working out of the same building.
Charter
Every Clipper flight is crewed by two pilots, trained by the industry's leading providers and evaluated continuously against standards we set above the regulation.

Sean Kaveney
Part 135 Director of Operations

Bryan Ferrell
Chief Pilot

Mark Boss
Part 135 Chief Pilot

Marco Soriaga
Assistant Chief Pilot

Javier Malvaez
Part 135 Director of Maintenance

Zayne Dietterick
Charter Sales Manager

Zach Gunner
Charter Pilot

Riese McClellan
Charter Pilot

Alex Garcia
Charter Pilot
Maintenance
Factory-trained technicians working a Part 145 repair station floor, supporting piston, turboprop and jet across most general aviation platforms.

Nick Martin
Director of Maintenance

Jennifer Jacobson
Parts Manager

Cesar Herrera
Senior Technician

Henrik Jahn
Senior Technician

Matthew Melgar
Technician

Jeremiah Meador
Technician
Phillip Mejia
Technician
Alina Dikmarova
Customer Service Manager
Marina Bermudez
Maintenance Service Coordinator

Ruben Magana
Line Service
Enrique Pereira
Line Service
Ty Palmer
Aircraft Cleaning & Detailing
Administration
The people who make the exceptional effortless — scheduling, sourcing, coordinating and quietly removing every friction between you and the aircraft.

Charles Raffini
Founder & President

James Raffini
Founder & President

Emma Young
Operations Manager
Mariana Soliman
Finance Associate
Our home at Van Nuys.
Multi-hangar storage, a Part 145 shop floor and briefing rooms, all on the same field and all a short walk from one another.

Reception
Pilot briefing facilities and a training environment for aspiring aviators — including the board where every first solo is recorded.

Ramp
A multi-hangar aircraft storage footprint spanning charter, maintenance and training operations.

Hangar
Covered space for scheduled inspections and heavy work, with the Part 145 shop floor a few steps away.

The door is genuinely open.
Clients, owners and prospective students are welcome on the ramp. Call ahead and we'll show you around properly.