SAFE joined other flight training leaders at the annual Redbird Migration flight training conference in Lakeland FL in February. From left are FLYING Magazine editor-in-chief Julie Boatman, SAFE Executive Director David St George, John Zimmerman VP Sporty's Pilot Shop and Tom Haines, AOPA Senior VP. |
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SAFE SNF Member Breakfast!
St George: "Come Hungry April 7"
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A FREE meet and greet breakfast for SAFE members and aviation dignitaries will be held Thursday, April 7 from 8 to 9 AM. at the Sunset Grill. Although the breakfast is free, seating is limited to 100 so pre-registration is required. Thank you for supporting SAFE!
Among the goodies available at the show will be SAFE stickers, hats and shirts. A drawing for several high-value prizes from generous SAFE business supporters will be available for * everyone* joining or renewing during the show, either in person or remotely.
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Proposal: Non-Expiring CFI
"Unified Agenda" To Save Time, Money
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A new proposal from the FAA, which has been on and off for years, would finally remove the expiration from CFI certificates. A FIRC or "recent experience" (as yet undefined) would allow a CFI to "exercise the privileges" of the certificate. The model seems to be the ground instructor certificate with many pathways to stay "current." That 'pre-decision' suggestion drew many questions and strong opinions from SAFE members in the SAFE Faculty Lounge. See this SAFE Update for the latest news. We were assured by high-level people in the FAA that the "FIRC is staying" and "all CFIs will be able to qualify for recent current experience." |
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This FAA proposal was first published on the SAFE Faculty Lounge and thoroughly discussed. This Facebook group is a tightly curated private and allows professional CFI members to offer suggestions and debate instructional issues in a politics-free environment. All members are encouraged to check out the Faculty Lounge HERE.
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Cirrus's Todd Simmons presented a great talk on his Idaho Carbon Cub accident during Redbird Migration. We all adapt what was once "scary" to "normal" (or we would not fly). Safety requires knowing the risk of progressing from cautious all the way to overconfidence and "cocky." Applying the antidote of humility is essential to safety. Read this SAFEblog.
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CFI NOTAM:
Valid Endorsements are Critical!
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One of the worst things you can do to your learner is to send them to a check ride with a problem in the initial verification stage (usually "no checkride!") Triple-check that all endorsements are correct, and the pilot and plane logs are legal and accurate. SAFE Checkride Ready!™ on the SAFE Toolkit App has very detailed guidance. |
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For every activity we endorse as CFIs, there are regulatory training requirements to legally convey and exercise that privilege. For the initial solo, there are 15 required training items, a pre-solo test (also endorsed) and an initial solo 61.87(n). And every savvy instructor should add sensible limitations to this solo endorsement! After 90 days an additional endorsement (61.87[p]) is required, *but* the original 61.87[n] must still be there for the original training (otherwise the subsequent solo is not legal - they are both required).
Cross country privileges follow a similar pattern, with an initial endorsement 61.93(c)1&2 from the instructor who conducted the initial training. Each X-C flight can then be signed by *any* authorized instructor who checks the planning. But if the original 61.93 endorsement is not there, the subsequent flights are not legal or valid to use as experience. Tough luck for the student. There have been instances of students flying all their solo and X-C without even obtaining a student certificate...same sad story! Get the SAFE Toolkit App for precise guidance on endorsements (and applicant preparation). Allow "notifications" on the app for aviation news and events like Sun 'N Fun. Most DPEs will gladly consult to answer questions *before* a flight test saves stress and aggravation for everyone! |
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Upset Training Needed, GAJSC Says SAFE Goal To Reduce LOC-I
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The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) recently recommended proficiency training and education in aircraft stalls, spins, and upsets, including unusual attitudes to help reduce the incidence of Loss of Control (LOC) and associated accidents.
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LOC-I accidents are just about always preceded with a stall. And we all know these occur from exceeding the wing's critical angle of attack (usually pulling). ALL FAA Part 23 and 25 certificated airplanes are required to have a pitch down stability moment to recover these high AOA events ( or a stick shaker/pusher is required!) It is the PILOT who creates the stall. (The "monkey-pull instinct" seems to be encoded in our DNA?). To be safe pilots we need to "Retrain the Brain" and that is what much of our initial and recurrent flight training tries to accomplish. Read this article from "Twin and Turbine Magazine" on the value of Upset Training to enhance your flight safety; retrain your brain! |
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Hand-Propping Debate
May I Have The Envelope, Please?
