Derek Bell - Pilot/Reporter
Derek was born and raised in Los Angeles and maintains an impressive scholastic and military background. Derek attended Harvard School and San Diego State University where he received his commission in the Army Reserve. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Officer Rotary Wing Course, in addition to Air Assault School and Infantry Officer Basic Course. With over 10,000 hours of flight time, Derek holds Airline Transport and Flight Instructor ratings for airplanes and Commercial / Instrument ratings for helicopters. He has been a flight instructor, charter pilot, corporate jet pilot and has flown Huey's and Cobras for the Army. Derek has been flying for KCAL in "Sky 9" since 1996, and has been with Angel City Air since its inception. Derek has recently taken up golf and he and his wife Yvonne, spends as much time as possible on the course.

Kris Kelley - Pilot
It's no wonder Kris grew up with a dream to one day fly helicopters; her Grandfather, Kalvin Kelley, owned Cascade Helicopters and flew Crop Dusting missions in a Bell 47 over the apple orchards of the great state of Washington. Grandpa Kelley's influence spread quickly within her family - her Father, Uncle, Sister and Step Mother are all fixed-wing pilots. So naturally, Kris pursued her goal by enrolling at Green River College in Seattle, studying Aviation Technology. Her dream came true when she relocated to California in 1996, after being accepted into the Watson Helicopter School in the city of Pacoima. Kris quickly earned her status as a Certified Flight Instructor in 1998 and began her career in Commercial Aviation over the skies of Los Angeles. Her skills in the cockpit have led to piloting jobs including Emergency Medical Services, Aerial Movie Productions, Executive Charter flights, a stint with Guardian Helicopters in 2006 and 2007 fighting wild fires, and piloting Aerial Broadcast News coverage for local television stations. In fact, Kris broke gender barriers by becoming the first female pilot to fly a news helicopter. Kris joins Angel City Air as part of the only “All-Female” News Helicopter teams in the nation, pairing up with Angel City Air's, Reporter/Photographer, Amelia Earhart. The dynamic Kelley-Earhart duo can be seen on the KCBS-2 morning news show and throughout the day on both KCBS-2 and KCAL-9 news in Los Angeles.

Mark Kono - Pilot
Mark is a home grown Angelino, born and raised in the heart of L.A. Mark began flight training in 1989, and he’s been living his dream ever since. His operational background includes executive charter, aerial photography, production, offshore, ENG, and lifesaving medical flights. His experience has taken him to various parts of the country where he’s flown for several major media outlets in the Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles markets. In 2004, a family was trapped in their vehicle, which was precariously perched on a hillside. Mark and Aerial Photographer Rich Prickett were the first on scene, and were able to guide the Fire Department helicopter to their location where it landed nearby and rescued the grateful family. Whether it’s transporting workers from an offshore oil platform during a hurricane evacuation, moving an organ transplant team to and from a hospital, or shuttling celebrities to special events, Mark brings his diverse experience to the Angel City Air team. Mark holds Commercial, Instrument, and Flight Instructor ratings in helicopters. He balances an active lifestyle with his other passions including photography, hiking in our local mountains and traveling up and down the California coast searching for the perfect wave.

Gary Lineberry - Pilot/Reporter
Gary began his flying career in the US Army in 1964. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam - the last as a Chinook pilot with the First Cavalry Division. After six years in the Army he spent the next six years as a commercial helicopter pilot flying various jobs from Alaska to South America. In 1974, Gary was hired as a helicopter pilot with the Los Angeles County Fire Department where he spent the next twenty six years fighting fires and saving lives. Upon retirement from the fire department in 2000, he entered a new phase in his flying career as a relief pilot/reporter for several television stations in Los Angeles. In 2003, he became a full-time Pilot/Reporter for Angel City Air. In 2006, Gary received an Emmy Award for Team Coverage of the Jet Blue Emergency Landing for CBS. Gary holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating with more than 20,000 hours of pilot-in-command time. In his spare time he is building an experimental airplane in his garage.

Tim Lynn - Pilot/Reporter
Tim is a native Southern Californian, born and raised in the South Bay. After graduating from Gardena High, Tim joined the US Coast Guard where he spent four years aboard ships and rescue boats. After discharge, he began his law enforcement career with the Culver City and Huntington Beach Police Departments. Tim joined the Angel City Air team in 2004 after retiring from 30 years of dedicated Law Enforcement Service. Tim's flying experience began in 1985, working his way up to a CFI-I Airplane rating. Through his flying helicopter service for the HBPD in "HB-1", Tim obtained his CFI-I Helicopter rating. In 2006, Tim went to full-time status with Angel City Air as Pilot/Reporter. The most memorable news stories Tim has covered were the Metrolink Train Crash in Glendale and the Pooch Pursuit of "Taxi" the runway dog at Burbank Airport. Tim and his family make their home in Orange County and enjoy exploring the world of camping.

Jim Woodaman - Pilot
Jim Woodaman began flying in 1983. In 1989, he earned a Commercial Helicopter Endorsement and has been flying professionally since 1993. Jim has flown helicopters for several operators in southern California, flying a variety of missions including fire fighting, charter, aerial photography, utility, and law enforcement.

Jim got his start in news in 1999 flying for KCAL-TV. Over the next few years, Jim flew for several other LA stations including KCBS and KNBC. When Angel City Air received the contract to provide KCBS with aerial coverage, Jim worked on completing the delivery of the company's first news helicopter and was the initial morning pilot in the new Chopper 2 airship.

Jim continues to fly for ACA as a Contract Pilot, flying a variety of missions for the company.