FAA Recognizes Accreditation For Flight Instructor Renewal
Master Instructors LLC and its Board of Review have released the
list of flight instructors who were accredited as Masters by Master
Instructors LLC in November.
Of the approximately 93,000 CFIs in the United States, fewer
than 700 have earned this master accreditation. The last 15
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 and industry 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:
Matthew Emerson "Matt" Blythe of Orange Park FL is a
1st-time Master and SAFE member. Matt is the Part 141 chief flight
instructor and evaluation check pilot with ATP Flight Academy at
Jacksonville's Craig Municipal Airport (KCRG). He also serves as a
FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Orlando / North Florida FSDO
area. E-mail: M.E.Blythe@gmail.com
James Brian "Jim" Casper, Master CFI of Vallejo, CA, is 3-time
Master and SAFE member. Jim is an independent Vallejo-area flight
and ground instructor specializing in instrument and technically
advanced aircraft training at Concord's Buchanan Field Airport
(CCR). He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's
Oakland FSDO area. E-mail: Ghost_94590@yahoo.com
Mark Joseph Dusenbury, Master CFI of Grand Forks, ND, is a
2-time Master. Mark is an instructor, aviation lecturer, and
academic coordinator at the University of North Dakota's John D
Odegard School of
Aerospace Sciences. He also serves as a FAASTeam representative
in the FAA's Fargo FSDO area. E-mail: Dusenbur@Aero.UND.edu
Lonnie Lee Hilkemeier, Master CFI from Boulder, CO, is a 7-time
Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI
accreditation. Colorado's first Master Instructor, Lonnie is the
senior flight instructor and president of Specialty Flight Training, a
Cessna Pilot Center at Boulder Airport (BDU). He also serves as a
FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Denver FSDO area. E-mail: Lonnie@SpecialtyFlight.com
Ivan Hamazasp Manoogian, Master CFI of Phoenix, AZ, is a
1st-time Master and SAFE member. Ivan is an independent glider
flight and ground instructor at Peoria's Pleasant Valley Airport
(P48). He also serves in the Arizona Wing of Civil Air Patrol as a
glider flight instructor and safety officer. E-mail: Sdaghgasdor@yahoo.com
John Clarke "Otter" McNeace, Master CFI-Aerobatic from Phoenix,
AZ, is a 2-time Master and IAC member. Clarke is the director of
training & standards with Aviation Performance Solutions at
Gateway Airport (IWA). Specializing in upset recovery and
aerobatics training, he has also served as a FAASTeam
representative in the Scottsdale FSDO area. E-mail: Clarke.McNeace@APSTraining.com
Brian Lee Robbins, Master CFI & Master GI of Columbus, NJ,
is a 3-time Master and SAFE member. Brian is an independent flight
instructor as well as an instructor in Mercer County Community
College's Part 141 flight program at Trenton Mercer Airport
(TTN). He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's
Philadelphia FSDO area. E-mail: Aeromentor@comcast.net
Shane Larrel Vande Voort, Master CFI of Pella, IA, is a 3-time
Master and SAFE member. Shane is the chief flight instructor as
well as president of Classic Aviation at
Pella Municipal Airport (PEA). He also serves as a pilot examiner
and a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Des Moines FSDO area.
E-mail: Shane@FlyClassicAviation.com
Also: Netherlands Donates 18 F16s, 2 737s Collide On Ramp, E-7 Wedgetail Cut, AgEagle's 100th In S Korea The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act was introduced in the House by Represent>[...]
Pilot Also Reported That Due To A Fuel Leak, The Auxiliary Fuel Tanks Were Not Used On June 4, 2025, at 13:41 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23, N2109P, was substantially damage>[...]
Have A Story That NEEDS To Be Featured On Aero-News? Here’s How To Submit A Story To Our Team Some of the greatest new stories ANN has ever covered have been submitted by our>[...]
From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Reflections on War’s Collective Lessons and Cyclical Nature The exigencies of war ought be colorblind. Inane social-constructs the likes of racis>[...]