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News Release

MARCH 2012

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 (US Copyright Office registration number TX0006987479).

To help put this achievement in its proper perspective, there are approximately 96,000 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 17 National Flight Instructors of the Year were Master CFIs (see: http://www.GeneralAviationAwards.org/).  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 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.

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!

Questions regarding the Master Instructor Programä may be directed to 303-485-8136 or MasterInstrs@aol.com For more information about the Master Instructor Programä and to locate other Masters, please visit the “Find a Master Instructor” section of www.MasterInstructors.org To learn more about the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), visit http://SafePilots.org/ The International Aerobatic Club (IAC) can be reached through their website at http://IAC.org/

Aviation educators who earned the “Master” title during March are:


Matthew Alan "Matt" WISE

Matthew Alan “Matt” WISE, Master CFI
Tulsa  OK
E-mail:   MWise@TulsaCC.edu


Matthew A Wise, a 3-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.  Matt is the chief flight instructor and director of Tulsa Community College’s Part 141 aviation program at Riverside Airport (RVS).

He also serves on the University Aviation Association’s board and is a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Oklahoma City FSDO area.


Michael Keith LEIGHTON

Michael Keith LEIGHTON, Master CFI
Boynton Beach  FL
E-mail:   MKLeighton@comcast.net


Michael K Leighton, a 3-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.  Michael is the director of operations with Griswold Air Services at Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA) where he specializes in multiengine and turbine transition training.

He is also the owner and operator of Aviation Partners of Boynton Beach.


Harry William KRAEMER

Harry William KRAEMER, Master CFI
Germantown  MD
E-mail:  Harry@Flymall.org


Harry Kraemer, an 8-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.  Harry is the CEO and president of Kraemer Aviation Services, a flight training operation located at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK).

He specializes in class cockpit, turbine, and complex aircraft training as well as aircraft checkouts.


Lonnie Lee HILKEMEIER

Lonnie Lee HILKEMEIER, Master CFI
Boulder  CO
E-mail:   Lonnie@SpecialtyFlight.com


Lonnie L Hilkemeier, an 8-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.  A mentor to new CFIs, Lonnie is the senior flight instructor and president of Specialty Flight Training, a Cessna Pilot Center at Boulder Airport (BDU).

Colorado’s first Master Instructor, he also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Denver FSDO area.


William Jeffrey "Jeff" EDWARDS

William Jeffrey “Jeff” EDWARDS, Master Instructor Emeritus
Chesterfield  MO
E-mail:   VTailJeff@aol.com


Jeffrey Edwards, a 7-time Master and charter SAFE member, was recently granted Master Instructor Emeritus status in recognition of his many years of commitment to excellence, professional growth, service to the aviation community, and quality aviation education.  Jeff is a consulting aircraft accident investigator and president of AvSafe.

He is also the president of the Lancair Owners & Builders Organization and a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s St Louis FSDO area.


David DEMPSEY

David DEMPSEY, Master Instructor Emeritus
New York  NY
E-mail:   DempseyNYC@gmail.com


David Dempsey, a 6-time Master CFI and charter SAFE member, was recently granted Master Instructor Emeritus status in recognition of his many years of commitment to excellence, professional growth, service to the aviation community, and quality aviation education.  David is an independent CFI specializing in glass cockpit transitions at Westchester County (HPN) and Essex County (CDW) airports.

He is also the founder of the New York City-area Master Instructors organization.


Parvez DARA

Parvez DARA, Master CFI
Toms River  NJ
E-mail: ParvezDara@gmail.com


Parvez Dara, a 4-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.  Parvez is a Mooney Pilot Proficiency instructor as well as a board member and past president of the MAPA Safety Foundation.

He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Philadelphia FSDO area.


Philip Terry "Phil" CORBELL

Philip Terry “Phil” CORBELL, Master CFI
Sun City West  AZ
E-mail:
USAPilot@cox.net

Philip T Corbell, a 6-time Master CFI and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.  Phil is an independent Phoenix-area glider instructor who also represents the glider and balloon communities in numerous safety organizations.

He also serves with the AOPA Airport Support Network (ASN) and is a FAASTeam lead representative in the Scottsdale FSDO area.


Dario COSTA

Dario COSTA, Master CFI-Aerobatic
Bologna, Italy
E-mail:  Costa_80@hotmail.it

Dario Costa, a 1st-time Master as well as an IAC and SAFE member, recently earned his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation.  Dario is an aerobatic and instrument flight instructor with Aero Club Milano at Bresso Airport.

He also organizes recreational aerobatic contests and coaches competitors in preparation for aerobatic competitions.


Gary Alan CARTER

Gary Alan CARTER, Master CFI (Initial:  1Mar12)
DeLand  FL
E-mail:  CarterJump@aol.com


Gary Carter, a 1st-time Master and SAFE member, recently earn his Master CFI accreditation.  Gary is a training manager at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and also works with Avia IFR Training Centers at Florida’s Flagler County Airport (XFL).

Additionally, he serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Orlando FSDO area.