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 July are:
Clifton O’Neal “Cliff” WALTERS, Master CFI
Hamilton MT
E-mail: CW@LostHorizon.us
Clifton O Walters, a 4-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.
A US Air Force veteran, Cliff is a flight and ground instructor with North Star Aviation, a full service FBO at Hamilton’s Ravalli County Airport (6S5).
He specializes in primary, instrument, multiengine, and aerobatic flight training.
Lance Michael VACULIN, Master CFI
Murray UT
E-mail: LVaculin@WestminsterCollege.edu
Lance M Vaculin, a 3-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI accreditation.
Lance is an assistant chief flight instructor, a ground instructor, and director of flight operations with Westminster College at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).
He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Salt Lake FSDO area.
Stephen Frank “Steve” RIETHOF, Master Instructor Emeritus
Englewood NJ
E-mail: Steve@Riethof.net
Stephen F Riethof, a 4-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.
A retired US Air Force veteran, Steve is a vice president and recent inductee into the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey as well as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Teterboro FSDO area.
Susan Kirstein PARSON, Master CFI
Oakton VA
E-mail: Avi8rix@gmail.com
Susan K Parson, a 5-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed her Master CFI accreditation.
Susan is a special assistant to the FAA’s Flight Standards director and editor of FAA Safety Briefing magazine as well as is an independent flight instructor in the Leesburg area.
She also serves with the Civil Air Patrol’s Virginia Wing and is a FAASTeam representative in the Washington FSDO area.
Timothy John “Tim” BRILL, Master CFI-Aerobatic
Reno NV
E-mail: Tim@AerobaticCompany.com
Timothy J Brill, a 1st time Master as well as a member of IAC and SAFE, recently earned his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation.
Tim is the owner of the Aerobatic Company, a flight school specializing in emergency maneuver and aerobatic training at Reno Stead Airport (RTS).
He also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the FAA’s Reno FSDO area.