SAFE eNews
The Monthly Bulletin of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators
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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 2,600 members include many of the best-known, best-credentialed and most experienced CFIs and many FAA Designated Pilot Examiners.
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SAFE and Gold Seal Present a
"Virtual Aviation Expo"
3:00 PM EDT All Week
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SAFE is collaborating with Gold Seal Ground Schools to present a
Virtual Aviation Expo, called "Wings Up" all this week, the week Sun 'N Fun was supposed to occur. This will feature many of the same personalities and education sessions that were scheduled at the show. SAFE and Gold Seal will be
broadcasting live March 31 - April 4
each day starting at 15:00 EST (19:00Z) from the studios of partner Gold Seal Online Ground School in Atlanta and additional locations.
Star aviation educators scheduled to appear on SAFE's Virtual Aviation Expo include Patty Wagstaff, Rod Machado and Greg Brown. The full list of those scheduled to appear is adjacent.
St George praised the Gold Seal broadcast team, calling Will and Ethan tech wizards. "But because of remotely located technicians and internet latency, we anticipate some surprises, but tune in and join the fun, March 31 - April 4 on the SAFE site and on the Gold Seal Ground School site. We will have great prizes to give away every day."
"Just about everything in our familiar lives has been upended and transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said, noting that Sun 'N Fun has been postponed to May 5-10, and most are socially distancing for safety. "Our advice in the blog has gone from "
train safely" to "
ATC-Zero" to "
fly solo safely" (if allowed)."
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"None of us know how long this pandemic will last at this point and when we will bet back to flight training and testing. We are so sorry for those actively engaged in training watching schools close and job prospects collapse. But thanks to robust on-line connections, SAFE continues to offer our
website resources,
weekly blog, and an we hope to present an unprecedented week of aviation FUN live for you with Gold Seal."
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Fly With A Master Instructor
'East Coast IFR Experience'
Discount for SAFE Members
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Imagine 38 hours of prime dual instruction as you make your way along the east coast, from Maine to Florida with one of the nation's top flight instructors, Doug Stewart.
All
East Coast IFR Experience videos are available in bite-sized chunks for pilots using their enforced idleness to bone up on real-life IFR instruction.
The set of videos, totaling 38 hours, is promotionally priced at $88, but SAFE members receive another $10 off even the promotional price, for $78 total. Just enter the code "SAFE70"
Stewart is founding member of SAFE and is an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner,
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Updated FAA AC Clarifies 'Sharing' Rule
But Some Pilots Will Still Be Confused
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Is it OK to ask passengers to pay for my gas? How about the whole rental cost of the airplane if I'm "donating" my services as a pilot? What if I'm flying for a charity?
"The question of what qualifies as "sharing expenses" has been a hot-button question at least since my early days as a student pilot in the late 1960s," said SAFE Communications Director Kevin D Murphy. "
This new AC 61-142 is the latest attempt to clarify the rules."
Murphy, who formerly was VP for the AOPA Aviation Services, added that "sharing expenses" was one of the top questions for the organization in the 1990s. "Basically, the harder you try to make your illicit charter fit a Part 91 scenario, the less likely it is legal."
The new AC applies to pilots who wish to share the costs of operating an aircraft during a flight with passengers. Although aimed primarily at Private pilots, the regulations also apply to Commercial or ATP pilots operating personal flights. Specifically, the rules apply to interpretations of FARs Part 61.113(c) and more broadly applies to those pilots operating under other part 61 expense-sharing provisions, including FARs 61.101 and 61.315, which apply to Recreational pilots and Sport pilots.
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CFIs: Volunteer Now For OSH
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The
Pilot Proficiency Center is asking SAFE members to volunteer as CFIs to teach pilots at AirVenture Oshkosh 2020. SAFE and NAFI members staff the large PPC each year. You can receive amazing benefits by helping out;
apply now!
Current plans call for the center to operate Monday, July 20th – Sunday, July 26th daily in two 4-hour sessions from 8:45 AM - 1:00 PM and 12:45 PM - 5:00 PM except on July 26th where there will be one session in the morning. As in prior years, the 2020 volunteers will undertake required pre-event training.
Onsite CFI training at AirVenture will be held on Sunday, July 19th from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Additional CFI training will be available in the PPC before opening from 8:00 AM to 8:45 AM and after closing from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Training sessions will also be available while the PPC is open in the Redbird Tent adjacent to the PPC. Onsite training for instructors teaching in the center will be provided by experienced PPC CFIs.
Volunteer benefits include:
1. Priority selection for those that volunteer for three or more four-hour shifts
2.
Daily wristbands for volunteers working one to three shifts and weekly wristbands to those volunteering four or more shifts
3. Lunch will be provided on each day you teach
4.
Lodging in the UWO Dorms or camping is available in the EAA campground, one night per each shift worked
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A per diem of $25 for each shift.
