Where Passion Meets Education
Building a community of leaders and lifelong learners through a faith-based approach.
Where Passion Meets Education
Building a community of leaders and lifelong learners through a faith-based approach.
Help Us Take Flight
Triphibian Aerospace & Leadership Academy (TALA) serves the community of Eastern North Carolina to conduct formal resident education for all interested and enthusiastic individuals as related to the aerospace industry. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by military aviation veterans with a mission of providing our courses at minimal cost to all life-long learners and with your support and generous donation, that mission will take flight.
Welcome
Triphibian Aerospace & Leadership Academy provides an opportunity to learn from a faith-based approach in a safe environment rich in Christian values, focused on aerospace and leadership knowledge, designed to support young adults in their academic and spiritual growth.
Improve Your Knowledge & Transform Your Future
At Triphibian Aerospace & Leadership Academy,
we are dedicated to providing high-quality courses that prepare our students for success in their careers. Our courses are taught by professionals who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and experience with our learners. TALA is not a full academic institution, but an academy designed to supplement, enhance, and enrich a student's academic portfolio, whether the student attends public, private, or home school.
Our Aircraft Maintenance & Flight Plan
Dedicated to the Profession
The privilege of educating a child in the world of aviation is not to be taken lightly. Every day, aircraft passengers are relying on the training, education, leadership, and professionalism of every pilot and aircraft mechanic. Aerospace educators are tasked with recognizing the individual potential in all students and pushing them to their greatest limits. To excel in the aerospace industry, we provide a laborious curriculum to equip students with the skills and knowledge to be organized, successful, and competitive in the demanding industry of aerospace.
Our Leadership Team
Gabriel Capparuccia
Gabriel Capparuccia
Gabriel Capparuccia
Gabriel is a native of Onslow County and raised in Richlands, NC. He has always had a passion for aviation, which was always supported by his parents. When he was 13 (8th grade), his parents started looking for a way he could start working towards a career in aviation, which was his dream. They found Mr. Bo's class and he became a dedicat
Gabriel is a native of Onslow County and raised in Richlands, NC. He has always had a passion for aviation, which was always supported by his parents. When he was 13 (8th grade), his parents started looking for a way he could start working towards a career in aviation, which was his dream. They found Mr. Bo's class and he became a dedicated member. He took his first flight at Stag Airpark in Burgaw with Mr. Ray Benton in his 1941 Aeronca Champ and at that point, he was hooked. He started flight lessons on his 17th birthday and received his private pilot's certificate his senior year of high school. High school graduation also saw his graduation from Mr. Bo's aviation class as well, bringing an end to five wonderful years as a student of the class. He attended Liberty University to pursue a B.S. in Aviation Management and did the last two years of his degree online which enabled him to come home and volunteer as an assistant instructor and pilot for the aviation class and try to pass his passion for aviation on to more young people. He has a beautiful baby girl, Catalina (named after the airplane) and has just started a career in law enforcement as a deputy sheriff at the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office and his goal is to fly helicopters for SABLE (South Eastern NC Air-Borne Law Enforcement).
Robert "Bo" Pennock
Gabriel Capparuccia
Gabriel Capparuccia
Bo is a retired USMC Captain with 26 years of dedicated and honorable service. While serving in the Marine Corps, Bo attained the enlisted rank of Gunnery Sergeant and then went on to commission as a Warrant Officer and then a Captain. His military aviation experience as an Aircraft Electrical Systems Technician & Helicopter Mechanic incl
Bo is a retired USMC Captain with 26 years of dedicated and honorable service. While serving in the Marine Corps, Bo attained the enlisted rank of Gunnery Sergeant and then went on to commission as a Warrant Officer and then a Captain. His military aviation experience as an Aircraft Electrical Systems Technician & Helicopter Mechanic includes multiple aircraft such as CH53 (A,D, & E), CH46F, UN1N, AH1T, C117, & T28, and S2B. After retiring from military service, Bo went on to a civilian aviation career as a mechanic/avionics technician as well as the Manager of Maintenance Training at Mountain Air Cargo (MAC) located in Kinston, NC. At MAC, Bo worked on multiple aircraft along with instructing, writing curriculum & lesson plans, and managing training schedules for over 100 aircraft mechanics. He is a FAA certified mechanic with an airframe rating, a certified shipper/trainer for shipping dangerous goods, and certified to instruct all systems for the ATR 42/72 and Cessna C208 type aircraft. With his love of aviation and his thirst to pass on his aviation knowledge, Bo began teaching aviation classes to young adults over 20 years ago, which has now become Triphibian Aerospace & Leadership Academy. Bo is TALA's Chief Instructor and without his dedication to God and love for teaching, TALA would not be here today.
Destry Witthaus
Gabriel Capparuccia
Destry Witthaus
Destry is a retired Coast Guard Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Master Chief with over 30 years of honorable and dedicated service. He is a certified FAA A&P mechanic with a Master of Arts in Education (Aviation Education) from Trident University International and is currently serving as an adjunct professor at Craven Community Coll
Destry is a retired Coast Guard Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Master Chief with over 30 years of honorable and dedicated service. He is a certified FAA A&P mechanic with a Master of Arts in Education (Aviation Education) from Trident University International and is currently serving as an adjunct professor at Craven Community College in their Institute of Aeronautical Technology program. His military aircraft maintenance management experience includes directing and supervising AMTs while scheduling, maintaining, and conducting routine maintenance on Dassault Falcon 20 aircraft and Sikorsky helicopters. His military training and education includes creating and managing the extensive data base of technical and occupational questions used on the servie-wide promotion exams for all Coast Guard AMTs. After retiring from military service, he went on to also manage maintenance training at MAC where he was responsible for the daily tracking and scheduling of maintenance training for the Maintenance Department (Part 121, Part 135, & Part 145). He then moved on to a career as a training specialist with the USMC where he was primarily involved in the planning, administration, execution, and evaluation of the Personnel Administration School's program of instruction. Destry is dedicated to learning and education and is now a full-time administrator, instructor, and curriculum developer for TALA.