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 90,000 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 twelve 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. 

The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA 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. 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.  

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

RENEWALS

David Alan "Dave" Wheeler, Master CFI          
Everett, WA
E-mail: Dave@NorthwestSchoolOfAviation.com
David Wheeler recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Dave is the chief flight instructor and owner of the Northwest School of Aviation (www.NorthwestSchoolOfAviation.com) at Everett's Snohomish County Airport (PAE). He is also active in the Washington Pilots Association and is a FAASTeam rep for the FAA's Seattle FSDO.

Phillip Jeffrey "Phil" Poyner, Master CFI  
Nashua, NH
E-mail: Poynor@dwc.edu
Phillip Poynor recently earned his Master CFI accreditation for the 6th time. Phil is a professor of aviation at Nashua's Daniel Webster College (ASH) and serves as chairman of the National Association of Flight Instructors. The 2001 Nat'l CFI of the Year, he is also a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Portland FSDO.

John Robert Morrow, Master CFI  
Lake Katrine, NY
E-mail: MasterCFI@yahoo.com
John Morrow recently earned his Master CFI accreditation for the 5th time. John is an independent flight instructor with the Hudson Valley Flying Club at Kingston-Ulster Airport (20N). He also moderates an Aeronca owners website and serves as an EAA flight advisor as well as president of EAA's Chapter 1359.

John Mark "Jack" MC Goldrick, Master CFI  
Seattle, WA
E-mail: Jack@McGoldrick.com
Jack McGoldrick recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Jack is a flight instructor specializing in instrument and high performance training with Galvin Flying Service at Seattle's Boeing Field (BFI). He was instrumental in creating an aviation student loan program with Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union for Galvin students.

Landon Phillips Marsh, Master CFI  
Portrland, OR
E-mail: LandonCFI@gmail.com
Landon Marsh recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Landon is an independent flight and ground instructor specializing in primary and instrument training at Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO). He also works with the Centers for Airway Science teaching aviation related subjects to children.

Harold Frederick "Harry" Leicher, Master CFI  
Whittier, CA
E-mail: ItllClear@aol.com
Harry Leicher recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Harry is an independent flight and ground instructor at the Long Beach Airport (LGB) specializing primary, instrument and multiengine training. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Long Beach City College and is director emeritus of the US Parachute Association.

Paul Gretschel, Master CFI  
Coram, NY
E-mail: PaulCFI@aol.com
Paul Gretschel recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Paul is an independent flight instructor working primarily at Islip's MacArthur Airport (ISP) and Farmingdale's Republic Airport (FRG). He also serves with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP) and is a FAASTeam representative.

Thomas Michael "Mike" Garrison, Master CFI   
Leawood, KS
E-mail: MGarrison8@sbcglobal.net
Michael Garrison recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Mike is a flight instructor with the Crown Flying Club at New Century Aircenter (IXD) and Air Associates, a Cessna Pilot Center at Johnson County Executive Airport (OJC). He also serves as a designated pilot examiner for the FAA's Kansas City FSDO.

Gordon Ashby Ewald, Master CFI  
Hardy, VA
E-mail: GAEwald@earthlink.net
Gordon Ewald recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Gordon is an independent flight and ground instructor at Roanoke Regional Airport (ROA). He also instructs in the USAF Initial Flight Training Program, is a volunteer Angel Flight pilot and is the senior instructor at LC's Flying Service.

INITIALS

Paul Edward Jurgens II, Master GI  
Williamsburg, OH
E-mail: PJurgens@Sportys.com
Paul Jurgens recently earned his Master Ground Instructor accreditation. Paul is the vice president of publishing for Sporty's Pilot Shop specializing in product development. In addition, he is the chief flight instructor for glider and multiengine training for Sporty's Academy and Eastern Cincinnati Aviation at Clermont County Airport (I69).

Justin Isaac Englehardt, Master CFI   
Erlanger, KY
E-mail: Justin_Engelhardt@yahoo.com
Justin Engelhardt recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Justin is a flight instructor with Sporty's Academy (www.Sportys.com) at Clermont County Airport (I69). He also instructs in the University of Cincinnati professional pilot program and is head coach of the university's precision flight team.

FMI: www.nafimasters.org