"As CFIs we obviously need to do better with flight test preparation," said SAFE Communications Director Kevin D Murphy. "Every CFI needs to double-check their applicant preparation. Today's SAFEblog has more on this issue, and SAFE Toolkit App has a checklist that recommending CFIs can use to make sure their students are ready. The SAFE app is available free from SAFE for both Apple and Android phones and tablets."

Also, check SAFE CFI NOTAMS to stay current on common problems with applicant qualification.

Of the recommendations made by the DPE Reforms Working Group in 2021 to improve the DPE system, the FAA has implemented two, accepted five, partially accepted another five and rejected two. The FAA's responses are here.

The FAA said improvements are underway to help CFIs and applicants find a DPE. A related recommendation for standardized tools to enhance DPE efficiency and accuracy, and to solicit feedback directly from DPEs, met with FAA approval.

Catherine Cavagnaro and Ron Timmermans, both SAFE members and Master Instructors, have been named to the National Flight Instructor Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes significant contributions to aviation education and flight instruction and highlights the role CFIs play as the foundation for safety of the entire air transportation system. Their induction will take place during this year’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.

Cavagnaro, protege of famed aviation educator Bill Kershner, is an expert on spins and aerobatics and holds ATP and CFI-IA certificates. She instructs at Ace Aerobatic School in Sewanee TN and writes the “Flying Smart” column for AOPA Pilot magazine. She is also a DPE and FAA lead safety representative for the Nashville FSDO.

Timmermans, an ATP, CFI-IA, AGI, IGI and remote pilot has been an independent CFI since 1998. He owns and manages AileRon T, LLC, and he flies a Beechcraft Bonanza. He serves as FAASTeam lead representative for both the Orlando and North Texas FSDOs.

EZ-WINGS is a new "progressive" web app that makes it easy for CFIs and DPEs to apply credit for pilots enrolled in a WINGS activity. You can find it direct here or also on the SAFE Toolkit.

Toolkit is a SAFE-built app created by DPEs specifically for active CFIs. It contains answers to virtually every question a CFI can face, including full text FARs, AIM, FAA letters of interpretation, official "FAA guidance," accurate 61.65 endorsements, FAA experience requirements for all certificates, plus up to date FAA ACS knowledge test codes. SAFE is making Toolkit available free to all CFIs. This should help with the estimated 1/5 "unqualified candidates" DPEs are experiencing.

"Be a pro and commit to excellence with this resource," said SAFE Executive Director David St George. "If you enable notifications on Toolkit, you'll get regular updates for the SAFE blog and free articles all in one place, in addition to Checkride Ready!™, the guide to help flight test applicants avoid common checkride mistakes." The app is available free from SAFE for both Apple and Android phones and tablets.

SAFE sponsor Redbird Flight demoed what some call "the future of flight training simulation" at AirVenture this year. The virtual simulator marries the company's popular RedBird TD desktop simulator with a mixed-reality headset for a more realistic and immersive flying experience.

AIN journalist Matt Thurber says that the setup consists of a Redbird desktop sim, a Varjo mixed-reality headset and an image generation system developed by Quantum 3D. Cameras mounted on the headset portray a portion of the user's physical world, such as the aircraft panel, so the pilot can see his or her own hands moving the yoke, twisting a knob or pushing a button. Thurber calls it "a far more realistic VR experience and better positive transfer in the training environment."

Several established simulator companies are working on similar mixed-reality systems, but all are projected to cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, versus the promised Redbird price in the tens of thousands of dollars.

On July 11, 2020, a CFI in Lutz FL told the student to perform a short field takeoff. Referring to the crowd at the airport café, the instructor said, “let’s show them what aviation is all about.”

As the student began to pitch for a best climb, he felt the airplane struggling to fly, then noticed the CFI pulling back on the stick without the usual 'I have the controls' exchange.

The airplane then veered to the left, the flight instructor pitched the nose down, and the airplane struck a berm off the left side of the runway before it “cartwheeled” twice and came to rest. The full NTSB report (downloads as a PDF) blames the crash on the CFI's failure to maintain control of the airplane following an unannounced transfer of flight control during takeoff.

An industrywide flight instructor summit is planned for October, although the date, time and place are yet to be determined by sponsor NAFI.

