Strategies

For CFIs, Aviation Educators

February 2025


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SAFE co-founder and legendary flight instructor Doug Stewart (center) was surrounded at Sun'n Fun last year by happy SAFE members and other pilots familiar with his lifetime efforts to improve GA safety through professionalism in flight instruction.

SAFE At Sun'n'Fun Is April 1-6

Would You Like To Get In Free?

Volunteer At The SAFE Double Booth 👉 HERE

Join the fun in Building B, spaces 80 and 81, to welcome the more than 7,000 SAFE members and 200,000 of their closest pilot friends.


General admission tickets are $50, although SAFE members may buy them for $45. Special early-bird pricing lowers the daily SAFE member cost to $40; youth tickets are $20, or $18 if bought early.


Weekly admission this year is $180, $170 for early-bird purchases, but SAFE early-bird members pay only $140 . Children 12 and under are free. Auto parking is $20 for one day, $80 for weekly, but early birds will pay just $10 and $55, respectively. Camping packages range from $318 to $468.

SAFE members are eligible for a limited number of free day passes simply by volunteering in two-hour increments at the SAFE booth to chat with other members and talk aviation during the show. The one-day free tickets are limited, though, so volunteer now and enjoy chatting with other CFIs and pilots.

Don't Miss The CFI Roundtable At Sun'n Fun.

Saturday April 5, 4PM in Prop 75 Building

SAFE's "CFI Roundtable" event this year will be at 16:00 on Saturday, April 5 at the Prop 75 building (straight across from our display booth hangar). This is a FREE Ice Cream Social. Please stop by the booth to register (SAFE patches, stickers, and removable tattoos available). Other ideas? (Let us know🤣).

New SAFE Benefit From Lightspeed


SAFE is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Lightspeed. You enjoy $100 off the purchase of a Lightspeed Delta Zulu through the coded SAFE check-out. Lightspeed also donates 10% of your purchase price to our SAFE CFI Scholarship fund. The first SAFE Scholar, Cheyenne Neff (photo at left), has already graduated. A new SAFE CFI scholar starts training Feb. 17th with CFI Bootcamp in Miami.


Lightspeed is also generously donating 4 headsets annually for our raffles at Sun 'N Fun and Oshkosh!


Visit go.lightspeedaviation.com/SAFE to sign up and simultaneously claim your discount and support SAFE.

"Initial CFI (MCA) Webinar" On SAFE YouTube HERE

Thank you to SAFE member Dr. Juan Merkt for his thorough explanation of the new CFI MCA maneuver and a review of his Integrated Energy Management as it appears in FAA AFH Chapter 4

INITIAL CFI WEBINAR FEB 23 8pm

Crush your initial FAA CFI evaluation with techniques and tips from actual DPEs conducting initial CFI evaluations.

CFIs: Your Opinion, Please

Would You Like A SAFE Community Platform?

Would you use an online, SAFE-specific community on the Web?



Please take this one-question survey.


With over 7000 members, SAFE is considering hosting a dedicated virtual community to give our members direct access to all of our membership resources and the opportunity to engage with each other in one virtual space; no ads, just aviation, with specific "rooms" for different interests.


"The whole value here is in a 'closed community,' for SAFE members, rather than a public square with uninformed opinion," said SAFE Executive Director David St George. Have you tried one of these? We'd love to know!

China Drones To Be Banned?

Chinese Drones Almost 90% Of The US Market

ANPRM Seeks Public Comment

US security concerns about Chinese drones in the US have resulted in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the Commerce Department. The ANPRM asks for input on a wide range of questions regarding drone technology. Experts say it could lead to a ban on Chinese drones for US customers. Chinese-made drones comprise at least three-quarters of the US commercial drone market. Among city and state first responders, 90 percent use Chinese drones.


Encounters with drones are not new to pilots, especially CFIs who spend time at low altitudes practicing maneuvers. Still, the issue grabbed public attention after a drone struck a firefighting aircraft during the Los Angeles fires in January. As of January 15, three people in Los Angeles have been arrested in connection with illegal drone operations near the fires.


A drone industry support group, the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is supporting the ANPRM. The organization has issued a white paper that it says answers many questions about the rulemaking proposal.

New SAFE CFI Scholarship Awarded


The SAFE Board of Directors interviewed candidates for our spring CFI scholarship and selected Ana Gabriela Costa of Boca Raton, FL. as the lucky winner. She has begun her 40 hour online groundschool donated by CFI Bootcamp and will begin in-person classroom training with the Feb. 17th class at KOPF.

Zoom With Ana Gabriela Costa

Advice For Choosing A School

Great Advice For Beginners

What Would You Add?

SAFE member Meredith Holladay, manager of the active Holladay Aviation flight school at Craig Airport in Florida, has posted a YouTube video advising beginning primary students on choosing a flight school. The video identifies each red flag and tells why those practices are damaging to aviation. As an experienced CFI, what could you add? Tell us here.

