"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 91,000 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 13 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.

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

RENEWALS

Lee Armour Wedlake, Master CFI 
Fort Myers, FL
E-mail: LeeWedlake@comcast.net
Lee A Wedlake recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Lee is an independent flight and ground instructor working primarily at Punta Gorda's Charlotte County Airport (PGD). He is also serves as a check pilot with the Civil Air Patrol's Florida Wing and is a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Orlando FSDO.

Clifton O'Neal "Cliff" Walters, Master CFI 
Hamilton, MT
E-mail: CW@LostHorizon.us
Cliff Walters recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Cliff is a ground instructor and chief flight instructor with North Star Aviation (www.NorthStarAviation.net), a full service FBO at Hamilton's Ravalli County Airport (6S5). He specializes in primary, instrument, multiengine, and ground training.

Vicki Lynn Sherman, Master CFI
DeLand, FL
E-mail: AeroSupplies@msn.com
Vicki Lynn Sherman recently renewed her Master CFI accreditation. Vicki is a flight and ground instructor with Falcon Flight (www.FalconFlightSanford.com), a Cessna Pilot Center at Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB). She also serves with the Florida Aviation Safety Foundation and is a FAASTeam rep for the FAA's Orlando FSDO.

Susan Kirstein Parson, Master CFI & Master GI 
Oakton, VA
E-mail: Avi8rix@hotmail.com
Susan Parson recently renewed her Master CFI and Master Ground Instructor accreditations. A 2007 recipient of NATA's Excellence in Pilot Training award, Susan is an independent flight and ground instructor in northeastern Virginia. She also serves with the CAP's Virginia Wing and is a FAASTeam representative with the Washington FSDO.

Gregory Stephen "Greg" Collins, Master CFI
Hendersonville, NC
E-mail: SmokiesCFI@att.net
Gregory S Collins recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Greg is a flight and ground instructor with Aerolina, a full-service FBO at Hendersonville Airport (0A7). Additionally, he owns and operates Blue Ridge Sport Flight (www.BlueRidgeSportFlight.com) and serves as a FAASTeam representative with the FAA's Charlotte FSDO.

Richard Michael "Mike" Coligny, Master CFI 
Prescott, AZ
E-mail: Mike@AeroSimulators.com
Mike Coligny recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation. Mike is an independent flight and ground instructor as well as CEO of AeroSimulators USA in Prescott (PRC). In addition, he serves on the Helicopter Association International's Flight Training Committee as well as the FAA/Industry Joint Steering Committee.

Michael Cheever Church, Master CFI & Master CFI-Aerobatic
Santa Ana, CA
E-mail: MC@SunriseAviation.com
Michael Church recently renewed his Master CFI and Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditations. Michael is the chief CFI and president of Sunrise Aviation (SunriseAviation.com) at Orange County Airport (SNA). He is also president of the Western Pacific Aviation Safety Foundation and was named the Nat'l Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year in 2005.

Gregory Neal "Greg" BROWN, Master CFI
Flagstaff, AZ
Gregory N Brown recently earned his Master CFI accreditation for the 7th time. Greg is an independent Flagstaff-area flight instructor, lecturer, and author who writes for numerous aviation publications including AOPA's Flight Training Magazine. The 2000 Nat'l CFI of the Year, he was the first aviation educator to earn Master Instructor accreditation.

INITIALS

Brady Anthony Valliere, Master CFI
Nashua, NH
E-mail: Valliere_Brady@DWC.edu
Brady A Valliere recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Brady is a flight and ground instructor as well as an instrument check airman in the aviation program at Daniel Webster College. He specializes in primary and advanced training at Boire Field (ASH) where the college's aviation and flight training center is located.

Lance Michael Vaculin, Master CFI
Murray, UT
E-mail: LVaculin@WestminsterCollege.edu
Lance Vaculin recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Lance is an assistant chief flight instructor and program safety manager with Westminster College, a Part 141 collegiate flight school at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). He specializes in instrument and multiengine flight training as well as ground instruction.

Gerald Allan "Gerry" Parker, Master CFI
Houston, TX
E-mail: GParker@pmkc.com
Gerald A Parker recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Gerry is an independent Houston-area flight instructor as well as a flight and ground instructor with the Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program (www.BPPP.org). He also serves as a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Houston FSDO.

Mark Edward Madden, Master CFI
Anchorage, AK
E-mail: AKCFI@Alaska.net
Mark E Madden recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Mark is a University of Alaska Anchorage associate professor of aviation technology at Merrill Field (PAMR). He is also serves on the board of directors of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and is a FAASTeam representative for the FAA's Anchorage FSDO.

Jonathan James "JJ" Greenway, Master CFI & Master GI
Frederick, MD
E-mail: Jonathan.Greenway@AOPA.org
Jonathan J Greenway recently earned his Master CFI and Master Ground Instructor accreditations. JJ is the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's chief flight instructor and airman certification representative. Additionally, he serves as co-chair of the FAA General Aviation Joint Steering Committee's Personal Aviation Subgroup and is vice chair of Frederick's airport commission.

Garrett Leonard Dernoga, Master CFI
Georgetown, DE
E-mail: Garrett@DelMarVa-Aviation.com
Garrett Dernoga recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Garrett is a flight and ground instructor as well as the owner of Delmarva Aviation (www.DelMarVa-Aviation.com), a flight school and Cessna Pilot Center at Georgetown's Sussex County Airport (GED). He also served as president of the Tipton Airport (FME) Pilots Association.

Lamar Anthony Childs, Master CFI
Pensacola, FL
E-mail: LAChilds@cox.net
Lamar A Childs recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Lamar is the lead flight instructor with Skywarrior Flight Training (www.SkywarriorInc.com) where he specializes in Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard introductory flight screening at Bay Minette Municipal Airport (1R8). He is also an instructor with the Pensacola Navy Flying Club.

Patrick Theron Carter, Master CFI-Aerobatic
Bartlesville, OK
E-mail: PatrickTCarter@lycos.com
Patrick T Carter recently earned his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation. Patrick is an aerobatic flight instructor as well as the owner of AcroFlights (www.AcroFlights.com) where he specializes in unusual attitude training. The holder A & P mechanic certification, he is also an aerobatic competitor and airshow performer.

Allen Banen, Master CFI
Fountain Hills AZ
E-mail: BaronInstructor@aol.com
Allen Banen recently earned his Master CFI accreditation. Al is an independent Phoenix-area flight instructor as well as a flight and ground instructor with the Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program (www.BPPP.org). He specializes in instrument and recurrency training in Beechcraft Bonanzas, Barons, and Dukes.

James Lee "Jim" Alsip, Master CFI-Aerobatic
Indiantown, FL
E-mail: JAlsip@yahoo.com
James L Alsip recently earned his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation. Jim owns and operates Dylan Aviation (www.DylanAviation.com), an aerobatic flight school at Indiantown Airport (X58) about 30 miles northwest of Palm Beach. He specializes in spin and upset recovery training, tailwheel endorsements, and basic aerobatic training.

FMI: www.nafimasters.org