| Date |
Topic |
Guest Speaker
|
Video |
| 12/21/2022 |
Is Flight Training On Course?
|
Jason Blair is an active single and multi-engine instructor and FAA Designated Pilot Examiner with 5,000 hours total time and 3,000 hours instruction given. In his role as Examiner, over 1000 pilot certificates have been issued.
He writes for multiple aviation publications and actively works within the general aviation industry. Jason is also an active NAFI member and an accredited Master Flight Instructor.
Karen Kalishek, the NAFI Board Chair is an FAA Pilot Examiner and an independent CFI for private flight instructor powered and glider candidates, in a range of aircraft including J-3 Cubs and Cirrus. She is a Major in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), serving as a volunteer CFI, G1000 instructor, check pilot, mission pilot, cadet orientation pilot, and is an officer for safety, aerospace education, public affairs, and special flight release.
She serves as a member of the WINGS Industry Network, COPA, and is active in several other aviation organizations. Karen is the 2019 National FAASTeam Representative of the year.
Gregory Feith is a former Senior Air Safety Investigator and “Go-Team” captain with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and has investigated well over 2500 general aviation, business/corporate and air transport (commercial air carrier) aircraft incidents and accidents worldwide during his 40 years as an aircraft accident investigator and aviation safety expert.
He has won numerous NTSB and aviation industry awards including the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurel Award in 1996 for his leadership in the investigation of the ValuJet DC-9 crash, the 2001 ERAU, Distinguished Alumni Award for "extraordinary distinction and success in the field of aviation and achievements;" and the SAFE Association, Michael R. Grost Award for “outstanding contribution in the field of accident investigation.”
|
Click to Watch! |
| 11/16/2022 |
Keeping it together: Teaching Control in the Pattern
|
Catherine Cavagnaro writes the Flying Smart column for AOPA Pilot Magazine, teaches spins and aerobatics, and serves as a designated examiner in Tennessee in addition to her full-time position as a Professor of Mathematics. Catherine was inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame in 2022 and was named the 2020 National Flight Instructor of the Year.
In 2018, Catherine was named the National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year and was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 10/19/2022 |
Glider Concepts for Powered Flight Training
|
Scott Manley has an undergraduate degree in secondary education and more than 50 years of teaching experience. He provides year-round simulation-based flight instruction at-a-distance (Condor/Skype) to glider-rating candidates nationwide and consultation services to flight training organizations and individuals interested in adopting this paradigm. He holds Certificated Flight Instructor privileges for the glider category. The back of his pilot certificate reads Commercial pilot: airplane single-engine land & sea; instrument airplane; glider.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 09/21/2022 |
Base to Final: Why There's More to the Story!
|
Ed Wischmeyer has decades of professional aviation safety research, including the effects of low-level wind shear on jet transports; unstable approaches; runway incursions; and the PEEMBO technique for modeling accident progressions. Additional research focused on general aviation loss of control, including a detailed review of 600 NTSB reports.
Pilot experience includes ATP/CFII with 3600 hours flown in 200 makes and models of aircraft. His Ph.D. is from MIT.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 08/17/2022 |
Why do Good Pilots Make Bad Decisions
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Richard McSpadden was appointed executive director of the AOPA Air Safety Institute in February 2017 and promoted to senior vice president in July 2020. McSpadden has logged over 5,000 hours flying a variety of civilian and military aircraft. He is a commercial pilot, CFII/MEI with SES and MES ratings and a 525S type rating. He currently owns a 1993 Piper Super Cub.
Prior to joining AOPA, McSpadden had a successful career in the information technology industry, leading large, geographically dispersed operations providing business-critical IT services. McSpadden also served in the Air Force for 20 years, including the prestigious role of commander and flight leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team where he led over 100 flight demonstrations flying the lead aircraft.