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Several high-time SAFE members responded thoughtfully to the February survey question asking whether hand-propping should be taught to primary students.
Not surprisingly given that SAFE members tend to be older and have greater experience than newer CFIs, the opinions were in favor of teaching the ancient art of propping, provided safety precautions were emphasized, by a margin of 63 percent to 37 percent.
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Aerospace Teacher Nominations Open
Annual Scott Crossfield Awards
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The winner will receive the award at the NAHF's Enshrinement Dinner & Ceremony September 24th in Dayton OH. Founded in 1986 by famed research test pilot A. Scott Crossfield, the award is a juried competition open to educators from grades K-12 in a public, private, parochial, charter or homeschool setting. Nominees can also be teachers in non-traditional learning environments.
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Best CFI, School Named
Winners Of AOPA Flight Training Survey
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In the Pattern flight school from Denton, TX took home the title of the best 2021-22 flight school in the annual AOPA Flight Training Survey. Regional winners in both categories included: Read more...
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Ambyr Peterson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was named Best CFI in AOPA's annual flight training survey. Winners were announced at last month's Redbird Migration in Lakeland FL. |
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FT Free Webinar Tomorrow
Using A Simulator To Boost Enrollments
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Flight School Connector is hosting a free web seminar on using flight simulators to boost flight school business on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022 from noon to 1 pm ET.
Josh Harnagel from Redbird Flight Simulations will share his expertise and experience on how you can utilize your simulator to engage your customers across all aspects and phases of training.
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New Wagstaff Tailwheel Video
Produced by Sporty's
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Airshow pilot Patty Wagstaff and Sporty's Pilot Shop have produced a two-hour tailwheel training course that serves as an in-depth guide to the unique aspects of flying a taildragger—from preflight to mastering crosswind landings, and all the steps in between.
The $99 online video course has 17 modules. It provides an in-depth guide to the unique aspects of flying a taildragger. It covers preflight to mastering crosswind landings and all the steps in between. |
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Visualized Flight Maneuvers Available
High And Low Wing
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ASA has released the revised fifth editions of Visualized Flight Maneuvers. Separate 2022 editions are available for high wing and low wing aircraft. Both softcover books are $24.95; eBook versions are $19.95.
The manuals are visual aids for instructors and students, covering all flight maneuvers required for Private, Sport, Commercial, and Flight Instructor certification. Each maneuver is depicted in detail, states the objective of the task, and lists the ACS reference.
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Each manual has fold-out pages that show maneuvers on a one-page spread, step by step, so pilots understand what they should be looking for outside the cockpit window, ASA officials noted.
Both also include a new section on energy management and have suggested checklists for everything from preflight to takeoffs and landings, performance and checkrides.
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Getting The Lead Out
GA Leaders Commit To Lead-Free 2030
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GA leaders joined the oil industry and the US government last week in announcing an ambitious commitment to lead-free aviation fuels for all piston-engine aircraft by the end of 2030. AOPA has the story here.
The long-simmering issue of leaded gas in piston GA aircraft - which includes nearly all training aircraft - erupted earlier this year when two California airports announced cessation of 100LL sales due to a study showing children suffering lead poisoning around the airports. GA piston aircraft are the last users of leaded gasoline.
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Airlines Recruiting Gay Pilots
PSP Convention Draws 1,200+
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The National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA) Industry Expo returned to sunny Palm Springs CA last month after a two-year Covid hiatus. More than 1,200 pilots attended looking for flying job opportunities.
Of the 71 exhibiting companies, big-name airlines included United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. FedEx dispatched staff to provide one-on-one meetings with prospective hires and provide résumé reviews. Most notably, American Airlines offered on-the-spot interviews with selected candidates and handed out multiple job offers over the two-day event.
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Astronaut To Get Stinson Trophy |
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CFI Wally Funk, one of just 13 women who were early astronaut candidates, will receive the 2021 Katherine and Majorie Stinson trophy from the National Aeronautics Association.
