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 designated Master Instructors by NAFI, their professional aviation organization.

To help put this achievement in its proper perspective, there are approximately 85,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 500 of them have earned the Master designation thus far. As a measure of the prestige conferred by this title, the last ten FAA National Flight Instructors of the Year were Master CFIs. In addition, the FAA has approved the designation 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 education 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. Simply put, the Master Instructor designation is a means by which to identify those outstanding aviation educators, those "Teachers of Flight," who are demonstrating an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service to the aviation community.

Through their dedication to excellence, Master Instructors have earned their "black belts" in aviation education. They truly represent the cr�me de la cr�me of the aviation industry!

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

Renewals

• Harry William KRAEMER, Master GI
  Germantown MD
  E-mail: HKraemer@earthlink.net
  Harry Kraemer recently renewed his Master Ground Instructor designation. Harry is the chief flight and ground instructor as well as president of Kraemer Aviation Services at Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) in Gaithersburg. He also serves as an EAA flight advisor and is a safety counselor for the FAA's Baltimore FSDO. 
• John Shannon MAHANY, Master CFI
  Long Beach CA
  E-mail: J.Mahany@charter.net
  John Mahany recently renewed his Master CFI designation. John teaches with Flight Safety International and is an independent flight instructor at the Long Beach Airport (LGB). He is also an Angel Flight pilot, the president of EAA Chapter 7 and serves as a safety counselor for the FAA's Long Beach FSDO.
• Landon Phillips MARSH, Master CFI 
  Beaverton OR
  E-mail: LandonCFI@netzero.com
  Landon Marsh recently renewed his Master Instructor designation. Landon is the chief flight instructor and owner of Premier Flying (www.PremierFlying.com) at Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO). He specializes in primary, instrument and flight instructor training.
• Walter Jakob "Walt" MERCER, Master CFI 
  Arlington TX
  E-mail: Mercer209@sbcglobal.net
  Walter Mercer recently renewed his Master CFI designation. Walt is the assistant chief flight instructor at SkyMates Professional Flight Training, a Cessna Pilot Center at Arlington Municipal Airport (GKY). He also serves as an Aviation Safety Counselor for the FAA's Fort Worth FSDO.
• Gregory James "Greg" PAVLISH, Master CFI 
  Wichita KS
  E-mail: IRPilotCJ@msn.com
  Gregory Pavlish recently renewed his Master CFI designation. Greg is the manager of Cessna's Air Transportation Department Fleet Operations at Mid-Continent Airport (ICT). He also serves as a safety counselor for the Wichita FSDO and was named the FAA's 2004 Central Region CFI of the Year.
• Quay Carlton SNYDER, Master CFI  
  Monument CO 
  E-mail: QSnyder@AviationMedicine.com
  Quay Snyder recently renewed his Master CFI designation. Quay works with Virtual Flight Surgeons as an aeromedical certification advocate for pilots and air traffic controllers. He is also a glider instructor at Kelly Air Park (CO15) and serves as a pilot examiner as well as a safety counselor with the Denver FSDO.
• Cathleen Moira "Cathy" STEELE, Master CFI
  Severna Park MD
  E-mail: C.M.Steele@juno.com
  Cathleen Steele recently renewed her Master CFI designation. Cathy is the chief flight instructor at Chesapeake Proflight, a Part 141 flight school based at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). She also serves as an Aviation Safety Counselor for the FAA's Baltimore FSDO.
• Wanda Sue STRASSBURG, Master CFI 
  San Luis Obispo CA
  E-mail: DW71050@sbcglobal.net
  Wanda Strassburg recently renewed her Master CFI designation. Wanda is an independent flight and ground instructor at the San Luis County Airport (SBP). She also serves as the safety officer for her local 99s chapter and is a pilot examiner as well as a safety counselor for the FAA's San Jose FSDO.
• Hobart Caleb "Hobie" TOMLINSON, Master CFI 
  Huntington VT
  E-mail: HobieTW@att.net
  Hobie Tomlinson recently renewed his Master CFI designation. Hobie is a check airman, instructor and director of safety for Heritage Flight, a charter company at Burlington International Airport (BTV). He also serves as an EAA flight advisor and is a pilot examiner as well as a safety counselor for Maine's Portland FSDO.
• David Alan "Dave" WHEELER, Master CFI  
  Everett WA
  E-mail: Dave@NorthwestSchoolOfAviation.com
  David Wheeler recently renewed his Master CFI designation. Dave is the owner, operator and chief flight instructor of Northwest School of Aviation at Snohomish County-Paine Field (PAE) in Everett. He also serves as an Aviation Safety Counselor for the FAA's Seattle FSDO.
• INITIALS
• Kenneth Ross "Ken" APPLEMAN, Master CFI 
  Portage MI 
  E-mail: WB8IKJ@arrl.net
  Kenneth Appleman recently earned his Master CFI designation. Ken is a flight instructor with Dodgen Aircraft at Allegan Municipal Airport (35D). He also serves as chairman of the Allegan Area Pilots Association and is an Aviation Safety Counselor for the FAA's Grand Rapids FSDO.
• Michael Gerard "Mike" GAFFNEY, Master CFI  
  Lake St Louis MO
  E-mail: MGaffney@SkylineAero.com
  Michael Gaffney recently earned his Master CFI designation. Mike is the chief flight instructor and president of Skyline Aeronautics, a Cessna Pilot Center and Part 141 flight school at Spirit of St Louis Airport (SUS). He also holds an A&P certificate and serves as a safety counselor for the FAA's St Louis FSDO.
• Aaron Michael GLASSMAN, Master CFI  
  Norfolk VA
  E-mail: PhantomPilot@att.net
  Aaron Glassman recently earned his Master Instructor designation. Aaron is a flight and ground instructors with Curtis Eads Flight School at Hampton Roads Executive Airport (PVG). He also volunteers his Piper Turbo Arrow, his time and his piloting skills to Angel Flight of Virginia.
• Maureen Mary MC GEE, Master CFI 
  Ann Arbor MI 
  E-mail: MMM@aapro.net
  Maureen McGee recently earned her Master Instructor designation. Maureen is a flight and ground instructor with Kitze Aviation at Canton-Mettetal Airport (1D2) in Plymouth. She specializes in primary and instrument training while also serving as an Aviation Safety Counselor for the Detroit FSDO.
• Zachary James "Zach" MC NEILL, Master CFI 
  Jacksonville FL 
  E-mail: N777ZE@comcast.net
  Zachary McNeill recently earned his Master Instructor designation. Zach is a US Navy SH-60B helicopter instructor pilot with HSL-40 in Mayport. He also serves as vice president of the Classic Jet Aircraft Association and is an Aviation Safety Counselor for the FAA's Orlando FSDO.
• Graham James PETERSON, Master CFI 
  Renton WA 
  E-mail: GJP747@yahoo.com
  Graham Peterson recently earned his Master CFI designation. Graham is a simulator and flight instructor at Galvin Flying Service, a Part 141 flight school at Seattle's Boeing Field (BFI). He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota (UND) and served as captain of their national champion NIFA flying team.
• Anson James STATEMA, Master CFI 
  Kennewick WA 
  E-mail: Anson@BergstromAircraft.com
  Anson Statema recently earned his Master Instructor designation. Anson is a staff instructor with Bergstrom Aircraft, a Beech Aero Center at Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in Pasco. He also serves in the Washington Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and is an Aviation Safety Counselor for the FAA's Spokane FSDO.

FMI: www.nafinet.org