Additionally, McSpadden currently serves as the industry chair for the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 07/20/2022 |
Becoming A CFI
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Born in Poland, Radek Wyrzykowski immigrated to the United States in 1983 after he contributed mightily to the movement for a free Poland and endured imprisonment as a result. He earned his professional pilot degree at SUNY Albany-Mohawk Valley and has since provided more than 6,000 instructional hours exercising CFI and MEI privileges. He has served as Chief Flight Instructor for two different training institutions and has served as a contributor to the Polish aviation magazine PILOT Club. Radek founded the IMC Club and served as its president until its acquisition by the Experimental Aircraft Association, where he then served as Senior Program Manager of Flight Proficiency Programs until 2022. Most recently, Radek published the book Becoming a CFI in 2021 and founded the Pilot Proficiency Network in early 2022. |
Click to Watch! |
| 06/15/2022 |
Understanding Slips and Skids
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Brian Schiff is a major airline captain. Schiff’s roots are deeply planted in general aviation where he has flown a wide variety of aircraft (97 types). His total flying time exceeds 20,000 hours. He is on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) and is a 35-year Gold Seal flight instructor and FAA Safety Team Representative.
Mark King is a full-time flight instructor at a well-known Southern California flight school, CP Aviation in Santa Paula. Over 3000 of his 8000 hours of dual given have been devoted to emergency maneuver training (UPRT), tailwheel, and aerobatics. He holds an FAA Gold Seal flight instructor certificate with single, multi, and instrument ratings and Master CFI (Aerobatic) designation.
Mark has extensive Alaska flying experience, has provided training for Federal, State, and County agencies in UPRT, and has taught UPRT and aerobatics in Europe. Mark is also a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot (CSIP) and an active member of the International Aerobatic Club and participates in competitive aerobatics in a Pitts S2B and flies a Beech Bonanza and a Cessna 140 for pleasure.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 05/18/2022 |
Tragic Air Ambulance Crash at Gillespie Field: What Went Wrong?
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Pilots throughout the world know John and Martha King from their fun video presentations in their courses and regard them as their personal aviation mentors. The Kings’ use of technology and clear, simple, and fun teaching have made aviation knowledge more accessible to hundreds of thousands of pilots and maintenance technicians. After an aircraft accident and discovering their own sense of vulnerability, John and Martha say they have become “born again pilots”. The Kings use humor and stories from real-world cross-country experiences to vividly illustrate principles of risk management and pass along practical and insightful tools you will use and teach forever. |
Click to Watch! |
| 04/22/2022 |
Beyond the Basics: Aviation Weather from a Meteorologist’s Perspective
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Dr. Trey Cade served in the Air Force for 22 years, working primarily as a space weather scientist, before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel and coming to Baylor University. He is currently the Director of the Baylor Institute for Air Science and manages the Aviation Sciences degree program. In addition to teaching courses in leadership, meteorology, and space weather, he conducts research in Baylor’s Space Weather Research Laboratory. He has previously served as the Chief of the Applied Technology Division for the Air Force Weather Agency, Space Weather Operations Officer for Air Force Space Command, and an Atmospheric and Space Environmental Forecaster for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). |
Click to Watch! |
| 03/16/2022 |
FAA Hot Spots About to Sizzle!
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Christine Madden is FAA Runway Safety Program Manager and has served a detail position as the Deputy Regional Administrator in the Great Lakes Region. She has also worked as a manager in both Headquarters and the Central Service Area Runway Safety Teams, as well as in the Eastern Region’s Runway Safety office.
Ray German is currently the Eastern Service Area Team Manager overseeing the Eastern, New England, and Southern Regions under the Office of Safety and Technical Training, Runway Safety Group. Prior to his role as Team Manager, Ray was the Runway Safety Program Manager in the New England Region for 11 years. Ray comes with a background in Air Traffic beginning his career in the Flight Service option at the Burlington AFSS and then moving on to the tower option. Ray also spent several years in the Regional Office Air Traffic Division, working in several branches such as Operations, Labor Relations, and Senior Advisor to the Director before moving onto System Operations. Ray is also the Co-Chair for the Airport Construction Advisory Council (ACAC) working with Air Traffic Managers as well as Airport Sponsors on construction projects affecting the National Airspace System.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 02/16/2022 |
Pilot Training from a Mechanic
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Paul New A&P, IA, PVT, IFR, S/MEL, 2007 National A&P of the Year: Paul has flown and worked on piston engine airplanes since grade school. After earning a degree in Aircraft Electronics, he started and managed two avionics shops. In 1986, he and his wife, Helen, took over the family business his father began in 1974, Tennessee Aircraft Services, Inc in Jackson, TN,. It is now a Cirrus and Textron factory authorized service center. The shop performs routine scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and specializes in structural repairs for metal and composite airframes.
