Joe "Retz" Chennault is the Founder and CEO of Chennault Flying Service/Elite Aviation VGT, LLC. Retz is a former USAF F-15C Eagle Pilot with 500hrs of combat flying time and 30 years and over 8000 hrs experience in both civilian and military aviation. He has over 3000 fighter hours and served as an instructor pilot, operational test pilot, and evaluator.  Throughout his 20 years in the Air Force, he has maintained his childhood passion of General Aviation through flight instructing, aircraft ownership, air racing, and competitive aerobatics.  After retirement from the USAF, Joe joined a major US airline where he serves as a Captain and Instructor/Evaluator.  He also maintained his military fighter aviation ties as the chief test pilot for a military contractor fighter program. When not instructing or flying airline trips, Joe spends his time flying competition aerobatics in an Extra 300L or backcountry flying in a Cessna 185.

Prior to entering USAF pilot training, Joe was a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI).  It was his passion for civilian flight instructing that drove him to start CFS and to use the skills he learned as a military fighter instructor pilot and airline instructor to pass on through civilian pilot training. Joe is active ALPA member and active in many industry flight training organizations advocating for the future of flight training.