Master Instructors and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators is honored to announce the Brian Robbins, Southampton, NJ has received his Eleventh accreditation as a Master Instructor. This achievement recognizes his more than twenty years of excellence as an Aviation Educator.
Brian is an ATP rated pilot and has flown 42 types of aircraft including ASEL, ASES and AMEL aircraft since his first Flight in 1982. He holds endorsements for High Performance, Complex and High Altitude Aircraft. Is a Gold Seal CFII, MEI and has been a Master Flight Instructor for the past 22 years. He has been a FAASTeam Lead Representative (Philadelphia) and an Aviation Safety Counselor prior to the FAASTeam being formed. He has flown South to the Bahamas, North to Canada, and to the East Coast from the West Coast in the USA. He enjoys promoting safe flight operations and helping clients learn how to resolve technical issues.
Judy Ann PHELPS, Master CFI Emeritus-Aerobatic, National CFI of the Year 2011, DPE, Owner CP Aviation, Santa Paula CA
In 2008 I relocated to Ventura, CA and soon after had the opportunity to join the team at CP Aviation. Clay and Judy were warm and welcoming and as I write this am still a member of the team. Last Fall Judy was diagnosed with Stage Four Cancer. She faced the challenge with every fiber of her being, was positive and shared her special gift with all of us. She is loved, respected and has left an indelible imprint on everyone who knew her as a friend, an instructor, a successful business owner and Designated Pilot Examiner.
Her extraordinary community of friends hosted a celebration of her life while she was still with us, and a celebration it was! It was such an amazing experience to hear the stories and be part of the love and respect that everyone shared that night at The Flying Spoon.
I have been an aviation educator at CP Aviation, for eighteen years, during which time I have been sitting in the “right seat” watching Judy manage and grow her business, along with Clay, into a very well regarded flight training organization; recognized for its’ commitment to safety and excellence and welcoming to anyone wanting to pursue a passion for flying. Her role as a Designated Pilot Examiner was something that she embraced and allowed her to have an indirect positive impact on all pilots that she had the privilege to evaluate.
Rich Stowell was a mentor for Judy as she embraced the skills required to teach and grow the Emergency Maneuver Training Program at CP Aviation. Rich posted about Judy, that expresses how special she was. “Master Flight Instructor, colleague, friend. She surpassed her mentor and showed the rest of us what it means to be an aviation educator”.
Her commitment to encouraging women, regardless of age, to pursue flying and have fun every step of the way was important to her. Hiring female instructors to make the flight school environment welcoming to women and balancing the energy in and around CP Aviation were actions that are rarely seen at other flight schools. Seeing her every year at AirVenture, volunteering her time with young women at the Girl Venture event was another example of her passion for aviation and making it welcoming and accessible to the next generation of women in aviation. Judy was a proud member of the Ventura County 99’s and they were integral to the celebration of her life.
Judy was the 2011 CFI of the Year, 2010 Western Pacific Region Flight Instructor of the Year, 2008 Professional Woman Pilot of the Year, Southwest Section (Ventura County 99’s). She is a Master Instructor Emeritus-Aerobatic having been recognized as a Master Instructor for more than 20 years. These recognitions are well deserved and recognize that since she jumped in an airplane in 1994, she has been a role model for many and will be missed. Her spirit will always live on at Santa Paula Airport. 🌸🌸🌸
MCFI Master Instructors and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators is honored to announce that Parvez Dara of Toms River, New Jersey has received his Eleventh Accreditation as a Master Instructor, recognizing more than twenty years as an Aviation Educator. Parvez is an ATP, Advanced Ground Instructor, Gold Seal Instructor and M.D./FACP/MBA. He has been recognized by his peers as Philadelphia FSDO CFI of the Year in 2008 and 2017 and is also an FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. He has been recognized continuously since 2004 by the FAA for his Volunteer External Service. He is a former Senior Aviation Medical Examiner and serves on the Boards of two non-profit organizations – the MAPA Safety Foundation, involved in Mooney Aircraft Pilot Recurrent Training and SAFE, an educational organization that serves aviation and the STEM programs nationwide, where he served as a Treasurer. As a Lead FAASTeam Representative, Parvez is a regular seminar presenter and is also a BPPP accredited Certified Flight Instructor.