Meredith's Top 10 red flags for students evaluating flight schools:

10)    no syllabus

9)      no ground instruction

8)      cancelling lessons

7)      poorly maintained aircraft/

hiding logbooks

6)      school owners MIA

5)      empty promises

4 )     check ride guarantee

3)      large deposit required

2)      accelerated training

1)      pricing based on minimum hours.

Night Terrors

Jan/Feb Issue of FAA Safety Briefing Is

All About GA Operations At Night

The latest issue of the free FAA Safety Briefing Magazine focuses on GA night operations. Among the informative articles are requirements for night flight; how to mitigate visual illusions, and pro tips for overcoming your fear of the dark. The articles include:


To download the entire issue as a PDF, click here.

The State Of Flight Training

Annual Redbird Study Released

Cost For Private Ticket Averages $14,000

Redbird Simulations has unveiled its 5th annual State of Flight Training Survey which shows the median cost for a pilot certificate or rating in 2023 was $14,000, compared to $9,000 in 2020 . The yearly effort analyzes trends, priorities, strengths and challenges to build a better aviation future. Last year's survey found that new pilots take fewer weeks to earn certificates, but spend more. The report noted that average students are taking only 24 weeks to earn a certificate in 2023, compared to 30 weeks in 2020.


The survey showed average costs for ratings in 2023 were:


  • $10,500 for Sport Pilot.
  • $14,000 for Private Pilot
  • $12,000 for Instrument Rating
  • $15,000 for a Commercial Certificate single-engine
  • $6,000 for initial CFI.

Set SAFE as a home page (working on it): <http://safepilots.org>

or get the FREE "SAFE Toolkit" App <http://bit.ly/SAFEtoolkit>

Or better yet, both. They're free for all CFIs, not just SAFE members.

SAFE Members In The News

Nicholas Marcantonio, MCFI


Master Instructors is pleased to honor Nicholas Marcantonio of Milton, FL as a Master Flight Instructor for the third time.


Nick began flying GA in 2008 and is a 2012 graduate of Auburn University. He served 9 years as an Aerospace Engineer in the US Navy in California, Japan, and Florida.


He currently serves in the reserves as a Lieutenant Commander with the Office of Naval Research, a Captain at Endeavor Air, a Flight Sim Coach instructor, and a volunteer Check Pilot/ CFI for the Civil Air Patrol.

Michael Lents, MCFI-A



Master Instructors is pleased to announce that Michael Lents of Fargo, ND has received his Sixth Accreditation as a Master Instructor-Aerobatic. Mike is an Associate Professor and Flight Instructor at the University of North Dakota (UND) specializing in Aerodynamics, Aircraft Systems, Human Factors and Aerobatics. He learned to fly at UND in 2001, eventually earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He coaches the 11-time National Collegiate Champion, UND Aerobatic Team and is an award-winning US Aerobatic Team pilot. Known for his involvement with the UND Aerocast and specializing in the Super Decathlon, he continues to teach students the art of all-attitude flight.

Joseph Pierre Thibodeau, MCFI


Master Instructors is pleased to welcome Joseph Pierre Thibodeau of Commerce City, CO to our Community as a Master Instructor-Aerobatic for the first time.


JP is a corporate Chief Pilot and flight educator with more than 15,000 hours of flight time and a love of flying that started at an early age. Under the watchful eye of his father, he began “aviating” before he was tall enough to see over the instrument panel of their Beechcraft Baron. JP is an experienced and dedicated flight instructor who has built a reputation for an unwavering commitment to safety, skill development, and fostering a positive learning environment.

William E Dubois, MCFI


William E. Dubois, Newtown, PA has received his third accreditation as a Master Ground Instructor. William is the Ground School Program Manager for Infinity Flight Group, where he creates and delivers curricula from Private Pilot through CFI, and oversees all ground-teaching by other staff. He is a rare “double” Master Ground Instructor, accredited by both MICEP and NAFI, and was recognized as a Distinguished Flight Instructor in the 2021-22 AOPA Flight Training Experience Awards. He pens two monthly columns for General Aviation News: Questions from the Cockpit, which answers reader’s aviation questions; and Human Factors, that looks to improve safety by analyzing incidents and accidents for lessons learned that can benefit all pilots. He additionally crafts many of the Air Safety Institute's Training and Safety tips.

Toward More Knowledgeable CFIs...

New Instructional Aids/ Info


Florida CFIs now have temporary flight restrictions near Mar-a-Lago. Officials say the TFRs affecting PBI and LNA will be "unpredictable in frequency and duration" for the next four years.


On the bright side, Florida pilots can now get a specialty auto license plate supporting GA.


Chinese drones may be restricted or banned in the US; comment period on NPRM ends March 4. (See story above).


AOPA's live Rusty Pilot seminars in February will be in Portland OR on Feb 1 at Van Zandt County Regional( 3Y3). Other presentations will be at Winterset Muni (3Y3) on Feb 8, Caldwell Airport (CDW) on Feb 15.


New 5:17 minute FAA video on risk of using Personal Electronic Devices is free.


