2026-2027 RTH Board Officers
Jesse Hayes IV
Founder & President
Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club
President@redtailedhawksflyingclub.org
Jesse D. Hayes IV is an Airplane Safety Engineering leader for The Boeing Company, an Eagle Scout, and a 1985 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. As an instructor navigator, he rose to the rank of major and logged over 3,300 flying hours in C-130E/H and HC-130P aircraft, including 150 in combat during the Gulf War. Educated in Astronautical Engineering, he has led design, test, and analysis projects for the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Constellation Programs at NASA's Johnson Space Center. He has also performed as a technical lead engineer for the development of the USAF KC-46A Pegasus, the VC-25B Presidential Aircraft, and served as the Mission Assurance Leader for the P-8 Poseidon Program. Hayes most recently led the creation of the Boeing Safety Engineering College and currently serves the Safety & Airworthiness Function to ensure design-build safety during the production of commercial aircraft.
Growing up in Houston, TX, Hayes was first introduced to aviation at age 6 through the Bronze Eagles Flying Club. He remained connected to general aviation while in the Air Force and helped start a new chapter of Black Pilots of America, Inc. (BPA): the Arkansas Thunderbirds. Later, he created a year-round aviation youth program in Waco, TX, as part of the Bronze Eagles. For four years, he hosted the Waco Youth Fly-IN, introducing over 700 Central Texas youth to aviation. Now a resident of Washington State, he has introduced BPA to the Pacific Northwest as President of the Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club. Hayes also serves as president of the Red-Tailed Hawks Aviation Academy, Inc. Since 2013, he has orchestrated the development of a year-round youth program, three summer camps, outreach, and formal flight training, touching the lives of over 10,000 students. With over 40 years of aviation and space operations experience, introducing youth to the aerospace industry is his ministry.
Sherman Robinson
Vice-President
Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club
VP@redtailedhawksflyingclub.org
Sherman Robinson has over 40 years of experience in aviation training, management, and
leadership as an Airframe & Propulsion Technician in the United States Air Force, as a
Department of Defense contractor, and currently as a Federal Aviation Administration Air Safety Inspector. He has been a loyal member of the Red-Tailed Hawks since 2014 and has served as vice president since 2018. As the lead RTH marshal, he trains and supervises ground crews.
Adrian Delancy
Chief Pilot
Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club
Chief_Pilot@redtailedhawksflyingclub.org
Adrian Delancy received his B.S. in Physics from Purdue University and now works as a
Software Development Manager for Amazon Web Services in Seattle. Born and raised in The Bahamas, Delancy was first introduced to aviation as a teenager when his father started Seabird Air — a small seaplane charter company based in Nassau, Bahamas. This ignited a lifelong interest in aviation, which eventually led to him earning his private pilot certificate.
Delancy brings a wealth of management and leadership skills to the Red-Tailed Hawks and ensures the execution and safety of our flight operations. His ultimate goal is to become a certified flight instructor, as well as a seaplane and missionary pilot. Delancy has a passion for helping others, especially minorities who lack exposure to STEM fields that could offer them promising career opportunities.
Santosh Mathan
Treasurer
Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club
Treasurer@redtailedhawksflyingclub.org
Santosh Mathan is thrilled to be part of the Red-Tailed Hawks community, serving as Treasurer and teaching students about aviation concepts over the course of monthly meetings. Aviation provides a springboard to learn about science and technology concepts that open pathways to so many career options.
Mathan’s career was sparked by his passion for aviation. As he reflected on the skill of operating airplanes in challenging environments, he began to develop an interest in human and machine intelligence. This curiosity led to a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University and a career using machine learning to model brain functions. He currently leads a team of researchers at Google informing the design of software for large-scale AI models. Previously, he designed intelligent advisory systems for air traffic controllers at NASA Ames and developed autopilots, weather radar systems and brain-computer Interfaces at Honeywell Labs.
Mathan always tries to learn and grow as a pilot. He holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate with Multi-Engine Instrument ratings and a Type Rating for Citation jets. He is dedicated to leveraging this blend of aerospace, science, and technology experience to empower our future
aviators.
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Ryan Kindred
Secretary
Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club
Secretary@redtailedhawksflyingclub.org
Ryan Kindred is a college sophomore studying Aeronautical Science at Green River College, WA. She first started out in Culinary Arts in food production and management at Sno-Isle TECH, and shifted her focus towards aviation after being a cadet in the 2025 Red-Tailed Hawks FLY summer program. She has continued her training at Paine Field, with hopes to eventually teach and give back to the program which first started her on her journey.
Ryan has served during several RTH meetings and events alike. She was part of the crew running the 2025 Future Thrust Awards; she attended the 2026 Leadership Retreat; and she served as ground crew during the 2026 BPA Operation Skyhook. She is also employed at Regal Air, since 2025, in product manufacturing and front desk operations.
Outside of Aviation, Ryan is an avid musician and crocheter. She played cello for 6 years in school and competed in state competitions twice. She loves baking, trying new foods, and the occasional round of disc golf. While balancing two jobs, academics, and flying, she finds fulfillment in dedication to this organization that makes it all possible.
Autum Bobst
Operations Officer
Operations@redtailedhawksflyingclub.org
Autum Bobst is dedicated to Youth Program Operations with a strong track record of service as the Membership Chair and Aviation Youth Program Outreach Coordinator for three and half years and the Flight Path Coordinator for a year with youth-centered initiatives and community engagement. She holds a degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences with a minor in Psychology from Central Washington University that draws on a background in interdisciplinary studies in education, psychology, law, sociology, and community engagement.
Bobst's initial attention with the Red-Tailed Hawks started when her son joined in 8 th grade. He is now a senior in high school with a Private Pilot Certificate. Bobst became an active participant from the first meeting she attended and became an Associate Member not long after. Her own interests within aviation have fostered and grown.
Autum Bobst is originally from Texas and has made a life in Washington for the last 37 years. She is a dedicated mom of six wonderful children of which are four girls and two boys with only one left in the nest. Blessed with six grandchildren. In her spare time, she loves to read, spend time in nature, and listen to music.
Volunteer Parent
Joe Villarino
Webmaster & Technology Officer
Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club
Webmaster@redtailedhawksflyingclub.org
Joe was born at Ft. Lawton Hospital in Seattle, WA and attended Queen Anne High School, and Shoreline College. A US Army veteran with the 101st Airborne Division, he has had thirty years of experience in law enforcement and private security management. In his spare time Joe has over 20+ years in web design, chatbot, and a (GMB) Google My Business consultant. Now retired, he donates his time to his beloved Magnolia community by working on websites for local, community-based organizations.
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