Getting to know Kimberley
A bit of background — for those who’ve been following Dutch Flight School or are just curious how it all started.
At 17, I left for Florida with one clear goal: to become a pilot. That same year, I earned my PPL and IR, followed by my CPL at 18, and my CFI/CFII at 19. It was an intense and focused time, but it built the foundation I’ve been building on ever since.
I spent the next two years flying aerial survey missions across South America and Europe — long days, tough conditions and some of the most valuable real-world flying experience I could have asked for.
After returning to the Netherlands, I transitioned into the EASA system, started instructing and quickly discovered how much I enjoyed helping others learn to fly. What began as freelance work turned into more than a decade of flight instruction — and over the years, I also served as Head of Training at two different flight schools.
Still, the idea of creating something of my own kept coming back. In 2024, I launched Dutch Flight School — because I wanted to create the kind of flying school I always wanted — one with personal guidance, high standards and a place where everyone feels welcome.
For me, quality comes first, but learning to fly should also be fun and inspiring.
In 2025, I partnered up with my colleague Mariëlle to also offer the Competency Based Instrument Rating (CB-IR). This led to the start of our ATO Flight School Europe. Here too, personal support and high quality are most important.