'The Best Of The Best'

The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) takes pride in announcing a significant aviation accomplishment on the part of these 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 91,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 600 of them have earned Master accreditation thus far. As a measure of the prestige conferred by this title, the last twelve 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

Terry Lee Claussen, Master CFI    
Phoenix, AZ
E-mail: Terry.Claussen@gmail.com 
Terry Claussen recently earned his Master CFI accreditation for the 5th time. Terry is a flight operations analyst with US Airways as well as an independent glider instructor at Estrella Sailport (E68) and Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD). He also serves as an AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer and is a pilot examiner for the FAA's Scottsdale FSDO.

Thomas Monroe "Tom" Evans, Master CFI 
Tampa, FL
E-mail: TomLindaEvans@TampaBay.rr.com
Thomas M Evans recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Tom is a flight and ground instructor with Atlas Aviation (www.atlasaviationinc.com), a Cessna Pilot Center at Tampa's Peter O Knight Field (TPF). He also serves as president of the Florida Ass'n of Flight Instructors and is a FAASTeam rep for the FAA's North Florida FSDO.

Robert Kloman "Bob" Gawler, Master CFI  
Bethesda, MD
E-mail: TreborAV8@starpower.net
Robert K Gawler recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation for the 5th time. Bob operates Trebor Aviation at Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) in Gaithersburg where he specializes in instrument training. He also serves with the Maryland Wing of the CAP and is a designated pilot examiner (DPE) for the FAA's Baltimore FSDO.

David Randall "Dave" Hensley, Master CFI 
DeLand FL
E-mail: DHensley@RAAjobs.com
David R Hensley recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Dave is the chief flight instructor and director of standardization at Regional Airline Academy (www.raajobs.com) at DeLand Municipal Airport (DED). He also serves in the Civil Air Patrol's Florida Wing and is a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's North Florida FSDO.

Mark Alan "Mordechai" Levin, Master CFI   
Richmond, IL
E-mail: MordechaiLevin@hotmail.com
Mark A Levin recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Mordechai is an independent Chicago-area flight and ground instructor specializing in primary and advanced training. He also serves as an instructor pilot with the Illinois Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and is the executive director of the Masterflight Foundation.

Beverly Jean Runner, Master CFI  
Lakeside, CA
E-mail: HWRunner@earthlink.net
Jean Runner recently renewed her Master CFI accreditation. Jean is an independent flight instructor at El Cajon's Gillespie Field (SEE) and was the founder of Jean's Flight Training. She also serves as a judge for the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Flying Association (PCIFA) and is a FAASTeam rep for the FAA's San Diego FSDO.

James Leighton "Jim" Stover, Master CFI  
Fredericksburg, VA
E-mail: StoverJL@cox.net
James L Stover recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Jim is the chief flight instructor and owner of JLS Aviation (www.jlsaviation.info), a flight school located at Fredericksburg's Shannon Airport (EZF). He also serves in the Civil Air Patrol's Virginia Wing as a mission pilot/check pilot and is director of emergency services.

John Wesley "Jack" Vandeventer, Master CFI  
Zionsville, IN
E-mail: JWVandeventer@hotmail.com
Jack Vandeventer recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Jack is an independent CFI who also instructs with Eagle Flyers (EagleFlyers.net) at Indianapolis Executive Airport (TYQ) where he specializes in tailwheel, instrument, and sport pilot training. He also serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Indianapolis FSDO.

INITIALS

Richard Michael "Rich" Funcheon, Master CFI 
Vero Beach, FL
E-mail: Funcheon@yahoo.com
Richard M Funcheon recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Rich is the director of academics for FlightSafety Academy at Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB). A past NAFI Flight Specialist of the Year, he is also a FAASTeam rep for the FAA's North Florida FSDO and was recently named the FAA's 2008 Southern Region CFI of the Year.

Christopher John "Chris" Hope, Master CFI  
Kansas City, MO
E-mail: TheHopes-Chris@kc.rr.com
Christopher J Hope recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Chris is a volunteer Angel Flight pilot and is the president and chief flight instructor of the Flying Club of Kansas City at Lee's Summit Airport (LXT). A graduate of the Air Force Academy, he specializes in primary and instrument flight training.

Erin Christine Owen, Master CFI  
Branson West, MO
E-mail: Erin@WingsOfTheOzarks.com
Erin Christine Owen recently earned her Master CFI accreditation. Erin is the senior flight instructor with Wings of the Ozarks flight school (www.wingsoftheozarks.com) located at Graham Clark-Taney County Airport (PLK) in Lookout Point. She also serves as a FAASTeam representative with the FAA's Kansas City FSDO.

John Urban "Rock" Rockcastle, Master CFI 
Oxford, FL
E-mail: Rancher@digital.net
John U Rockcastle recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Rock is a flight and ground instructor at SimCom training center in Orlando. The 1989 National Flight Instructor of the Year, he is also a FAASTeam representative and production crew member with the FAA's National Resource Center in Lakeland (LAL). 

Radek Roman Wyrzykowski, Master CFI  
East Providence, RI
E-mail: Radek@HorizonAviation.com
Radek Wyrzykowski recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Radek is the chief flight instructor for Horizon Aviation (www.horizonaviation.com), a Part 141 flight school at Warwick's Providence Airport (PVD). He also serves as an Angel Flight pilot and a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Windsor Locks FSDO.

FMI: www.nafimasters.org