"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 June are:

RENEWALS

James Rayvon Williams, Master CFI
Scotts Valley, CA
E-mail: CFII@Straight-and-Level.com
Rayvon Williams recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Rayvon is a flight and ground instructor (www.Straight-and-Level.com) at Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI). He is also WINGS chairman for the Watsonville Pilots Association, an Angel Flight pilot and serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's San Jose FSDO.

David Alan Thompson, Master CFI
Parker, CO
E-mail: David.Thompson@AdamAircraft.com
David Thompson recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. David is the director of pilot training and safety with Adam Aircraft Industries at Centennial Airport (APA). He also serves on the FAA/Industry Training Standards (FITS) National Oversight Committee and specializes in FITS-accepted scenario-based transition training.

Cathleen Moira "Cathy" Steele, Master CFI
Severna Park, MD
E-mail: C.M.Steele@juno.com
Cathleen Steele recently renewed her Master CFI accreditation. Cathy is the chief flight instructor at Chesapeake Proflight (www.LearnToFlyAtBWI.com), a Part 141 flight school at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). She also serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Baltimore FSDO.

Quay Carlton Snyder Jr, Master CFI
Monument, CO
E-mail: QSnyder@AviationMedicine.com
Quay Snyder recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Quay is president of Virtual Flight Surgeons, a company specializing in aeromedical certification for pilots and air traffic controllers. He is also the Black Forest Soaring Society's chief CFI at Kelly Air Park (CO15) as well as a pilot examiner and FAASTeam rep with the FAA's Denver FSDO.

William Henry "Bill" Schroeder, Master CFI
Carson City, NV
E-mail: CheckPilot@thegrid.net
William Schroeder recently earned his Master CFI accreditation for the 5th time. Bill is an independent flight and ground instructor in the Reno-Tahoe area specializing in advanced and mountain training. He also serves in the Civil Air Patrol's Nevada Wing and is a FAASTeam representative with the FAA's Reno FSDO.

Wallace James "Wally" Moran, Master CFI
Wilton, CT
E-mail: WJMoran@optonline.net
Wallace J Moran recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Wally is an aviation consultant and independent Bridgeport (BDR) and Danbury (DXR) flight instructor specializing in glider and tailwheel training. He also serves as a pilot examiner and FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Windsor Locks FSDO.

John Shannon Mahany, Master CFI
Long Beach, CA
E-mail: J.Mahany@charter.net
John Mahany recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. John teaches with Flight Safety International and is an independent flight instructor at the Long Beach Airport (LGB). He is also the president of EAA Chapter 7, a volunteer Angel Flight pilot, and serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Long Beach FSDO.

David William "Dave" Dodson, Master CFI
Granger, IN
E-mail: DW.Dodson@comcast.net
David W Dodson recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Dave is an independent flight and ground instructor in the South Bend (SBN) area and serves in the Indiana Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. He is also a pilot examiner and FAASTeam Representative with the FAA's South Bend FSDO.

Douglas Scott "Doug" Carmody, Master CFI
Beaufort, SC
E-mail: DSCarmody@safepilot.com
Doug Carmody recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Doug owns Executive Flight Training at Beaufort County Airport (73J) where he specializes in advanced instrument instruction for owner pilots. He also serves as an AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer and a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Greensboro FSDO.

Larry Stephen Bothe, Master CFI
Seymour, IN
E-mail: LBothe@comcast.net
Larry Bothe recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Larry is the chief flight instructor with Pardieck Aviation ( www.PardieckAviation.com ) at Freeman Municipal Airport (SER) where he specializes in primary training. He also serves as a pilot examiner as well as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Indianapolis FSDO.

INITIALS

Terry Jay Taylor, Master CFI
Batavia, OH
E-mail: TerryT@cinci.rr.com
Terry J Taylor recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Terry is a flight and ground instructor with Sporty's Academy (www.Sportys.com) at Clermont County Airport (I69). An Air Force veteran and retired Delta Air Lines pilot, he also serves as a Boy Scout aviation merit badge counselor and a Young Eagles pilot for EAA Chapter 174.

FMI: www.nafimasters.org