FIT Aviation Director Earns Accreditations Renewals

 MELBOURNE, FLA.—Michael Gaffney, director of FIT Aviation LLC, Florida Institute of Technology’s aviation training arm, recently renewed two key aeronautics-related accreditations.His credentials as a Master Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) and a Master Ground Instructor (MGI) were renewed by the Master Instructors LLC, the international accrediting authority for the Master Instructor designation as well as the FAA-approved Master Instructor Program. He first earned the Master CFI, a national professional accreditation, in 2005 and has held it continuously since then. He is one of only 53 people worldwide to earn the credential four times.

Gaffney, who won recognition as the 2007 National Certified Flight Instructor of the Year, also serves as a FAASTeam representative in the Orlando / North Florida FSDO area. The FAASTeam is a volunteer arm of the FAA that promotes flight safety within the region and around the country with the strong support of professional flight instructors and educators.

He is also a volunteer for the FAA Production Studio in Lakeland, Fla. This organization is responsible for all of the safety programs and videos produced and streamed over the World Wide Web by the FAA for airmen throughout the continental United States.

Gaffney is a resident of West Melbourne, Fla.

To help put these achievements in perspective, there are approximately 93,000 CFIs in the United States.Fewer than 700 of them have achieved the “Master” distinction thus far.While the last 15 national Flight Instructors of the Year were Master CFIs, Gaffney is one of only 65 Florida aviation educators to earn this prestigious title.Additionally, he is one of only 27 aviation educators worldwide to hold the two accreditations, Master CFI and Master Ground Instructor, concurrently.

According to former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, who awarded Gaffney his National Flight Instructor of the Year title in 2007, “The Master Instructor accreditation singles out the best that the right seat has to offer.”

To achieve the Master Instructor designation, candidates must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth and service to the aviation community. They must also pass a rigorous evaluation by a peer Board of Review.The designation must be renewed every two years and significantly surpasses the FAA requirements for renewal of the candidate’s flight instructor certificate.

For information about the Master Instructor Program, call (303) 485-8136 or send e-mail to MasterInstrs@aol.com. To learn more about the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), visit www.SafePilots.org.

For information about FIT Aviation, visit www.FITAviation.com./