The original Master Flight Instructor program began in 1997, thanks to instructors and retired school teachers Sandy and JoAnn Hill. The Master Instructor Continuing Education Program (MICEP), until recently managed as a stand-alone organization, is a family of accreditations available to qualified aviation educators based on a system of advanced professional standards and rigorous peer review. Recently, the MICEP found a new permanent home with the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators.
By 2009, the Master Instructor program had been expanded to include both aerobatic and helicopter instructors. Today, the accreditation has been widened further to include the Master Ground Instructor as well as the Master Aviation Educator for people employed at the college or university level. So many people value the Master CFI accreditation that former FAA administrator Marion Blakey called it “The best the right seat has to offer.” The one word that continues to define the process of achieving any of the master designations is professionalism.
David St. George, SAFE’s executive director said, “Studies show that earning Master Certified Flight Instructor credentials adds to aviation community recognition, respect and business. The annual savings on aircraft insurance for MCFIs more than pays the Master Instructor application fees.”