Paul is an FAA certificated Airframe and Powerplant mechanic with Inspection Authorization. In addition, he’s a private pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings. He enjoys flying his 2002 Cirrus G1 for personal and business use.
Paul writes a monthly technical column for the Cessna Pilots Association (CPA) magazine, serves as a technical advisor to their membership and presents Cessna model specific Systems and Procedures classes for CPA as well. He presents technical classes for the Cessna Advanced Aircraft Club (CAAC), which is the Columbia series aircraft. Paul began presenting technical classes at the COPA CPPP events since 2017. He also participates monthly on the AOPA podcast “Ask the A&P” along with his friends Mike Busch and Colleen Sterling.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 01/19/2022 |
Power Loss at 300 Feet- What Went Wrong, What Went Right
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Philip Mandel, CFI-I MEI, AGI, IGI: Philip Mandel earned his Private certificate in 1981 followed by an Instrument rating, Commercial pilot, CFI, CFI-I, MEI, and more recently, AGI and IGI certs and ratings. Through the years he has owned airplanes ranging from a C-150 to a Piper Apache. He is currently the proud owner of his 10th flying machine, a Thorp T-18 (no, he did not build it). Phil is a flight instructor based at Starks Twin Oaks Airpark (7S3) near Hillsboro OR. He is the 2020 Portland, OR FSDO FAASTeam Representative of the Year. |
Click to Watch! |
|
| 12/15/2021 |
If A Performance Chart Could Speak
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Catherine Cavagnaro serves as lead rep and DPE for the Nashville FSDO. She is an ATP-SEL, COM-MEL, COM-SES and glider. She holds CFI,SEL/MEL and Instrument ratings. Dr. Cavagnaro is Professor of Mathematics and was Chair of the Mathematics Department at the University of the South. She developed courses in aerodynamics, differential equations, and mathematical modeling using aviation examples.
Catherine owns the Ace Aerobatic School in Sewanee, TN, where she is a widely known expert on spin training, recovery, and avoidance. During 2004-2008, Professor Cavagnaro served as a test pilot, spin demonstration pilot, researcher, and visiting professor of aviation systems at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Catherine is the first woman to achieve both the 2018 National FAASTeam Rep of the year and the 2020 National CFI of the year. |
Click to Watch! |
| 11/17/2021 |
Understanding Stalls & Spins
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Brian Schiff is a captain for a major U.S. airline with 20,000 hours type rated on the Airbus 320, Boeing 727, 757, and 767; DC-9 (MD-80); CL-65; LR-JET; and Gulfstream V. He attended San Jose State University, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and his Masters of Science degree in Aviation Safety from the University of Central Missouri.
He regularly teaches and conducts seminars about aviation safety and techniques to student and professional pilots alike. In December 2018, Brian became a NAFI board member.
Mark King: Mark is a full-time flight instructor at a well-known Southern California flight school, CP aviation in Santa Paula. Over 3000 of his 8000 hours of dual given has been devoted to emergency maneuver training (UPRT), tailwheel and aerobatics. He holds a FAA Gold Seal flight instructor certificate with single, multi and instrument ratings and NAFI Master CFI (Aerobatic) designation.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 10/20/2021 |
Lessons From Experience & Research
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Gene Benson, CFII is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a flight instructor in 2021. He has given more than 8,000 hours of flight instruction in many different airplane types from Cubs to Jets.
Having served as a line instructor, chief flight instructor, director of aviation, director of operations, and dean of aeronautics, he particularly enjoyed teaching and developing flight instructors.
