Group Claims 28 Now on E-Mail List

ANN APRIL 1st "SPECIAL" EDITION: A small but impassioned group of professional flight instructors has organized to fight what it calls an elitist attitude among the directors of SAFE, the Society of Aviation & Flight Educators.

SAFE, which itself was officially incorporated only weeks ago by about 400 members of NAFI, the National Association of Flight Instructors, set out to be a "member-centric" organization with directors elected directly by members. After an organizational meeting in Atlanta in February, SAFE announced committees were working to develop improved programs for professional credentials and continuing education for the flight instruction industry, while ensuring a transparent governance process.

But 28 charter members of SAFE have already expressed disenchantment with the new group, saying that what they really wanted was the chance to be directors themselves. Stu Douggert, spokesman for the group, tells ANN, "We didn't quit NAFI and give up the cool magazine just to bow to yet another board of directors. We will settle for nothing short of full control over our programs."

The group is calling itself TBO-SAFE, which Douggert says stands for "Totally Bummed-Out Skeptics Asking For Everything," and plans an organizational meeting in conjunction with EAA Chapter 614's Annual Fly-In Pancake Breakfast this Saturday at Pineville Municipal Airport (2L0) in Louisiana.

Tom Poberezny, Chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association, says he attempted to act as a mediator, but quickly determined the group was unwilling to wait to have its grievances addressed at SAFE's Spring 2016 board meeting.

FMI: www.tbo-safe.org