National Accreditation Recognized By The FAA

Master Instructors LLC and its Board of Review take pride in announcing a significant aviation accomplishment on the part of these very special aviation educators.  Recently, they were all accredited as Masters by Master Instructors LLC, the international Master Instructor accrediting authority.

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. 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.
  
To help put this achievement in its proper perspective, there are approximately 93,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 700 of them have earned Master accreditation thus far. As a measure of the prestige conferred by this title, the last 14 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.

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

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

John Wesley "Jack" Vandeventer, Master CFI, Zionsville, IN
E-mail:   JWVandeventer@hotmail.com, Jack@MasterInstruction.com
John is a 3-time Master and a SAFE member. He is an independent CFI who also instructs with Eagle Flyers at Indianapolis Executive Airport (TYQ) where he specializes in primary, instrument, and tailwheel training.  Additionally, he serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Indianapolis FSDO area.

James Leighton "Jim" Stover, Master CFI, Fredericksburg,VA
E-mail:   StoverJL@cox.net
James is a 5-time Master and SAFE member. He is the chief flight instructor and owner of JLS Aviation (www.JLSAviation.info), a Part 141 flight school at Shannon Airport (EZF) where he specializes in primary and instrument flight training.  He also serves in the Virgina Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

Eric Joseph Shappee, Master CFI, Salina, KS
E-mail:   Wjfpmd@ksu.edu
Eric is a 5-time Master and SAFE member. He specializes in glider tow training and unmanned aerial vehicle systems at KSU's aviation facility ( www.Salina.K-State.edu/Aviation ) at Salina Municipal Airport (SLN).    He also serves in the CAP's Kansas Wing and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Wichita FSDO area.

Beverly Jean Runner, Master CFI, Lakeside, CA
E-mail:   HWRunner@earthlink.net
Jean, a 4-time Master and SAFE member, is an independent flight instructor at El Cajon's Gillespie Field (SEE).  She also serves as a judge for the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Flying Association (PCIFA), a coach and evaluator for SDCC aviation students, and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's San Diego FSDO area. 

Michael Louis Phillips, Master CFI, Ventura, CA
E-mail:   Michael_Phillips@roadrunner.com,
Michael us a 2-time Master and SAFE member. He is an aviation educator with CP Aviation ( www.CPAviation.com ), a Cessna Pilot Center at Santa Paula Airport (SZP).  He also serves as the SAFE membership committee co-chair and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA's Van Nuys FSDO area.

Michael Keith Leighton, Master CFI, Boynton Beach, FL
E-mail:   MKLeighton@comcast.net
A 2-time Master and SAFE member, Michael is a noted aviation author and an independent flight instructor at Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA) specializing in tailwheel, instrument, and multiengine training.  He is also the manager of Aviation Partners of Boynton Beach.

Gregory Brian "Greg" Koontz, Master CFI-Aerobatic, Ashville, AL
E-mail:   Greg@GKAirshows.com
Greg is a member of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC). He is a flight instructor and airshow performer who operates Greg Koontz Airshows ( www.GKAirshows.com ) at Ashville's Dugger's Field Airport (AL60).  He also serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Birmingham FSDO.

Christopher John "Chris" Hope, Master CFI, Kansas City, MO
E-mail:   TheHopes-Chris@KC.rr.com
Christopher, a 2-time Master and a SAFE member, is an independent flight instructor (ChrisHopeFAAFlightInstructor.com) specializing in primary and instrument training at Lee's Summit (LXT) and Johnson County Executive (OJC) airports.  He also serves as a FAASTeam Representative in the FAA's Kansas City FSDO area.

Robert Kloman "Bob" Gawler, Master CFI, Bethesda, MD
E-mail:   TreborAV8@starpower.net,
Robert, a 6-time Master and SAFE member, is an independent flight instructor as well as a designated pilot examiner (DPE) at Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) in Gaithersburg.  He also works with the Civil Air Patrol and serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Baltimore FSDO area.

Thomas Monroe "Tom" Evans, Master CFI, Tampa, FL
E-mail:   WorldwideOptical@att.net
Thomas is a 5-time Master and SAFE member. He is a flight and ground instructor with Atlas Aviation ( www.AtlasAviationInc.com ), a Cessna Pilot Center at Tampa's Peter O Knight Field (TPF).  He also serves as president of the Florida Association of Flight Instructors and is a FAASTeam rep in the FAA's North Florida FSDO area. 

Terry Lee Claussen, Master CFI, Phoenix, AZ
E-mail:  Terry.Claussen@gmail.com
Terry, a 6-time Master and SAFE member, is a B-757 crew training instructor for US Airways as well as a glider and powered aircraft instructor at Maricopa's Estrella Sailport (http://www.AZSoaring.com/).  He also serves as a pilot examiner (DPE) in the FAA's Scottsdale FSDO area.

Melvin Gerald "Mel" Burkart, Master CFI, Saint Louis, MO
E-mail:  MBurkart@earthlink.net
Melvin, a 3-time Master, is an independent fixed-wing and glider instructor, an aviation professor emeritus at Parks College, and a recipient of the FAA's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.  He also serves as a FAASTeam Representative in the FAA's Saint Louis FSDO area.

FMI: http://SafePilots.US/