David St George, Barry Knuttila, speaker at the SAFE Dinner, and John and Martha King.

Thank you all for making this our best AirVenture ever. King Schools CEO Barry Knuttila spoke to a packed venue at the SAFE dinner Thursday night. Despite the heat, many SAFE members gave educational seminars at the Pilot Proficiency Center. Michael Phillips and Ken WIttekiend ran the educational program at the PPC.

We met a lot of old friends and welcomed a bunch of new, energetic members at the show. SAFE membership surpassed the 5,000 mark early this year. Thank you for your support, and let's continue to push for meaningful reform in flight training and increased instructor professionalism.

Photos by Larry Baum (Aerostar driver).

Sixth-grade science class students from Acorn Elementary in Mena AR last fall traveled to Huntsville AL for the Pathfinder Space Camp at the US Space and Rocket Center. The expedition was financed, in part, by the SAFE $500 K-12 grant teacher. The awards are to encourage classroom teachers in K-12 settings to incorporate aviation-themed lessons in their normal curriculum.

SAFE awards four such $500 grants per year, two for elementary teachers and two for high school teachers. All grants come from individual SAFE members who believe in both education and young people. The grants encourage K-12 classroom teachers to incorporate aviation-themed lessons into their normal curriculum. 

The students were divided into teams where they studied galaxies, solar systems and competed with rockets. They learned the history of mission control and about the future Artemis project to send Americans back to the moon. And hopefully, they picked up the aviation bug. 

This is a first in a series of introductions to SAFE Board of Directors members. SAFE's mission is to raise CFI professionalism.

Dorothy Schick of Hobby Field in Oregon is the newest Board member, elected in June. Like the other 8 Board members, her term is three years and she is limited to two terms. One-third of the 9-member Board is up for election each year, which helps members keep control of the organization.

Dorothy's career has included promoting aviation education, safety, and the professional flight instruction career path. In 1994 she established a Part 61 flight school where in addition to being the CFI, she was also “Chief Enhancer.” Besides ensuring integrity, trust, and safe operations, she created innovative training products and programs.

She holds an FAA CFI and has given 4,692 hours of dual, often in a tailwheel. When asked her favorite aircraft for instruction, she says, "Any Aeronca Champ." Her priorities as a SAFE representative include ensuring a supply of long-time CFIs, and encouraging flight schools to use a standardized CFI-initial training syllabus. She also supports removing PSI's status as sole vendor for FAA written tests.

She is also a published author, with flight training business articles for AOPA's Flight Training magazine. She has been an FAA Safety Counselor since 2003, a FAASTeam representative since 2007 and a technology board chair for Lane Community College.

• Airline FOs are turning down promotion to captain for quality of life issues; Regional Airline Association says up to 20 percent of member flights were canceled because of a captain shortage.

• United pilots get up to 40 percent raises in tentative contract.

• Fresh Boeing forecast says industry will need 649,000 pilots and 690,000 technicians over the next 20 years.

• But amid all the celebration, NetJet pilots file grievance alleging low training standards.

• Boeing partners with Canada's CAE for its Competency-Based Training and Assessment program. Aim is to standardize pilot training on ICAO guidelines.

• FAA is offering medical reconciliation process to some 4,800 vets who did not report VA disability benefits on their medical.

• Can you imagine being Zuck's CFI? Mark Zuckerberg just got an FAA Student Pilot Certificate. Where, or if, he is training is being kept quiet.

• 2019 FAA policy barring homebuilders from counting time spent building an aircraft toward an A&P certificate will be reversed "soon," EAA says.

• CFI employment stable and flight schools still feeling healthy, a June survey by Flight School Business found more than 60% of schools expect to grow; 8% to add locations. About 10% see no change.

• Training airplanes a'plenty. ATP orders 40 more Skyhawks, adds to 55 ordered less than 2 years ago. Kilo Charlie Aviation in KS has ordered 30 Tecnam singles and twins. Also, New Honda factory in GSO to develop and manufacture the HondaJet 2600. $55 million, 280 jobs.

• Cessna is debuting shiny new interiors, paint in 2024 Skyhawks, Skylanes, Turbo Skylanes and Turbo Stationairs HD models in 2024.

• New training aircraft expected; Elixir Aircraft of France is awaiting US certification under Part 23; schools in Sarasota and Scottsdale have ordered 60 with options for more.

• Diamond DA50 RG earns FAA Type Certificate.

• Virgin Galactic completes first commercial spaceflight; apparently spaceflight not yet affected by pilot shortage.

• NV-based All In Aviation has joined DOD's SkillBridge Program. It helps transitioning service members become CFIs.

• Autonomous flight system maker Reliable Robotics has received full certification plan acceptance from FAA; says they'll reach market within two years with automation retrofits for existing aircraft..

• Latest FAA Safety Briefing focuses on flying companions. Specifically:
• Preflight first impressions,
• Fly the airplane, as always.
• Help with aviation lexicon.
• How to support the FAASTeam.

• New MOSAIC LSA rule removes 1,320 pound weight limit on LSA, increase Vs0 to 54K from current 45 and allow retractable gear and controllable pitch props. The new speed limit is 250K, up from 120K.

• PHAK just released. SAFE Strategies informed members last month the revised edition was coming.

• InstaCFI has partnered with Sporty's to offer $64/hr online CFI instruction; potential learners select from a CFI on the list.

