Goal Is To Provide Beech Owners With Access To Type-Knowledgeable Flight Instructors

The American Bonanza Society and the ABS Air Safety Foundation announce the ABS Flight Instructor Academy. This innovative new program, developed through the generosity of ABS members who have donated to the ABS Air Safety Foundation, is an industry-changing effort to improve all Beech pilots’ performance, confidence and safety. Our goal is nothing less than to assure all Beech Bonanza, Debonair, Baron and Travel Air pilots have access to safe, type-knowledgeable flight instructors for local training as well as in ABS’ popular BPPP Online+Flight and BPPP LIVE programs.

“For thirty years the American Bonanza Society has led the industry with type-specific pilot training through ABS’ Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program,” says Thomas P. Turner, Executive Director of the ABS Air Safety Foundation. “Despite the popularity of BPPP, however, it cannot possibly train the tens of thousands of Beech Bonanza, Debonair, Baron and Travel Air pilots in the U.S. and around the world. In most cases it has not been able to immediately provide the critical initial pilot checkout when a pilot buys or begins flying a Beech piston airplane. ABS created the ABS Flight Instructor Academy to ensure that Beech pilots everywhere have convenient and local access to safe, informed and effective type-specific training, in or out of the BPPP system, and to develop the next generation of BPPP instructors. This is a major effort in support of the mission of the ABS Air Safety Foundation, to protect lives and preserve the Beechcraft fleet.”

The program is targeted to experienced flight instructor wanting to become even better at teaching in Beechcraft Bonanzas, Debonairs, Barons and Travel Airs; those who want to learn how to safely and effectively teach in Beech airplanes, but don't yet have experience in type, and; those who would like to become an instructor in ABS' Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program.

The ABS Flight Instructor Academy teaches certificated flight instructors the techniques and procedures developed by ABS in over three decades of teaching in Beech aircraft. The Academy serves three purposes:

• Educating and standardizing experienced Beechcraft instructors, to acquaint CFIs with the many variations of ABS-type airplane systems and operation, add new instructors to BPPP, and increase the training options available to ABS members.
• Educating and standardizing certificated flight instructors who do not yet have significant type-specific experience, to improve the safety and quality of the Beechcraft instruction they provide and support developing the next generation of BPPP instructors.
• Providing a convenient, low cost and standardized method of renewing BPPP instructor accreditation as a biennial ABS/BPPP instructor requirement.

Tuition for the 19-course online ABS Flight Instructor Academy program is $125.

Instructors who complete the ABS Flight Instructor Academy online program will have their name, business name (as applicable), location and contact information listed on the ABS website. Current and prospective ABS members and Beechcraft pilots will be able to see this referral list when looking for an instructor for transition and recurrent training, flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks. By completing an interview and a check flight with a BPPP Standardization Check Pilot, ABS Flight Instructor Academy graduates may be eligible to become a contract instructor for the Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP). BPPP CFIs are permitted to provide flight training resulting in award of a completion certificate in the BPPP Online+Flight and BPPP LIVE programs.

ABS members get much more convenient access to type-knowledgeable flight instructors. Further, they have the opportunity to help educate a CFI they already use so he or she can teach even better, or be qualified to provide training when the member transitions into another model of Beech airplane.

FMI: www.bonanza.org.