The planned meeting will allow current and prospective CFIs, aviation leaders, industry advocates, and government representatives to share best practices, relevant business skills, instructional techniques, and networking opportunities. There will be keynote speakers addressing the vital role of flight instructors, with an emphasis on continuous improvement on safety and customer service.

The latest FAA Safety Briefing magazine is now available online, just in time to explain the work of FAA employees at air shows. If you flew to AirVenture 2022, you no doubt admired the OSH tower crew that kept traffic flowing smoothly but there's more to the FAA story. Here's what other FAA workers do at airshows around the country.

Among the top articles in the July/August issue are:

One of the most oft-asked questions by new CFIs is, "what if I get sued for bad instruction?" A prominent aviation attorney helped answer that in a post last month in the SAFE Faculty Lounge on Facebook. (The SAFE Faculty Lounge on Facebook is limited to SAFE members).

Dennis Haber relates the case of a 2018 Cirrus crash in Pennsylvania that killed both the pilot and passenger. The rider's widow sued, of course, alleging the pilot's CFI had failed to instruct him properly.

The outcome of the trial - and a subsequent appeal - may make you feel better. Or it may not. A more complete account of the decision in Grady v. Aero-Tech Services is here.

The AOPA Foundation has awarded more than 130 flight training scholarships totaling nearly $1.2 million. The scholarships will help high school students and teachers, aspiring pilots, pilots seeking advanced ratings, and those pursuing aviation maintenance or other aerospace careers to reach their goals. The 2022 awards include the largest group of recipients and the most scholarship funds distributed to date.

A 30+ year veteran of commercial aviation - Captain Jenny Beatty - has launched a blog with advice and counsel for SAFE members and others who wonder about life as an airline pilot. For those who want to fly professionally but value being home every night, she says, ""Our industry desperately needs dedicated, professional flight instructors."

Captain Beatty has flown for major airlines through the economic rollercoasters of Gulf War I, 9/11, the SARS global pandemic, Gulf War II, the advent of the internet and virtual meetings, and the COVID-19 global pandemic. "Here's what I know for sure," she writes. "US airlines are sensitive to the economy, passenger carriers more so than cargo airlines; the pilot shortage is real; airlines have increased pay substantially and college degrees are no longer mandatory." She noted that the most junior pilot at her airline moved up an astonishing 1,325 seniority numbers in just the past year.

Her professional pilot blog offers advice and resources for airline-bound CFIs, including:

The long-established General Aviation Joint Steering Committee - charged with helping the FAA reduce the GA accident rate by providing industry input to rulemaking - has changed its name. The word 'safety' now replaces 'steering'.

"The word 'safety' better describes the work of this government/industry group," said Kevin D Murphy, SAFE Communications director. "It produces a variety of in-depth safety enhancement reports to help owners and operators increase safety."

These GA-related companies support SAFE and its mission to improve professionalism in aviation education. Please patronize them when choosing a product or service. Click on the logo to go to that company's web site.

Judy Phelps, the 2011 National Flight Instructor of the Year, has been designated a Master Instructor-Aerobatic for the 8th time.

Judy learned to fly at Santa Paula Airport 28 years ago, and in 2001 learned flying tailwheel and aerobatics with MCFI-A Rich Stowell. She became a CFI and now teaches Tailwheel, Spins, Emergency Maneuver Training (EMT) and Basic Aerobatics at Santa Paula.

She is a charter SAFE member and an active member of the 99s. She has logged over 11,500 hours and recently became an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner.

Dave Simpson of Escondido, California has renewed his Master CFI designation for the eighth time.

He will also become an Emeritus Master, a recognition reserved for Master Instructors who have at least 12 years of MCFI accreditation but are stepping back. Emeritus status recognizes an MCFI's commitment to excellence and professionalism as an aviation educator.

Dave learned to fly in 1994 and has about 8,000 hours, three quarters of those hours as a CFI. He has been a CFI since 2004 and holds FAA Gold Seal recognition. Dave owns Take Flight San Diego Inc, providing accelerated flight training in San Diego as well as Flight Training Apps Inc, a flight training video provider with over 100,000 downloads of various instructional videos.

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