"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 92,000 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 13 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.

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

RENEWALS

Albert Atkins, Master CFI       
Maple Valley, WA
E-mail: Atkins3570@yahoo.com
Albert Atkins recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Albert was a Central Washington University professor of aviation as well as the aviation department's assistant chief ground instructor in their Part 141 flight training program. He now works as an aviation safety inspector (ASI) and check pilot with the FAA's Seattle FSDO.

James Brian "Jim" Casper, Master CFI  
Vallejo, CA
E-mail: Ghost_94590@yahoo.com
James B Casper recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Jim is a flight instructor and check pilot with the Concord Flying Club (www.CFC1939.org) at Concord's Buchanan Airport (CCR). He is also an instructor with Professional Instrument Courses and serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Oakland FSDO area.

Darrel LeRoy Dilley, Master CFI 
LaSalle, CO
E-mail: DLDilley@aol.com
Darrel L Dilley recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Darrel is the chief CFI with Blue Sky Flyers Flying Club (www.BlueSkyFlyers.com) at Greeley-Weld County Airport (GXY). A United Airlines instructor pilot, he also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the Denver FSDO area and is a member of NAFI's Professional Standards Committee.

Lonnie Lee Hilkemeier, Master CFI 
Boulder, CO
E-mail: Lonnie@SpecialtyFlight.com
Lonnie L Hilkemeier recently earned his Master CFI accreditation for the 6th time. Lonnie is Specialty Flight Training's president and senior flight instructor specializing in mountain training at Boulder Municipal Airport (BDU). Colorado's first Master CFI in 1998, he also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the Denver FSDO area.

John Hudson Lewis, Master CFI 
Houghton, MI
E-mail: JHLewis@up.net
John H Lewis recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. John co-owns Agate Beach Aviation ( www.AgateBeachAviation.com ) at Houghton County Airport (CMX) where he specializes primary and instrument training. He also serves in the CAP's Michigan Wing and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Grand Rapids FSDO area.

Andrew Marinelli, Master CFI  
Youngstown, OH
E-mail: Biancshi@aol.com
Andrew Marinelli recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Andrew is a flight instructor specializing in primary and advanced training with Crosswind Aviation at North Lima's Youngstown Elser Metro Airport (4G4). He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Cleveland FSDO area.

Shane Larrel Vande Voort, Master CFI 
Pella, IA
E-mail: Shane@FlyClassicAviation.com
Shane Vande Voort recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Shane is the manager of Pella Municipal Airport (PEA) as well as chief flight instructor for Classic Aviation (www.FlyClassicAviation.com). He also serves as a pilot examiner and a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Des Moines FSDO area.

INITIALS

Michael Edwin "Mike" Cassady, Master CFI 
Arlington, TX
E-mail: MCassady@BellHelicopter.textron.com
Michael E Cassady recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Mike is a Bell Helicopter factory flight and ground instructor at their Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW) training facility (www.BellHelicopter.com/en/training). A US Army veteran, he also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Fort Worth FSDO area.

Mark Joseph Dusenbury, Master CFI 
Grand Forks, ND
E-mail: Dusenbur@aero.UND.edu
Mark Dusenbury recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Mark is an aviation department lecturer at the University of North Dakota's John D Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences (www.Avit.UND.edu). He also serves as check airman with the university's Part 141 flight training program at Grand Forks International Airport (GFK).

Charles Edward "Chuck" Martin, Master CFI  
Palmyra, PA
E-mail: Martin_467@msn.com
Charles E Martin recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Chuck is the director of safety for Haverfield Aviation (Haverfield.com) as well as an independent Lancaster area flight instructor. A 32-year Army veteran, he also serves as a pilot examiner and FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Harrisburg FSDO area.

FMI: www.nafimasters.org