NWS is retiring text-based info for airmet and area forecast reporting systems effective last week. Graphical forecasts will replace them.



Helpful CFI Information


FAA ignores most whistle-blower complaints; only 8.5% result in findings of violations. Study from 2020-2023 was prompting by Boeing troubles.


Scholarships from AOPA Foundation include 80 grants of $10,000 each for high school students. Deadline for application is Feb 7.


New pilot and A&P training grants from FAA for flight and A&P schools will be funded up to one million.


Naples FL Airport Authority (NAA) offers a free mobile app for homeowners to measure noise near airports. Annoyed residents can then easily forward that data to the NAA database. Defenders of GA airports are not thrilled.


FAA has named the National Flight Training Alliance as its official industry partner in modernizing Part 141 rules.


Would you rather be a cropduster? AOPA's Pete Bedell tells why some pilots prefer ag aviation to an airline career.


Skydiving is getting safer: 2024 had only nine deaths, an all-time record.


Should the tower instruction be "Line Up And Wait" or "Position And Hold"? In 2023, fifty pilots misunderstood, positioned and went. GA News publisher Ben Sclair opines.


Former Shell gas expert Ben Visser wrote in General Aviation News last month that he believes the crisis in developing unleaded fuel to replace 100LL is unnecessary and suggests 3 options.


FAA has revised vertiport design guidelines, adding additional downwash caution areas and classifying vertiports as a type of heliport.


Viagra may cause color blindness.


Canadair CL 415 scoops water from lakes; video shows how it's done.


February's schedule of the AOPA Rusty Pilots courses will be Feb 8 in Wills Point TX and in Winterset IA; on Feb 15 in Fairfield, NJ and in Pasco WA on Feb 16 in Buckeye AZ, on Feb 22 in Inverness FL and on Mar 1 in Missoula MT. These seminars are ideal for picking up new students.



Industry News for CFIs


Texas Congressman Mark Green wants legislation to allow law enforcement to "take down" drones, citing a potential threat from Chinese-controlled drone flight. Majority of "Chinese drone" sightings have been crewed aircraft, stars and planets.


Business aircraft activity rose 7.3% in December. Fractionals were strongest in the US.


Southwest Airlines has paused corporate hiring and promotions, most summer internships and suspension of the carrier's beloved rallies.


FAA is converting approach, other lights to LEDs in accordance with Congressional requirements.


SAFE will be representing members at the FAA's public meeting March 6 on reform of Part 141 schools. Part 141 is still based heavily on CAR Part 50, which was written in the 1940s. A previous hearing with mostly airline personnel resulted in recommendations that virtually ignored GA flight training.


AOPA's Best Regional CFIs and Best Schools awards are out; for the full list by FAA region, click here.


FAA now allows aircraft registration online.



Blast From The Mid-2010s

Enjoy the original SAFE Magazine!


Historical value and walks down memory airways with SAFE's original magazine.

Want To Make A Difference?

Mentor New CFIs

Join SAFE's Mentor Connection

The SAFE Mentorship Connection group needs you - as an experienced CFI -.to help newer CFIs learn the ropes and improve their instructional professionalism. Zoom sessions are on Tuesdays from 7:00 pm Eastern (23Z) and last up to two hours.SAFE Mentorship Connector director Dorothy Schick hosts each meeting.


Weekly roundtable discussions with the CFI Study Group on CFI topics often have prominent guest speakers, most recently CFI Bootcamp's Mike Shiflett. The 20 or so CFIs and CFI-wannabes who attend each study session can get into one-on-one conversations with DPEs.

Join SAFE's Mentorship Connection

SAFE Sponsors

Please shop at these merchant supporters of CFI professionalism.

They make possible your SAFE privileges and benefits.

SAFE members get 1/3 off any ForeFlight subscription. Potential yearly savings: $133+

SAFE member CFIs get 25% off all Gleim Aviation products except kits, ATP, FIRC, IARC or sim hardware. Call 800-874-5346 for the discount.

Buy a pair of "Delta Zulus" and Lightspeed Aviation donates $100 discoung and 10% toward the SAFE "CFI Scholarship Fund!"

More Information

SAFE members get 20% off select merchandise.

Platinum Cirrus Training Center provides flight training, aircraft rentals and sales at KAXH.

Bose Headsets

SAFE member CFIs qualify for a $100 rebate on Bose A30 or ProFlight Series 2 aviation headset.

SAFE members get a 20% discount on ASA products.





SAFE members get 10% off any MyGoFlight product.




SAFE members receive a 20% discount on all King Schools Training products.

SAFE members get 20% off all books/CDs by Max Trescott, Cirrus Platinum CSIP and author of several guides on using advanced avionics.

SAFE members get 5% off any Qref checklists. Use code SAFE5.

SAFE members get 20% off the Artful Flying book by Michael Maya Charles.

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SAFE is a 501(c)(3) educational, not-for-profit professional organization building aviation educator excellence and aviation safety. Our 7,000-some 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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