Master Instructors and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators is pleased to announce that Michael Louis Phillips, a resident of Ventura, California, has received his Tenth Accreditation as a Master Instructor, which recognizes more than twenty years as an Aviation Educator and a commitment to professionalism and excellence. Michael remarks:
“I have had the privilege to be the National Coordinator of the Master Instructor Continuing Education Program since 2021 and during this time I have been amazed by the men and women that receive this accreditation. Their commitment to aviation education is extraordinary as is the commitment that they make to excellence. Each person is an inspiration and a role model for me to grow and improve as an educator and an aviator. I owe a great deal of gratitude to Rich Stowell who has been a role model and mentor. He has given me the opportunity to think outside the box and grow as an educator as we have worked on several initiatives together focused on learning and teaching Aviation Educators.
“I am grateful to Sandy and JoAnn Hill for having the vision to start the MICEP accreditation program in 1997, and their commitment to making it a “Hallmark of excellence” for each Master Instructor. Taking the reins of this program from JoAnn Hill has been a responsibility that is a wonderful challenge, and I try each day to honor the designation of Master Instructor by being a role model for others and making sure that the program continues to be the PhD for professional Aviation Educators.”
Master Instructors and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators is honored to announce that Doug Stewart of South Egremont, Massachusetts has received his Fourteenth Accreditation as a Master Flight Instructor. Doug is among a handful of professional Aviation Educators who has earned the distinction of more than thirty years of excellence in this field. Doug, the 2004 National Instructor of the Year and Instructor Hall of Fame inductee, is a full-time flight instructor focusing on real world IFR training. He has provided more than 13,500 hours of flight instruction and has also served as a DPE for more than 20 years. As a SAFE representative to the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee for 12 years, he has collaborated with others in the industry to help improve GA safety standards. Doug is a well-known Educator nationally with experience as a subject matter expert for Pilot Workshops and Community Aviation, and has presented seminars to thousands of pilots from coast to coast and border to border. When not flying he is often found riding his bicycle.
Master Instructors and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators is honored to announce an extraordinary 15th designation as a Master Instructor to Lonnie Hilkemeier of Boulder, Colorado. This milestone recognizes his excellence as an Aviation Educator for more than thirty years – only among 5 in the world with this achievement. Lonnie shares his story below.
My wife (then girlfriend) purchased my first introductory flight for me. That sparked an interest in aviation that led me to attend Colorado Northwestern Community College for an aviation degree, graduating in 1990. There I quickly gained an appreciation for receiving quality instruction! I focused on becoming a career flight instructor, intentionally seeking out mentors throughout many specialties of industry – aviation, education and others. When I learned of the Master Instructor accreditation program created by Sandy & JoAnn Hill, I was inspired to join this group of aviation educators that saw that quality was much more important than quantity – unfortunately not the “norm” in aviation. I was successful to become the first Master CFI in the State of Colorado in 1998.
To this day, I am still learning from each one of my clients. Several have graced Specialty Flight Training, Inc. (SFTI) by being excellent aviation educators; two have been with SFTI for over 15 years! Many others have become astronaut candidates, military leaders, air traffic controllers, and professional aviators. Integrity, loyalty, hard work and ethics are common denominators of our clients! Yet with all of their laurels, it is so touching when they take the time to reach back out to me to share their “life updates.”
Master Instructors and then Society of Aviation and Flight Educators are pleased to announce that Barbara Filkins of Fillmore, California has received her Second Accreditation as a Master Aviation Educator. Barbara has an interesting path as an Aviation Educator, and she shares it here:
Although my career has not been directly in aviation, aviation has been a theme and influence throughout. I learned to fly while in college, obtaining my private pilot rating through the Bates Aeronautics Program, a program that leveraged aviation to help shape future scientists and engineers as leaders in their field. It was highly successful. Along with a life-long love of aviation, Bates participants gained a strong sense of community (family) and self-confidence that we, as individuals and leaders, can help shape the future. Upon graduation, I moved to upstate New York where I experienced the winter weather as I completed my instrument and commercial pilot ratings. Returning to California in 1978, I became both a CFI and a CFII. I taught for the Bates Program until 2000, giving back to the program that gave me so much.
