Garrison, N.D., native named University of North Dakota’s Certified Flight Instructor of the Month
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Jackson Rensch, a University of North Dakota graduate and certified flight instructor from Garrison, N.D., was named UND’s Certified Flight Instructor of the Month for November.
A certified flight instructor is a pilot who has been trained in how to teach people how to fly. Flight instructors take students up in an aircraft and do much of their teaching in the cockpit.
As part of the Certified Flight Instructor of the Month selection process, students of the CFIs are invited to submit nominations. “Jackson creates a great environment in the plane,” wrote one student.
“He really tries to learn who you are and how to react to your personal quirks. One time he saw – just by the fact that I was getting quiet – that I was starting to get frustrated. He proceeded to take the controls and told me to take a second to breathe.
“I was able to do that, then take the controls back and perform my maneuver greatly. … He clearly states what he needs me to do and is willing to explain things in as many ways as it takes to help me understand. He thinks about his students and makes sure we have a great experience in the flight course.
“Jackson is an overall great CFI, and I would recommend him to anyone,” the student concluded.
Rensch is a native of Garrison, N.D., and a 2021 graduate of Garrison High School. He graduated from UND in May 2025 with a bachelor of science degree in Commercial Aviation. He holds Certified Flight Instructor and Certified Flight Instructor Instrument ratings.
“At UND, my flight instructors helped me look at my flight training as an exciting challenge, as opposed to seeing it as just a task that I needed to complete for the week,” Rensch said.
“That was a big plus, and it’s an approach I use today when teaching my own students.
“My future plans are to head to PSA Airlines once I complete my R-ATP or Restricted Airline Transport Pilot minimum flight hour requirements. Eventually, I’m hoping to switch over to the training department at a legacy airline in a few years.”