6. A CloudAhoy three-month extended free subscription
7. A new Bose A20 headset for the CFI who works the most shifts
8. Boeing is offering an annual subscription to Foreflight complete with Jeppesen Charts for runner up volunteer who works the most shifts.
9. A 2020 PPC Volunteer Participation Lapel Pin
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Redbird Launches STEM Lab
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'Aviation Appreciation' is now available in Redbird's Virtual STEM+Lab, just in time for middle and high school students sheltering in place during the CPVIOD-19 pandemic/
The all-online version of Redbird's popular STEM labs interactive classes is aimed at engaging students' creativity and continuing to build interest in science, technology, engineering and math outside the classroom.
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SAFE will keep members informed of critical developments for CFIs and flight schools as this fluid situation continues.
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NATA Issues FBO
COVID-19 Guides
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The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the membership association for fixed base operators and other aviation businesses has issued guidance for FBOs and ground handlers as they face the growing COVID-19 spread.
Above all, the organization noted, workers who are sick or have been exposed to the virus must not report to work, an expectation that management must effectively communicate to its employees on a continuous basis. Businesses should establish contingency plans for all critical operations, including fuel receipt, fueling, towing, CSR, and accounting operations.
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Dr. Cavagnaro is a mathematician by training, earning her B.S. in mathematics at Santa Clara University in 1987, and her Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Illinois in 1995. She serves as Professor of Mathematics at Sewanee: The University of the South.
Catherine owns and operates the
Ace Aerobatic School in Sewanee, Tennessee, where she has become widely known as an expert on spin recovery and avoidance as well as recoveries from unusual attitudes.
Dennis Robert Wolter of Cincinnati OH was named 2020 FAA Aviation Technician Of The Year, and Gary Michael Brossett of Midland GA the 2020 FAASTeam Member of the Year.
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SAFE Supports FAA Flexibility
AOPA Asks For "Maximum Flexibility"
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In these crisis times, there are still SAFE members who have students nearing certification, so SAFE is advocating for our members and
supporting AOPA's call for a "maximum amount of flexibility" to help keep pilots in compliance with rules.
SAFE Executive Director David St George noted pilots are required to do many things in person, such as renewing a medical certificate, completing pilot certification examinations within a certain time, or take knowledge tests at a testing center. "Those restrictions create an impossible situation for a student cognizant of social distancing requirements."
The request to the FAA includes relief for CFIs who had planned to renew their certificates by in-person FIRCS, but now cannot because in-person FIRCs have been cancelled. Once a flight instructor certificate expires, a reinstatement ride with the FAA is required.
Also, St George noted, the crisis has exacerbated problems with finding a DPE to administer tests. Many of his fellow DPEs, he said, are not giving checkrides to reduce their own exposure to the virus.
The EU Aviation Safety Agency is addressing the needs of the aviation community in EASA-member countries under the exemption notification provisions of its rules, which permit grant extensions of validity periods of “ratings, certificates, and attestations” for up to eight months.
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The
CFI Toolkit app is the "go to news and toolkit" for the professional aviation educator. Both iOS and Android versions contain all endorsements for CFI and aeronautical requirements for the certification of pilots at all levels.
"Raise your game as a flight educator and join our group of Master CFIs, FAA Flight Instructors of the Year and those just starting out who strive to be better," said David St George, SAFE Executive Director. "Commit to excellence and help build our
SAFE resource center with your unique contributions. Your input is solicited as we crowd-source our growing body of educator tools. As a member you access this amazing web toolkit."
Available on iOS or Android
HERE (FREE!).
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Now Available To Flight Schools
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SAFE is expanding its popular
SAFE CFI-PRO™program to flight schools and other companies that employ flight instructors. The seminar, which can be tailored to company specifications, supplements the mostly flight-oriented training of new CFIs, adding instructional wisdom distilled from top CFIs. This February presentation was at the request of Wayman Aviation Academy in Miami FL.
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FAA Tackles UMC
Avoiding Unfriendly Meterological Conditions
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The March/April FAA Safety Briefing has a plethora of aviation knowledge, and is arriving just in time for unemployed CFIs with lots of time to study.
Feature articles cover the FAA’s weather research work, including better ways to convey cockpit weather imagery, avoid icing and use weather cameras. Among the articles:
Making Weather Technology and Information in the Cockpit Work for You.
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The FAA’s Weather Research Program Has Answers
New FAA Program Tackles Aircraft Icing
Understanding Latency Issues With In-Cockpit Weather Imagery
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The Gift of Being and “Seeing” Elsewhere
Meet FAA Administrator Steve Dickson
How Non-Equipped Operators Can Request Access to ADS-B Rule Airspace
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Colorado Adds More Cameras
Visual Real-Time Weather For Pilots
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Colorado's Division of Aeronautics will be adding internet-available cameras on 13 AWOS stations around the state, allowing pilots to preview critical areas in mountain passes before takeoff.
The state will own and maintain the cameras, but the FAA is reimbursing the state for $226,000 in expenses. The FAA will help with installations, planned for this spring.
