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News Release

APRIL 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 April are:


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.


G Alexander "Sandy" HILL

G Alexander “Sandy” HILL, Master Instructor Emeritus
Longmont  CO
E-mail:   MasterInstrs@aol.com

Alexander Hill, 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.

Sandy is the co-creator and administrator of the Master Instructor program.

He also serves as a national FAASTeam representative and is the communications director for the General Aviation Awards program.


Christopher John "Chris" HOPE

Christopher John “Chris” HOPE, Master CFI
Kansas City  MO
E-mail:   TheHopes-Chris@KC.rr.com

Christopher J Hope, a 3-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.

Chris 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 volunteer Angel Flight pilot and is a FAASTeam Representative in the FAA’s Kansas City FSDO area.


Daniel Max "Dan" KEEN

Daniel Max “Dan” KEEN, Master CFI
Lafayette  IN
E-mail
:   DanielKeen@aol.com

Daniel M Keen, a 7-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.

Dan is an aviation safety inspector (ASI) and safety officer with the FAA’s Indianapolis FSDO where he specializes in aviator practical tests.

He also assists with the FSDO’s FAASTeam activities and is a longtime volunteer in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA).


David Allen KOEHN

David Allen KOEHN, Master CFI & Master Ground Instructor
Tulsa  OK
E-mail:  David@DestinationsEFC.com
, FFAV8@sbcglobal.net

David Koehn, a 5-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI and earned his initial Master Ground Instructor (MGI) accreditation.

David is the co-owner Destinations Executive Flight Center and co-founder of Fast Forward Aviation at Tulsa’s Riverside Airport (RVS).

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


John Urban "Rock" ROCKCASTLE

John Urban “Rock” ROCKCASTLE, Master CFI
Oxford  FL
E-mail:   Rancher@digital.net

John U Rockcastle, a 3-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.

Rock is a simulator instructor with Simcom in Orlando and serves on the production crew at the FAA’s National Resource Center in Lakeland.

An Orlando FAASTeam representative and a recent recipient of the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot award, he was also the 1989 Nat’l CFI of the Year.


Col Charles Arthur "Charlie" SKELTON

Col Charles Arthur “Charlie” SKELTON, Master CFI
Branford  CT
E-mail
RBOCAS@comcast.net

Col Charles A Skelton (USMC, Ret), a 7-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.

Charlie is the chief pilot for CAS Aviation and president of Yale Aviation, a flying club at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN).

Additionally, he is a recent recipient of the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Windsor Locks FSDO area.


Kyle Vincent THOMAS

Kyle Vincent THOMAS, Master CFI
Durant  OK
E-mail
KThomas@SE.edu

Kyle V Thomas, a 4-time Master and a SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.

Kyle is an aviation professor and chief flight instructor with Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s aviation institute at Eaker Field (DUA).

He is also a coach for the university’s NIFA flight team as well as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Oklahoma City FSDO area.


Ludwig Joseph "Lou" WIPOTNIK

Ludwig Joseph “Lou” WIPOTNIK, Master CFI
Mount Prospect  IL
E-mail
Jan.Lou@comcast.net

Lou Wipotnik, an 8-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.

Lou is an independent Chicago-area flight instructor who also teaches with Leading Edge Flying Club at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK).

The 1996 National CFI of the Year, he is also a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s DuPage FSDO area and serves in the CAP’s Illinois Wing.