First To Earn Title For 2007

The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) takes pride in announcing a significant aviation accomplishment on the part of some very special aviation educators. Recently, they were all accredited as Master Instructors by NAFI, their professional aviation education association.

To help put this achievement in its proper perspective, there are approximately 90,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 500 of them have earned Master accreditation thus far. As a measure of the prestige conferred by this title, the last eleven FAA National Flight Instructors of the Year were Master CFIs. In addition, the FAA has approved the accreditation as an alternate means for CFIs to renew their flight instructor certificates.

The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA that is earned by a candidate through a rigorous process of continuing professional activity and peer review. Much like a flight instructor's certificate, it must be renewed biennially. This process parallels continuing education regimens used by other professionals to enhance their knowledge base while increasing their professionalism. Simply put, the Master Instructor designation is a means by which to identify those outstanding aviation educators, those "Teachers of Flight," who are demonstrating an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service to the aviation community.

Aviation educators who earned the "Master" title during January are:

RENEWALS

Orlando Raimundo Villaverde, Master CFI   
Miami, FL  
E-mail: SkykingVillage@aol.com
Orlando Villaverde recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Orlando is a flight and ground instructor in both airplanes and helicopters at Kendall-Tamiami Airport (TMB). He is also an adjunct professor of aviation at the Miami Dade College School of Aviation and serves as a FAASTeam rep for the Miami FSDO.

Robert Joseph "Bob" Spera, Master CFI  
Wise, VA
E-mail: Liberty@mounet.com
Robert Spera recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Bob owns Liberty Flying Service and is the manager of Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP). He also serves in the Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol as well as the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and is a FAASTeam rep for the FAA's Charleston FSDO.

Charles Arthur "Charlie" Skelton, Master CFI  
Branford, CT
E-mail: RBOCAS@comcast.net
Charles A Skelton recently earned his Master CFI accreditation for the 5th time. Charlie is the president of Yale Aviation, a flying club located at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN). He is also the chief pilot for CAS Aviation and serves as a FAASTeam rep (safety counselor) for the FAA's Windsor Locks FSDO.

James Joseph "Jim" Pitman, Master CFI  
Phoenix, AZ
E-mail: JPitman@pilotmail.us
James J Pitman recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Jim is the chief flight instructor at Westwind School of Aeronautics, a Cessna Pilot Center at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT). He is also a member of the Arizona Flight Training Workgroup and serves as a FAASTeam rep for the Scottsdale FSDO.

Michael Jesse "Mike" Paulson, Master CFI 
Fargo, ND 
E-mail: MPaulson@FargoJet.com
Michael Paulson recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Mike is the manager of Flight Academy of Fargo, a Cessna Pilot Center located at Hector International Airport (FAR). He is also a lecturer at North Dakota State University and serves as a pilot examiner as well as a FAASTeam rep (safety counselor) for the Fargo FSDO.

Daniel Paul "Dan" Mahoney, Master CFI 
Key Colony Beach, FL 
E-mail: DM2953@aol.com
Daniel Mahoney recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Dan is an independent flight instructor at Florida Keys Marathon Airport (MTH) as well as an Airbus A330 check airman for US Airways. He also teaches aviation classes at Everglades University and serves as a FAASTeam rep (safety counselor) for the FAA's Miami FSDO.

Boni Oseisie Calderia, Master CFI  
Brookville, MD
E-mail: BoniCal@gmail.com
Boni Caldeira recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Boni is an independent Cirrus standardized flight instructor in Maryland. He specializes in Cirrus transition and recurrent training.

INITIALS

Eric Michael Francis, Master CFI  
Loveland, OH
E-mail: EFrancis@cinci.rr.com
Eric Francis recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Eric, the 2002 Joe Vorbeck Scholarship recipient, is a flight instructor with Sporty's Academy at Clermont County Airport (I69). He specializes in primary, advanced and multiengine training and is an instructor with the local National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) team.

Christopher Wayne "Chris" Budahn, Master CFI   
Austin, MN
E-mail: CWBudahn@charterinternet.com
Christopher Budahn recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Chris is a fixed and rotary wing flight instructor with Austin Aeroflight (www.AustinAeroflight.com), a full service FBO at Austin Municipal Airport (AUM). He also serves as an air traffic control specialist with the Minnesota Army National Guard.

FMI: www.nafimasters.org/