James Vinnels-Bell

Chief Flight Instructor, Class 2

Flying has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I’m grateful to have turned that passion into a career. I started my aviation career at KBM as a flight instructor, and over the past four years, I’ve had the opportunity to build my experience and continue developing as an instructor. I’m now proud to be a Class 2 Flight Instructor, and I’m passionate about helping students build their skills, confidence, and knowledge throughout their aviation journey.

When I’m not flying, you can usually find me outdoors. I love hiking in the mountains, fishing on a lake, exploring new places, or spending time on the water sailing. Sailing has become a big part of my life and, much like flying, I love the combination of skill, decision-making, and being connected to the environment around me. Whether I’m up in the air taking in the stunning views or out on the water chasing the next adventure, I feel most at home outdoors.

Teaching has always come naturally to me, and I enjoy helping students overcome challenges and achieve their goals. After four years of instructing, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching a student progress from their first flight to becoming a confident and capable pilot.

I’m always looking for new challenges and opportunities to grow as both a pilot and an instructor. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to share my passion for aviation with others, and I look forward to being part of your aviation journey!

Alec Diebel

Flight Instructor, Class 4

I have been around Aviation my whole life and feel incredibly lucky to be making a career out of it. I am a class 4 flight instructor starting my career and I am super fortunate to be able to do so with KBM. Outside of flying you can typically find me on skis, my mountain bike, or playing hockey. Any time I can be outside meeting new people and exploring new places I am at my happiest, and flying is a great way to channel that. Teaching has been part of my life since I was 13 years old teaching goaltending at a local hockey school in Hamilton. Since then, I have been able to teach swimming, Mountain Biking, Downhill and Nordic Skiing, Sea Kayaking, and Tandem Canoeing, as a way to have adventures and fund my aviation dream. I am excited to be part of the KBM Team and am looking forward to helping our students accomplish their goals in aviation.