Program Approved By FAA As Alternate Means Of Renewing CFI Certificates

Six instructors renewed their Master Instructor designation in the month of February.

Master Instructors LLC said in a news release that all were accredited as Masters by Master Instructors LLC, the international Master Instructor accrediting authority.

Professional aviation educators who earned or renewed their "Master" title during February 2016 are:

James Leighton "Jim" Stover, Master CFI (Renew: 17 Feb 16) Fredericksburg VA
James L Stover, an 8-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.  Jim is the chief CFI and owner of JLS Aviation, a Part 141 flight school at Shannon Airport (EZF), where he specializes in light sport through commercial flight training. A retired US Army infantry officer, he also serves as a representative of AOPA's Airport Surveillance Network (ASN) and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Richmond FSDO area. E-mail:  StoverJL@cox.net
 

Douglas "Doug" Stewart, Master CFI (Renew: 11 Feb 16) South Egremont MA
Douglas Stewart, a 9-time Master and a founding member of SAFE, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Doug was the original executive director of SAFE, the Society of Aviation & Flight Educators  and operates Doug Stewart Flight Instruction at Columbia County Airport (1B1).  He also serves as a pilot examiner and FAASTeam rep in the FAA's Albany / Windsor Locks FSDO area and was named the 2004 Nat'l CFI of the Year. E-mail:  Doug@DSFlight.com

Michael Louis Phillips, Master CFI (Renew: 1 Feb 16) Ventura CA
Michael L Phillips, a 5-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Michael is a flight, ground, and simulator instructor with CP Aviation, a Cessna Pilot Center at Santa Paula Airport (SZP). A Marine Corps veteran, he also serves on the Master Instructor Board of Review as well as the SAFE Board and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Van Nuys FSDO area. E-mail: MCFIMLP@gmail.com
 

Lonnie Lee Hilkemeier, Master CFI (Renew: 20 Feb 16) Boulder CO
Lonnie L Hilkemeier, a 10-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. 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 in 1998, he also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Denver FSDO area. Additionally, he was one of the first aviation educators to earn the Master designation when the accreditation program was first introduced by then-FAA Administrator Barry Valentine at Oshkosh AirVenture 1997. E-mail:  Lonnie@SpecialtyFlight.com

Parvez Dara, Master CFI ( Renew: 22 Feb 16 ) Toms River NJ
Parvez Dara, a 5-time Master and a SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Parvez is a New Jersey aviation medical examiner (AME) as well as a Mooney Pilot Proficiency flight and ground instructor with the Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association Safety Foundation. He also serves on the SAFE Board and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Philadelphia FSDO area. E-mail:  ParvezDara@gmail.com
 

John Jamieson Dahl, Master CFI (Initial: 28 Feb 16) Salina KS
John J Dahl, a 1st-time Master and SAFE member, recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. John is a flight and ground instructor as well as an aviation classroom instructor at Kansas State University's College of Technology and Aviation at Salina Municipal Airport (SLN). He specializes in human factors, mountain flying, and high altitude operations as well as biweekly CFI mentoring meetings while also serving as a Women's Air Race Classic team advisor. E-mail: JDahl@KSU.edu

Many of the most recent National Flight Instructors of the Year or National FAASTeam Representatives 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.

(Images provided by the individual Master Instructors)

FMI: www.MasterInstructors.org