Am I the only flight instructor who now feels that my Master Instructor designation is worthless? I worked very hard on both my original designation and my more recent renewal. Frankly, as a professor and a Chief Flight Instructor in a collegiate aviation program, I received quite a bit of recognition from both my administration and colleagues. I can safely say that my MCFI designation played a large role in my university’s decision to grant me tenure. Now, we have two organizations claiming the program. In my mind, this greatly diminishes its value, almost to the point that it now seems insignificant. Additionally, several of my colleagues and a young flight instructor that I mentor have expressed an interest in pursuing their MCFI. Due to the recent turmoil, they have defiantly lost interest. I can’t really blame them.

Kyle - and all other MCFI's and future MCFI's,

No, your MCFI designation is not worthless. In fact, it is basically the same as it was before. The only choice that you and others now have is which organization will best represent your needs as an educator - and that will determine your venue for continuance of your MCFI designation.

Of course, those of us that were involved with the formation of S.A.F.E. would hope that what we are about and how we are governed would make that choice and easy and "SAFE" decision for you and others. If you join SAFE, then you would process through the Master Instructor, LLC which is headed up by Sandy & JoAnn Hill plus a very excellent group of evaluators. And, you can transfer your MCFI designation over to them at any point in time that you wish. Sandy & JoAnn, along with their evaluation group, are, after all, the originators of the designation process and the ones that facilitated the FAA recognition and CFI renewal process as well.

So, your MCFI is just the same as it was before - and perhaps even more so. There are still precious few that have gained the recognition, which is something that you need to impress upon your young CFI colleagues. They should strive for both professionalism and certification, and the Master Instructor program is the way to go.

I hope that in examining what has taken place in the past months that you will find that SAFE is the kind of professional, collegial, and member centered organization with which you would like and want to be associated. Look around at the web site, the newly elected board, and what is going on - and join us. Meantime, congratulations on BEING an Master, and continue it in the future.

Regards,

Alan C Davis - MCFI - Emeritus

Howdy Alan!

I've thought for a while on how to best answer your concern, which I share. The Master CFI designation program was being made worthless by the previous caretakers, NAFI.

To our clients and students, the designation meant something. To the FAA, the designation meant something. Many doors were opened for me by becoming a Master CFI, some to very highly placed programs within the FAA and manufacturers. If nothing else, the questions about my age, gender, and ability to instruct stopped. I may not send a planeload of students to checkrides, but there is plenty of instruction to be done outside of ratings and certificates.

Then, apparently out of the blue, came a lot of turbulence and outright shameful acts by the organization who's stated goals were to support the flight instructor. These acts brought disgrace to the organization, gave a black eye to the the larger organization it belonged to, and in turn, seemed to take the Master CFIs down with it. Sadly, that organization is now like a hot air balloon with the burner stuck on, full of hot air, and the pilots too busy arguing to fly the balloon.

When person-to-person rhetoric and mud-slinging failed, the organization turned to lawyers to threaten and bully their inflated opinion onto others, further dragging down the title all of us worked hard to achieve. My membership dues, instead of going to support flight instructors, they're being spent on lawyers! There is a place and a time for lawyers, but bullying other members is not one of them. The organization has even threatened flight instructor certificates, a privilege the FAA has reserved for itself.

In absolute disgust of the misuse of my membership dues and unwilling to be associated with an organization that at their top is no longer acting professionally and appears to be unwilling to change, I resigned. This came at considerable cost as I had only a few weeks earlier gained approval to use the NAFI Master CFI Wings on my products, and had to pull two print runs plus redesign the product covers.

Supposedly, my NAFI Master CFI designation is no longer valid. That is fine. I used my Master CFI designation to earn the Gold Seal CFI Certificate and renewed based on my activity. The documentation of my activity for the NAFI Master CFI designation made the FAA Inspector's renewal job very easy. Even though the Inspector was familiar with my work, having the paperwork to back up my claims made that process a snap. Ask my clients and students, they consider me to be a Master Instructor.

I understand there is currently an intellectual property dispute in litigation regarding the Master CFI Program. Being involved in a dispute myself, I know these are a long, painful, slow, agonizing process. In the meantime, I've moved on, creating an even better product than that which is being infringed upon. I believe the Hills are doing the same and one can keep a Hill's Master CFI Designation by emailing and/or writing them.

But what about all of the other instructors out there, some who may be like myself when first learning about the Master CFI Program? I wanted it. I wanted to be a instructor that was good enough and had enough students put through to earn that distinction. What about those instructors? How about those that may not yet be a two-year CFI and wants something to look forwards to as a personal and professional reward for all those hours in the pattern? How about for those pilots that are retiring from other professions and wanting to share their first love? What can they look forwards to besides Gold Seal and maybe the CFI of the Year?

It's up to each of us. I've done my best to uplift CFIs, wannabe CFIs, and those students that support them. I've had a website running for nearly fifteen years with lesson plan examples and "Ten Steps to the CFI." I offer a discount on my publications to CFIs, not just members of CFI organizations. I've recently published the "Flight Instructor Notebook" which shares my experiences along with the lesson plans (many still freely available), syllabi, and checkride checklists. And, I think, one of the most important steps, I've joined SAFE as a charter member, putting my money where my mouth is. I've volunteered for a spot in the background of SAFE and plan to spend time where needed.

It is up to us, now, to define what we are going to do about an industry recognized and supported designation. We get to choose, implement, and run a program, or more, or choose for someone else bring their program in such as the Hills , for current, up-and-coming, and wannabe CFIs. SAFE is our plane, we've chosen the pilots and the navigators, the passengers are choosing to board, and we get to chose the flight plan and the destination, plus any alternates along the route.

Fly SAFE!
Bridgette