My aviation involvement then lay dormant, until my husband and I began to build our Velocity V-Twin in 2014. I obtained my multi-engine rating, followed by my MEI and completed the Phase 1 testing on N527VT in 2017. This experience rekindled my love of teaching. Today, I have transitioned into education as my major focus. I am actively flight instructing. I am on the faculty at CAU. I am a FAAST Team rep. And I am researching how automation and autonomy will shape future pilot training.
Master Instructors is honored to announce that Mike “Cuckoo” Kloch is a Three-Time Master CFI – Aerobatic. Mike is a former Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot, combat veteran, and school trained Aviation Safety Officer (Naval Postgraduate School). He is the owner and Chief Flight Instructor at Specialized Aero Works, LLC in Bend, Oregon. Mike teaches UPRT, aerobatics, formation, tailwheel, turbine aircraft, and more. He is a contract test pilot and instructor for Epic Aircraft, Stratos Aircraft, Elite Pilot services, kit builders, and others. He has Production, certification, and R&D flight test experience. Mike is a two-time NAFI Master CFI/CFII/MEI and an FAA Safety Team Representative. He is also a member of Master Instructors Board of Review.
Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University and 2 AAS Aviation degrees from Central Oregon Community College. He is also Commercial and Instrument rated in helicopters with Night Vision Goggles qualifications. Mike is a co-founder and board member for the Upset Prevention and Recovery Training Network (UPRN), whose mission is to identify, promote, and maintain best practices for Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) in General Aviation.
Master Instructors is honored to announce that Matt Johnson of Fairfield Township, Ohio has received his Eighth Accreditation as a Master CFI-Helicopter. Matt is committed to providing first class personalized flight instruction and services. An experienced FAA Gold Seal flight instructor offering real-world training, Matt is an accomplished pilot and instructor. He is also an FAA authorized Designated Pilot Examiner in the Southwest Ohio region. Matt also contributes to Rotorcraft Pro Magazine, where he authors the “Rotorcraft Checkride” Column.
North Dakota teacher named 2025 A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Educator of the Year
DAYTON, OH, March 26, 2025—The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) is proud to announce that Thomas M. Sando, aviation instructor at Williston High School and the Williston Basin CTE Center in Williston, North Dakota, has been selected as this year’s A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Educator of the Year.
Sando has developed a dynamic classroom that includes hands-on projects, field trips to industry-leading facilities, and mentorship that guides students toward careers in aviation. For example, his creation of a rotating module that can be used across schools in the Williston region has expanded aerospace education access, engaging students from multiple school districts. His grant applications have led to many awards, including an $80,000 award from the Robert E. Herman Foundation. He also has organized educational field trips to the University of North Dakota’s aviation program, the Grand Forks air traffic control tower, and the Cirrus Aircraft Factory. Supporting workforce development, Sando has taken students to the Fly-ND Career Expo and worked over 35 hours at the Pilot Proficiency Center at AirVenture Oshkosh.
“Thomas has transformed aerospace education within our community,” writes his nominator and colleague Katie Brew, “sparking a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and aviation careers in students across northwest North Dakota. Thomas’s innovative approach to aerospace education is evident in every aspect of his program.”
Says Sando, “Aerospace education is more than a subject. It is a gateway to curiosity, innovation, and opportunity. Watching my students grow, develop new skills, and pursue their dreams is the most rewarding aspect of my work. I am proud to contribute to shaping the next generation of aviation professionals and to share my passion for this dynamic field with students, colleagues, and the community.” “Thomas Sando exemplifies what it means to be a visionary aerospace educator,” said Aimee Maruyama, President and CEO of the National Aviation Hall of Fame. “His hands-on, community-centered approach to teaching aviation not only opens doors for students in North Dakota but also serves as a national model for engaging young people in STEM and aviation careers. We are proud to recognize his outstanding contributions with the 2025 A. Scott Crossfield Award.”
Sando’s other recent honors and awards include the following: NDCTE Director’s Award of Excellence, presented to the Williston High School Aviation Technology Program by the North Dakota Career and Technical Education Department (2024)Williston 20 Under 40, recognized for contributions to education and community impact (2024) Master Aviation Educator, the only high school aviation instructor with this designation (2024)FAA Safety Team (FAAST) Membership, actively engaged in promoting aviation safety and education (2024)A Distinguished Flight Instructor award from AOPA flight training experience (2025)
