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 90,000 CFIs in the United States. Fewer than 500 of them have earned the Master accreditation thus far. As a measure of the prestige conferred by this title, the last eleven 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 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.

Through their dedication to excellence, Master Instructors have earned their "black belts" in aviation education.

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

RENEWALS

Steve Thaddeus THIBODAUX, Master GI    
Bellbrook, OH
E-mail: SteveWOW@donet.com
Steve Thibodaux recently renewed his Master Ground Instructor accreditation. Steve is a flight and ground instructor who owns Wings on Wheels (www.Wings-on-Wheels.com) and specializes in ground-based simulator training. He also teaches aviation classes for Sinclair Community College and serves as a safety counselor for the FAA's Cincinnati FSDO.

John Anthony TEIPEN, Master CFI
2005 Nat'l CFI of the Year
University City, MO
E-mail: John@Teipen.com
John Teipen recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. John is chief flight instructor and owner of Aeronautical Proficiency Training. In addition, he is a pilot examiner and safety counselor for the FAA's St Louis FSDO and was the 2005 National CFI of the Year.

John Howard LARSON, Master CFI
Southlake, TX
E-mail: JHLarson@us.ibm.com
John Larson recently renewed his Master Instructor accreditation. John is an Angel Flight command pilot as well as an independent full service flight instructor at Arlington Municipal Airport (GKY). He also does Young Eagles flights and holds Soaring Society of America A, B, C, Bronze and Silver badges.

Harry William KRAEMER, Master CFI & Master GI
Germantown, MD
E-mail: HKraemer@earthlink.net
Harry Kraemer recently renewed his Master CFI and Master Ground Instructor accreditations. Harry is an aviation consultant as well as the aircraft sales manager for Frederick Aviation at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK). He is also an EAA Flight advisor and serves as a safety counselor for the FAA's Baltimore FSDO.

INITIALS

John Anthony TEIPEN, Master GI
2005 Nat'l CFI of the Year
University City, MO
E-mail: John@Teipen.com
John Teipen recently earned his Master Ground Instructor accreditation. John is chief flight instructor and owner of Aeronautical Proficiency Training. In addition, he is a pilot examiner and safety counselor for the FAA's St Louis FSDO and was the 2005 National CFI of the Year.

Terry Lee BARRANS Jr, Master CFI
Renton, WA
E-mail: TJBarrans@aol.com
Terry Barrans recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Terry is the chief flight instructor at Wings Aloft (www.WingsAloft.com), a Part 141 flight school and Cessna Pilot Center on Seattle's Boeing Field (BFI). A graduate of Embry-Riddle Prescott, his specializes in Cirrus and other high performance aircraft training.

FMI: www.nafinet.org