His academic credentials include BA in Psychology, MS in Education, and MBA.
|
Click to Watch! |
| 9/15/2021 |
Sim Scenarios for Safer Skys
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Paul Duty Chief Instructor and Aviation Product Manager at Gleim Aviation and CFI/I Ryan Jeff |
Click to Watch! |
| 8/18/2021 |
Integrating Home Study Course in Your Flight Instructor Business
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Eric Radtke, Sporty's Academy President and Chief Flight Instructor. |
Click to Watch! |
| 7/21/2021 |
"56-Seconds to Live. Unintended Flight into IMC Safety Initiative"
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Chris Hill, Director of Safety, Helicopter Association International (HAI), Bruce Webb, Director of Aviation Education, Airbus Helicopters, Scott Boughton, Owner, Palisade Aviation, LLC. Vice Chair, HAI Training Working Group and Nick Mayhew, Industry Co-Chair, US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST). |
Click to Watch! |
| 6/16/2021 |
"New CFIs - Teaching on Purpose
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Aaron Dabney, MSEd, MCFI, CFII, owner Waco Flight Training |
Click to Watch! |
| 5/19/2021 |
"Is Your Defensive Flying Offensive? Enhancing Safety Through Lessons-Learned"
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Greg Feith, CFII, ATP, A/IGI, UAV, Co-host of Flight Safety Detectives Podcast, Member, NAFI Board of Directors |
Click to Watch! |
| 03/17/2021 |
"Training the Blarney Out of Runway Safety"
(Click here to view presentation slides) |
Christine Madden, Runway Safety Program Manager and Nick Delotell, Aviation Safety Inspector |
Click to Watch! |
| 02/17/2021 |
TSA Training - Why it's Important to You
(Click here to view presentation slides) |
Don Stacy, TSA Transportation Safety Inspector, Aviation - Wisconsin |
Click to Watch! |
| 01/20/2021 |
Beyond the ACS: Tips for Better Instruction
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Catherine Cavagnaro, CFII, ATP, PhD Owner, Ace Aerobatic School |
Click to Watch! |
|
| 12/16/2020 |
"Leveraging Simulation for Instructor Onboarding and Standardization"
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Josh Harnagel VP, Marketing Redbird Flight Simulations |
Click to Watch! |
| 11/18/2020 |
PTS to ACS Update
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
FAA Presents PTS to ACS Update |
Click to Watch! |
| 10/21/2020 |
Right Seat Readiness
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
FAA Aviation Weather Division staff Dr. Ian Johnson and Danny Sims, hosted by Jennifer Colavito |
Click to Watch! |
| 9/16/2020 |
Right Seat Readiness
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Karen Kalishek, CFI/MEI/DPE |
Click to Watch! |
| 8/19/2020 |
Regulations in Plain English
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Todd Shellnutt, CFI Academy Standardization Manager, ATP Flight School |
Click to Watch! |
| 7/15/2020 |
Scenario Based Simulator Training
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
William “Billy” Winburn |
Click to Watch! |
| 6/17/2020 |
Weather Training in the Cockpit Spring/Summer Focus
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Gary Pokodner, Randy Bass, Jason Baker, and hosted by Jennifer Colavito |
Click to Watch! |
| 5/20/2020 |
Uncover the Mystery FAA Medical Special Issuance and CACIs
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Gregory A. Pinnell, M.D. |
Click to Watch! |
| 4/15/2020 |
FAA Runway Safety - Pilot Simulator Professional Review and Commentary
|
Captains Barry and Brian Schiff |
Click to Watch! |
| 03/18/2020 |
How Type Clubs Benefit Flight Instructors
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Thomas P. Turner, ATP, CFII and MEI |
Click to Watch! |
| 02/19/2020 |
Insurance Claims – What Happened?
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Mike Adams, Senior Vice President of Underwriting, Avemco Insurance Company |
Click to Watch! |
| 01/15/2020 |
EAA Proficiency365TM for CFIs
(Click here to view presentation slides)
|
Radek Wyrzykowski, CFI-I, MEI, Manager of Flight Proficiency at EAA |
Click to Watch! |
|
