I entered the ranks of Aviation educators in June 1999 six years to the day after earning my private pilot certificate.  Like many, I had dreams of the airlines in my, not too distant, future.  Even though I thought I would soon be flying airliners, I gave teaching everything I had.  Having learned from a Flight Instructor Hall of Famer, I thought I would hit the ground running.  I was mistaken; I quickly saw that while I knew the material and was teaching in a part 141 program, I still need guidance and teaching tools to help me explain the material to my students.  At the time, there was no " one stop shop" organization that offered the things I needed.

   When word started to spread of an organization for Aviation Educators that would be run by and for its members I was immediately on board!  In the 5 short years since it's inception, SAFE has amassed a massive Resource Center, with articles and power point presentations, accessible to it members for use in their class/ briefing rooms, sponsored a pilot proficiency project and the Pilot training Reform Symposium. SAFE also partners with a plethora of companies that offer discounts to SAFE members, many of which almost cover the cost of the membership itself! 

    I was honored when I was asked to join the membership committee, because I was proud to tell prospective members about the work we were doing.  I was part of an amazing organization, one whose members, didn't just pay dues and read a newsletter. I was part of a group whose passion was the driving force, one where the members truly wanted to improve GA and promote it. I am proud of the work SAFE does and know that new CFI's and teachers beginning their journey as Aviation Educators, can benefit tremendously from the work SAFE's members have so generously donated to the Resource Center, something I know I wish I had 15, fantastic and fulfilling, years ago.

SAFE truly pays it forward!

Nathan Zucker

The National Transportation Safety Board is presenting a seminar highlighting the lessons that have been learned from the NTSB's investigations of accidents involving a pilot's loss of aircraft control. While there are many different ways for a loss of control accident to occur, a stall/spin event is the leading category identified under this cause. Unfortunately, the circumstances for these accidents are often repeated over time, thus precipitating a need for change in this area.

SAFE Executive Director, Doug Stewart, will be one of the presenters. He will address ways to improve the way we teach and test the recognition and recovery of stalls and spins. Other SAFE presenters will include: NTSB Board member Earl Weener; AFS 800 Manager Jim Viola; and Elias Kontanis from the NTSB Training Center.

The safety seminar will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 09:00 am to 1:00 pm at the NTSB Training Center, 45065 Riverside Parkway, Ashburn, Virginia 20147.  The event is free and open to the public but is limited to 200 attendees; early registration is highly recommended. The doors will open at 08:30 am.

If the seminar is video taped SAFE will make the seminar available on the SAFE website. If it is not taped we will make Doug's presentation available in the member's only portion of the SAFE Resource Center.

If you are knowledgeable and passionate about weather resources, specifically relating to the vast plethora of weather information now available on the internet, then SAFE can use your assistance. We need your help in creating the next Flight Instructor Open Forum (FIOF).

In keeping with FAA Administrator Heurta's call for placing emphasis on the relationship of weather to aviation safety through his "Got Weather?" campaign, it has been decided that the next FIOF will be focused on best practices in teaching and testing not only the gathering of weather information from the internet, but more importantly, how to utilize all the information in coming up with a viable "go / no-go" decision. 

If you would be interested in working on the creation of this next FIOF in the ongoing series of forums created by SAFE for the FAASTeam please contact Doug Stewart for more information. This is a great opportunity for you to share your knowledge and expertise with the rest of the nation's flight instructor community!