The FAA's weather camera safety program began in 1999 and was designed to provide pilots with near real-time visual weather information. The program currently includes 230 cameras, all located in Alaska. Camera images, which are available at
avcams.faa.gov, update every 10 minutes. Read more
here.
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GA/135 Annual Survey Underway
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If one of your clients is an aircraft owner, he or she may be getting an official-looking envelope soon from the FAA. Hopefully, it will be your client's chance to contribute to the accuracy of flight statistics, through the annual GA and Part 135 Activity Survey.
"Please ask your client to fill it out," said Kevin D Murphy, SAFE Communications Director. "it's where everybody gets information on flight hours in GA aircraft, and that information is a basic part of business planning and government policy decisions that directly affect the industry."
The survey estimates the size, primary use, and flight hours of the GA fleet in 2019. This information enables the FAA to track the success of its safety initiatives and evaluating a pilot’s access to equipment and services they rely on to navigate and fly safely. An FAA spokesperson said the survey is four pages long and takes 10 to 30 minutes to complete. Individual responses are kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. The FAA receives and publishes only data aggregated to a level where individual responses are no longer identifiable.Survey results will be posted on the
public website by January 2021.
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Your Engine Just Quit?
Read This New ASI Safety Advisor First
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The AOPA Air Safety Institute has a new safety advisor to help pilots better understand what they can do to survive an off-airport landing. The subject is only lightly addressed in training in most FAR Part 61 and 141 flight schools.
Survive: Beyond The Forced Landing is free and downloadable. "This is the guide to read before your engine coughs over trackless terrain far from anywhere," said SAFE Communications Director Kevin D Murphy. "Unlike many safety advisors, this one is full of practical help when preparing for emergencies."
The sections of the advisor assure pilots that forced landings are rare, then proceeds with chapters including "Surviving The Wait," Worst Case Scenarios," Rules To Live By" and "Enhancing Your Communications Options."
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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 the continuing education regimen used by other professionals to increase their professionalism. The designation must be renewed biennially and significantly surpasses the FAA requirements for renewal of the candidate's flight instructor certificate. Of the 101,000 flight instructors in the US, fewer than 800 have earned the Master Instructor designation, and most are SAFE members.
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Mike Elliott of Tarpon Springs CA renewed his Master designated in March. He owns Mooney Pros, Inc., which provides FITS-based transition training for new Mooney pilots.
He is also a trainer for Mooney International, Inc, providing type-specific transition training for new Mooney Ultra owners, with a team of Mooney experts and Master instructors in his company
He is also the co-founder of the Mooney Summit, Inc., a 501(c)3 charity that has an annual educational conference and supports the Bill Gilliland foundation to aid downed Mooney pilots’ families at the time of their greatest need. He is also a FAASTeam Lead Representative, an AOPA Airport Support Network Volunteer and a founding pilot of Honor Flight
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Jay Shears is a first-time Master Instructor and member of SAFE. He was recently granted the Master Certified Flight Instructor (MCFI) status. This designation was awarded in recognition of Jay’s professional growth, excellence and commitment in providing quality education to the aviation community.
Jay is a CFII, FAASTeam Representative for the SLC FDO, an FAA Part 107 remote pilot and FAA DronePro.
Jay is also active developing programs within the aviation community as a “Youth in Aviation | Professional” with a commitment to creating awareness, training and opportunities for youth to pursue careers in aviation. Jay can be contacted at jays.emaili@icloud.com.
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Clarke “Otter” McNeace, a 5-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation through the
Master Instructors LLC MICEP program
Clarke is an internationally-recognized speaker and expert in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) as well as stall/spin awareness, aerobatics, and loss-of-control intervention training. Additionally, he is the VP of Flight Operations & Standards of
Aviation Performance Solutions LLC, a Part 61 and Part 141 flight school headquartered at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA), along with several other national and international venues.
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Dan Keen of Lafayette, Indiana has earned his 11th Master Instructor designation.
Dan has been instructing since 1983. He served as Chief Pilot for Aretz Flying Services, a Part 141 flight school, and instructed for Purdue University’s School of Aviation Technology.
He became a Designated Pilot Examiner in 1990 and has worked for the FAA at the Indianapolis FSDO since 2004 as an Aviation Safety Inspector. In 2019 he successfully completed the course requirements to be recognized as an Advanced Aviation Safety Investigator.
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Lonnie Hilkemeier, Senior Flight Instructor at Specialty Flight Training, Inc. (SFTI) in Boulder, CO, received the prestigious designation of Master Flight Instructor for the 12th time from Master Instructors, LLC.
His first designation was in 1998. For the past 22 years, Lonnie has upheld the professional and educational standards required to be a Master Instructor and has served as an aviation educator for 30 years. In 2005, the FAA recognized Lonnie as the State of Colorado and the Northwest Mountain Region Flight Instructor of the Year. Lonnie continues to volunteer as a FAASTeam Representative for the Denver FSDO. He can be contacted at SFTI in Boulder at 303-530-0550.
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