Join Only About 700 Instructors To Complete Rigorous Course

Ten instructors completed their accreditation by Master Instructors LLC in the month of March. According to the orgainzation, fewer than 700 of the 96,000 registerd CFIs in the country have been so accredited. The last 17 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 and industry 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.

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

Matthew Alan "Matt" Wise, Master CFI, Tulsa OK. A 3-time Master and SAFE member, Matt recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. He is the chief flight instructor and director of Tulsa Community College's Part 141 aviation program at Riverside Airport (RVS). He also serves on the University Aviation Association's board and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Oklahoma City FSDO area. E-mail: MWise@TulsaCC.edu

Michael Keith Leighton, Master CFI, Boynton Beach, FL. A 3-time Master and SAFE member, Michael recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. He is the director of operations with Griswold Air Services at Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA) where he specializes in multiengine and turbine transition training. He is also the owner and operator of Aviation Partners of Boynton Beach. E-mail: MKLeighton@comcast.net

Harry William Kraemer, Master CFI, Germantown, MD. An 8-time Master and SAFE member, Harry recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. He is the CEO and president of Kraemer Aviation Services, a flight training operation located at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK). He specializes in class cockpit, turbine, and complex aircraft training as well as aircraft checkouts. E-mail:  Harry@Flymall.org

Lonnie Lee Hilkemeier, Master CFI, Boulder, CO. An 8-time Master and SAFE member, Lonnie recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. A mentor to new CFIs, Lonnie is the senior flight instructor and president of Specialty Flight Training, a Cessna Pilot Center at Boulder Airport (BDU). Colorado's first Master Instructor, he also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Denver FSDO area. E-mail: Lonnie@SpecialtyFlight.com 

William Jeffrey "Jeff" Edwards, Master Instructor Emeritus Chesterfield, MO. A 7-time Master and charter SAFE member, Jeff was recently granted Master Instructor Emeritus status in recognition of his many years of commitment to excellence, professional growth, service to the aviation community, and quality aviation education. Jeff is a consulting aircraft accident investigator and president of AvSafe. He is also the president of the Lancair Owners & Builders Organization and a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's St Louis FSDO area. E-mail:   VTailJeff@aol.com

David Dempsey, Master Instructor Emeritus, New York, NY. A 6-time Master CFI and charter SAFE member, David was recently granted Master Instructor Emeritus status in recognition of his many years of commitment to excellence, professional growth, service to the aviation community, and quality aviation education. David is an independent CFI specializing in glass cockpit transitions at Westchester County (HPN) and Essex County (CDW) airports. He is also the founder of the New York City-area Master Instructors organization. E-mail: DempseyNYC@gmail.com

Parvez Dara, Master CFI, Toms River, NJ. A 4-time Master and SAFE member, Parvez recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. He is a Mooney Pilot Proficiency instructor as well as a board member and past president of the MAPA Safety Foundation. He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Philadelphia FSDO area. E-mail: ParvezDara@gmail.com

Philip Terry "Phil" Corbell, Master CFI, Sun City West, AZ. A 6-time Master CFI and SAFE member, Phil recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. He is an independent Phoenix-area glider instructor who also represents the glider and balloon communities in numerous safety organizations. He also serves with the AOPA Airport Support Network (ASN) and is a FAASTeam lead representative in the Scottsdale FSDO area. E-mail: USAPilot@cox.net

Dario Costa, Master CFI-Aerobatic Bologna, Italy. A 1st-time Master as well as an IAC and SAFE member, Dario recently earned his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation. He is an aerobatic and instrument flight instructor with Aero Club Milano Bresso Airport. He also organizes recreational aerobatic contests and coaches competitors in preparation for aerobatic competitions. E-mail: Costa_80@hotmail.it

Gary Alan Carter, Master CFI, DeLand, FL. A 1st-time Master and SAFE member, Gary recently earn his Master CFI accreditation. He is a training manager at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and also works with Avia IFR Training Centers at Florida's Flagler County Airport (XFL). Additionally, he serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Orlando FSDO area. E-mail:  CarterJump@aol.com

FMI: www.MasterInstructors.org