Funk was chosen for “ blazing trails for women in aviation." She was a pioneering member of the Mercury 13 space mission, a flight instructor, an air safety investigator and the oldest woman to fly in space.” Funk has soloed more than 700 students and was a member of the first crewed suborbital mission of Blue Origin’s New Shepard capsule. |
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CFI Round-Up
Itemf Interest For Professional CFIs
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Spirit Airlines, ATP Partner |
Spirit Airlines and ATP Flight School announced a partnership last month for ATP's more than 2,000 qualified students and CFIs. The Spirit Direct Program will enable participants to earn instrument, commercial, and flight instructor certificates during the first seven months of their training. The flight school said that the training could lead to a first officer position with Spirit. |
NTSB Investigations Techniques
New Free ASI Course
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In this in-depth webinar from the AOPA Air Safety Institute, goes behind the scenes to find out how N investigators collect the facts at the scene of an aviation accident that the board will use to determine the probable cause and make safety recommendations based on those findings. This is part one of a three-part series.
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Crowdfunding Suggested
For Training Costs
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"Ultimately, the question isn’t will it work?" he writes. "It will. The math is unassailable. The question is will you initiate it? Will you participate in it? If you do, you just might become the kind of person your neighbors and fellow hangar tenants admire in a whole new way."
"And some young new flight student might just speak of you in hushed, reverent tones,"he concluded.
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Drone Research Begins
The FAA will begin field-testing new drone-traffic-management capabilities this spring, hoping to integrate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System. Drones will be flown in realistic test scenarios.
Improvements in drone standards, data-exchange methods, and cybersecurity capabilities top the agenda for the tests. FAA officials said the tests will build on rules and capabilities that enable airspace access and authorizations.
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"The Master Instructor accreditation singles out the best that the right seat has to offer."
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey
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Master Instructor Achievements |
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The Master Instructor designation is a national FAA-recognized professional accreditation and parallels other professionals' continuing education regimens to increase their professionalism. The Master's designation must be renewed biennially and significantly surpasses FAA requirements for renewing the candidate's flight instructor certificate. Of the 122,000 flight instructors in the US, fewer than 800 have earned the Master Instructor designation, and most are SAFE members.
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In January, Lonnie Hilkemeier of Boulder CO received his Master CFI accreditation for the 13th time, a rare accomplishment representing more than 26 years of excellence as an Aviation Educator.
A first-lesson experience sparked Lonnie's career. "My wife (then girlfriend) purchased my first introductory flight for me. That flight sparked an interest in aviation that led me to attend Colorado Northwestern Community College for an aviation degree," the 1990 CNCC graduate said. His experience there led him to "appreciate quality instruction" and has since always sought out mentors in aviation and education.
"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," Lonnie says. "I was successful in becoming the first Master CFI in the State of Colorado in 1998. I am currently one of less than 5 in the world with a 13-time Master CFI." He continues to learn from diverse clientele that has included "astronaut candidates, military leaders, air traffic controllers and professional aviators ... Integrity, loyalty, hard work and ethics are common denominators of our clients!"
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Master Instructors is pleased to announce the designation of Michael Elliott of Tarpon Springs, Florida a Master CFI for the Fifth time. Mike is one of the nation’s most sought-after flight instructors for Mooney transition training. He seeks to constantly better the breed of the Mooney pilot. As founder of the Mooney Summit, a charitable annual educational and safety conference, he interacts with pilots of all backgrounds from across the globe. The event is also a fundraiser for the Bill Gilliland Foundation to assist downed Mooney pilots' immediate families at the time of their greatest need. Additionally, Mike is CEO of Mooney Pros, Inc. a Mooney-specific training company of Master CFIs. |
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Master Instructors is pleased to announce the designation of Parvez Dara of Toms River, New Jersey a Master CFI for the Ninth time.
Parvez, an ATP and a former AME, is currently President of the Mooney Aircraft Pilot Association Safety Foundation. He is also an accredited BPPP Instructor for the American Bonanza Society and teaches with the motto "Aviation Safety is No Accident." He has presented webinars and seminars for various organizations including the FAASTeam, Mid-Atlantic Pilots Association and EAA at AirVenture. In addition, Parvez is a published author in print and online, currently for Air Facts Journal, and creates aviation videos on YouTube. He is also serving his second term on the SAFE Board of Directors.
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SAFE is a 501(c)(3) educational, not-for-profit professional organization building aviation educator excellence and aviation safety. Our more than 4,100 members include many of the best-known, best-credentialed and most experienced CFIs as well as many FAA Designated Pilot Examiners.
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