'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 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.

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

RENEWALS

Ronald Lee "Ron" Galbraith, Master CFI & Master GI         
Odenton, MD
E-mail: CFI@Instructor.net
Ronald L Galbraith recently renewed his Master CFI and Master Ground Instructor accreditations. A retired air traffic controller, Ron works with BAE Systems as an air traffic control specialist at FAA headquarters. He is also an independent flight instructor with Lancair Aircraft and has served as a FAASTeam rep with the FAA's Denver FSDO area.

Claire Eugenia "Geni" Grant, Master CFI  
Bay City, MI
E-mail: FlyInstr1@chartermi.net
Claire E Grant recently earned her Master CFI accreditation for the 5h time. Geni is the chief flight instructor and director of aviation flight technology at Bay City's Delta College. She is also an independent CFI at Saginaw's H. W. Browne Airport (HYX) and serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Detroit FSDO area.

Jeanne Elizabeth MacPherson, Master CFI  
Helena, MT
E-mail: JEMacPherson@MT.gov
Jeanne E MacPherson recently renewed her Master CFI accreditation. Jeanne is an independent flight and ground instructor as well as the bureau chief and chief pilot for the Montana Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. She also serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Helena FSDO area.

Joseph DeLeon "Joe" Suarez, Master CFI  
Dubuque, IA
E-mail: JSuarez@DBQ.edu
Joseph D Suarez recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Joe an assistant chief flight instructor and chief ground instructor with the University of Dubuque's Part 141 aviation program at Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ). He also serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's DesMoines FSDO area.

John Anthony Teipen, Master CFI & Master GI  
University City, MO
E-mail: John@Teipen.com
John A Teipen recently renewed his Master CFI and Master Ground Instructor accreditations. John owns Aeronautical Proficiency Training (www.AVTrain.net) and is a pilot examiner as well as a FAASTeam representative with the FAA's Saint Louis FSDO area. He was also recently named the 2008 National FAASTeam Representative of the Year.

INITIALS

Theodore Logan "Ted" Sanders, Master CFI   
South Chicago Heights, IL
E-mail: TLSanders48@yahoo.com
Theodore L Sanders recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Ted is an independent flight and ground instructor who also teaches with Associated Air Activities (www.AssociatedAir.com) at Lansing Municipal Airport (IGQ). A Marine Corps veteran, he also serves as vice president of EAA Chapter 260.

David Alan "Dave" Simpson, Master CFI  
San Diego, CA
E-mail: Dave@TakeFlightSanDiego.com
David A Simpson recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Dave recently relocated from Philadelphia to San Diego where he will be the operations officer for Plus One Flyers (www.PlusOneFlyers.org) at Gillespie Field (SEE). He has also served as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Philadelphia FSDO area.

FMI: www.nafimasters.org