• Cirrus Aircraft launches private pilot program; enrollment is $1,200. Uses video flight and ground instruction, performance assessments and quizzes.

• Two immersive 3-day pilot proficiency clinics at OSH, focusing on situational awareness, will be offered by Community Aviation Sept 22-27.

• New SAFE Toolkit App is free for both Android and Mac users; includes endorsements, test codes, ACS/PTS/FAR/AIM, N-number lookups, FAA Wings decoder and more.

• Free AOPA You Can Fly guides for students and CFIs available; each is a collection of flight training best practices, advice, and information from students, CFIs, and flight schools.

• New FAA "57 Seconds to Safer Flying" video on go-around techniques is free.

• VIRGA, the pirep app, is available for both Android and Apple for showing learners how easy and important it is to get in the habit of providing pireps of real-time weather.

• AV8 Prep launches online learning platform.

• Foreflight adds runway incursion deconfliction feature.

• Yardbarker.com has compiled a list of the 20 best films about pilots. You can probably guess at least one of the first two.

• NOAA reports climate change is increasing CAT in the flight levels; has been increasing since the 1980s.

• A radar altimeter for light GA? Garmin says yes, calls it a 'height advisor." Only approved for experimental and light sport for now,.

• Want a special GA license plate in your state? Here's how Florida pilots did it.

• Study shows even mildly depressed pilots have compromised skills, report calls for pilot mental health screenings and support services.

• The latest economic impact study shows GA supports more than 1.1 million jobs, with money value of $246 billion annually.

• FLYING Mag buys AVweb, Aviation Consumer, Aviation Safety, IFR Magazine and Kitplanes. Last year, FLYING bought Plane and Pilot Magazine and an LSA site.

• SAFE comments to FAA on NPRM applauds removing two-year restriction but opposes lowering quality of aviation education.

• FAA asking for info from private companies to upgrade the NOTAM system.

• FAA appears to be getting ready to regulate space tourism safety, according to AvWeb. A whole new section of the FARs will llkely be needed.

• The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives in mid-June. Sadly, several key GA-friendly provisions were stripped during markup in the Senate, including one that would require airports to provide parking at a reasonable fee, rather than paying the rapacious fees some FBOs demand. NATA was the chief opponent of this provision. At press time, the bill is still stalled in the Senate; FAA budget expires Sept 30.

Other provisions affecting GA also left on the cutting room floor included:

• A ban on 100LL, although an amendment offered late last month could assist in converting airports to unleaded avgas.
• Privatizing ATC.
• Changing noise regulations.

• Mike Whitaker, COO at Supernal nominated to lead FAA. He is a private pilot and was the agency's deputy chief from 2013 to 2016 helping modernize ATC.

Mike "Cuckoo" Kloch of Bend OR has received his second accreditation as a Master Instructor-Aerobatic. Mike is a CFII/MEI and Oregon’s only Master Instructor,. He is a former Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot who served a combat tour flying over Iraq. After attending Aviation Safety Officer School at the Naval Postgraduate School, he served as a Director of Safety and Standardization for a Marine Air Group.

He is now a contract test pilot/instructor for Epic aircraft, Elite Pilot Services and others, and is Chief pilot and CEO of Specialized Aero Works (SAW) in Bend. He teaches UPRT, aerobatics, tailwheel and more in SAW’s Super Decathlon. He holds commercial and instrument helicopter ratings and a type rating in the CM-170 Fouga Magister. Mike volunteers as an FAASTeam Representative and is co-creator of the Central Oregon Aviation Safety Team.

Jeffrey Gill of Spring TX was designated a Master CFI last month. This is his initial certification.

With a career spanning over 30 years, Jeff's aviation passion was ignited at age 8 flying with his pilot mother. Teaching at United Flight Systems in Spring, Jeff is committed to growing aspiring aviators. His teaching techniques have evolved in sync with technological advancements and changing industry standards while tailoring his methods to each individual’s learning needs. Dedication and adaptability have earned Jeff a well-deserved reputation as a highly effective and respected flight instructor, culminating in his recognition as Master Instructor.

Thomas Sando of Williston ND has received his first accreditation as a Master Aviation Educator. He is one of only four active MAEs in the U.S..

His designation recognizes his commitment to excellence as a teacher at Williston High School, where he has been teaching for 5 years while using the AOPA STEM curriculum. A pilot since 2013, Thomas became a CFI in August 2022. He holds a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University in Aviation Business Administration with a minor in Airport Management. He is also a flight instructor for Overland Aviation at Williston Basin International Airport. “Sharing my love for aviation is my passion, watching students put in the hard work,” he says. “It never gets old hearing the excitement of a student after their first intro flight or when your students become your peers and you can relate to them as only fellow aviators can,” he says. Thomas lives in Williston with his family and their two doodle dogs, Pilot and Boeing.

Col. Bob Mitchell (U.S. Army, Ret.) of Enterprise AL has received his first accreditation as a Master Flight Instructor-Aerobatic.

Bob has been an active CFI for 36 years and has flown over 9000 flight hours, including 500 combat flight hours. An experienced military and civilian flight instructor, he currently works for CAE as an Advanced Instructor Pilot (Upset Prevention and Recovery Training) in support of the U.S. Army Fixed-Wing Flight Training Program in Dothan, Alabama.

He also owns and operates StrikeHawk Aviation, a flight school in Enterprise. His his various aviation volunteering activities include EAA Young Eagles program and the Troy University Air Force ROTC.