New Program Serves Aviation Educators
Master Instructors LLC, creators of the nationally recognized
Master Instructor Accreditation Program and the FAA-approved
Master Instructor Continuing Education Program, has launched a new
Master designation to better serve the needs of the nation's
aviation educators with diverse backgrounds.
The Master Aviation Educator (MAE) accreditation was
developed to recognize those individuals who are working as
aviation educators in industry, government, or the private sector
but who do not hold FAA instructor certifications such as a CFI,
BGI, AGI, or IGI. For example, there are many who hold teaching
credentials issued by state or federal agencies, the military, or
industry and who teach aviation related subjects to high school,
technical school, and college students, CAP cadets, simulator
clients, mechanics, IAs, avionics technicians, and others, but who
do not possess any FAA-issued instructor credentials.
The first person to earn the new Master Aviation Educator (MAE)
accreditation is James "Jim" Martone of Gilbert, AZ. Martone is a
senior consultant with Williams Aviation Consultants in Gilbert. A
retired Air Force officer, he is a ground and simulator instructor
with Flight Safety Services handling KC-10 training and is the
managing director of Trinity V1, an aviation and management
consulting firm. He is also a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's
Scottsdale FSDO area.
Master Instructors LLC was motivated to develop its Master
Aviation Educator accreditation in an effort to be inclusive of all
aviation educators rather than focusing exclusively on FAA
certificated flight and ground instructors as well as
industry-accredited aerobatic instructors. This commitment to
inclusiveness has long been a goal of Master Instructor Program
creators Sandy and JoAnn Hill. The concept of inclusiveness is also
consistent with the founding principles of SAFE, the Society of
Aviation & Flight Educators (SafePilots.org), whose members
receive a $20 discount from Master Instructors LLC when applying
for Master designations.
Like the original Master Instructor accreditations dating back
to the mid 1990s, the Master Aviation Educator is an international
accreditation that qualified candidates earn by demonstrating an
ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service
to the aviation community.
Candidates must pass a rigorous
review and evaluation process conducted by a peer review board. The
review process parallels the continuing education regimen used by
other professionals to enhance their knowledge base while
increasing their professionalism. Designees are recognized as
outstanding aviation educators for not only their excellence in
teaching, but for their engagement in the continuous process of
learning -- both their own, and their students'. In addition, the
designation establishes professional standards to which anyone
involved in any facet of aviation education can aspire.
To promote continuous involvement in the aviation community,
designees must remain active aviation educators and must renew
their Master accreditations every 24-calendar months. Unlike
one-time awards for past achievements (i.e., "Teacher of the Year,"
or "FAASTeam Representative of the Year," etc), the Master Aviation
Educator designation acknowledges an individual's continuing
professional growth and involvement in a broad spectrum of aviation
endeavors on an ongoing basis.
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