Discounts on eKneeboard, iFlightPlanner Now Available

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) recently added eKneeboard and iFlightPlanner to its list of member benefits. eKneeBoard is a complete training solution that combines full flight and academic courses with the power of an electronic flight bag in a single app. Moving map navigation over geo-referenced VFR and IFR charts, weather briefing tools, and flight planning and filing have been integrated with flight review courses, G1000 courses, and a complete line of certification courses for the iPad. eKneeBoard also allows pilots to browse FAA training handbooks, the FAR/AIM, flight maneuvers, videos, and more. Users can download ground study courses to improve or upgrade their flying as an in-app purchase as well.

iFlightPlanner features a web-based Flight Wizard to help pilots intuitively plan routes with interactive weather overlays, retrieve FAA-certified weather briefs, and file VFR, IFR, and ICAO flight plans. iPad users can sync their flights wirelessly with iFlightPlanner for seamless, on-the-go cockpit functionality with a GPS-enabled moving map over geo-referenced VFR and IFR charts. Additional features include the ability to save and use custom waypoints, an integrated weight and balance calculator, and the functionality to export detailed navigation logs to Garmin or other GPS devices.

According to SAFE Executive Director Doug Stewart, “As a member-centric organization, we are continually challenged to expand our member benefits.” He added, “With eKneeboard and iFlightPlanner, SAFE members can now receive discounts on more than two dozen products and services, including access to our Mentoring and CFI Liability Insurance Programs.”

A 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, SAFE represents more than 700 of the industry’s top aviation educators, including the majority of Master Instructors as well as numerous local, regional, and national General Aviation Awards winners.

Starts During Sun-n-Fun 2013

Contact: John Thompson, (646) 227-6780

Starr Aviation (Starr), a division of Starr Indemnity & Liability Company, recently partnered with the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) and Redbird Flight Simulations (Redbird) to reward participation of insureds in the Pilot Proficiency Project™. Available at major aviation events, the Project offers a series of FAA WINGS-approved seminars and simulator training scenarios that address common causes of general aviation accidents.

Qualified Starr policyholders participating in Project seminars and/or simulator training will receive the benefits of the Accident Forgiveness Endorsement waiving any premium increase due to an accident occurring after the certification (certain overriding events excluded).

Jim Anderson, Senior Vice President of Starr Aviation’s Light Aircraft division said, “We appreciate the great work SAFE and Redbird are doing with the Pilot Proficiency Project, and want to further incentivize participation by our insureds. Participation in this project clearly demonstrates a pilot’s commitment to safety, and Starr wants to reward this kind of effort.”

The first opportunity for pilots to earn the Accident Forgiveness Endorsement will be during Sun-n-Fun in Lakeland, Florida, April 9–14, 2013. Pilots are encouraged to sign up for an opportunity to “fly” one of eleven challenging scenarios in Redbird’s FMX full-motion simulator at the SAFE Tent (NE-006). Pilots are also encouraged to attend project safety seminars, which will be conducted in the Florida Air Museum.

SAFE developed the Pilot Proficiency Project™ in 2010, partnering with Redbird to enable pilots to receive relevant recurrent training. SAFE represents more than 700 of the nation’s top aviation educators, and provides resources to assist educators in developing skilled, knowledgeable and safe aviators.

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For more information about Starr Aviation and the Accident Forgiveness Endorsement, please contact Sloan Looney, Starr Aviation Business Relationship Manager, at 469-587-1103.

STARR COMPANIES (or STARR) and the STARR Logo are trademarks worldwide for the services offered by the operating insurance and travel assistance companies and subsidiaries of Starr International Company, Inc. and for the investment business of C. V. Starr & Co., Inc. Starr is a leading insurance and investment organization with a presence on five continents; through its operating insurance companies, Starr provides property, casualty, and accident & health insurance products as well as a range of specialty coverages including aviation, marine, energy and excess casualty insurance.

For more information visit us at www.starrcompanies.com

Along with SAFE Executive Director Doug Stewart, SAFE members Jeff Edwards, who also represented the Lancair Owners and Builders Organization (LOBO), and Tom Turner, who also represented the American Bonanza Society (ABS), recently participated in a “Listening Session” chaired by NTSB member Dr. Earl Weener. The session sought input from members of the general aviation industry on ways that NTSB could improve on its investigation of GA accidents.

Other organizations participating in the session included AOPA, EAA, ERAU, FAA, GAMA, IHST, and NASA. A recurring theme throughout the four-hour session was the need for NTSB to gather more data relative to the human factors involved in accidents, including: recency of experience, recency of recurrent training, types of recurrent training, testing and check ride history, and the history of the pilot during the 72-hour period immediately preceding an accident.

NTSB initiatives seeking input from industry members, as well as the enthusiastic participation of industry members in providing such input, is a positive step toward changing GA’s safety culture, which was a central component of the SAFE-chaired “Pilot Training Symposium” in 2011. The output from the symposium has been a catalyst for a cohesive effort by stakeholders to solve the persistent safety problems plaguing our industry.

The Society of Aviation & Flight Educators, Inc.(SAFE) is offering a $250.00 grant designed to encourage K-12 classroom teachers to incorporate aviation-themed lessons into their normal curriculum.  Aviation and aerospace topics are the perfect adjunct for teaching science, math, history, and even art.  Aviation and aerospace are topics that generate enthusiasm with all types of learners and all ages of students.

Click here for guidelines and application

The SAFE Governance Committee is accepting nominations for the 2013 board elections. The organization is especially in need of board members who have prior knowledge of non-profit operations, experience in fundraising or connections to the aviation industry.

Nominees will be vetted using a written question/answer process and later, telephone interviews. Once the vetting process is complete, a slate of candidates will be developed and presented to the board at its April meeting. An online election will begin April 11, 2013. All SAFE members are encouraged to participate in the election process.

Nominees for the board must be members in good standing of SAFE. Only one person from any one institution/company may be a member of the board at one time. You may nominate yourself or someone else. Directors serve a three-year term; new board members will be seated during the organization’s Annual Membership Meeting at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013.

Email your nomination to John Dorcey, Governance Committee Chair, at wipilot@new.rr.com. Use SAFE Nomination as the subject. Attach a resume (two page maximum) highlighting your knowledge, skills and experience for consideration as a board member candidate. Provide additional contact information – telephone numbers and email addresses in your initial email message.

While you consider becoming a nominee you may want to review information at the following links:

Vision & Mission statement

By-laws

Commitment Runs Through End of 2013

The Society of Aviation & Flight Educators (SAFE) recently announced that Redbird Flight Simulations will be the exclusive sponsor of the organization’s website for 2013. Redbird had previously provided key sponsorship of SAFE booths at aviation events, and is a sponsor of SAFE’s eNewsletter as well as SAFE’s first Platinum Level Corporate Member.

According to SAFE Executive Director Doug Stewart, “Redbird is a preeminent leader in bringing innovation to aviation education and has been a tremendous supporter of our organization since our inception four years ago.” He added, “We are ecstatic that Redbird has agreed to sponsor our growing website and that together we can make innovative training programs such as our Pilot Proficiency Project™ available to all pilots.”

SAFE volunteers and the team at Redbird partnered to develop and provide the Pilot Proficiency Project™ during AirVenture and AOPA Summit in 2012, and the two organizations will be conducting the project during the Women in Aviation Conference, Sun-n-Fun, and AirVenture in 2013.

A 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, SAFE represents nearly 700 of the industry’s top aviation educators, including the majority of Master Instructors as well as numerous local, regional, and national General Aviation Awards winners.

IRS Grants 501(c)(3) Status Effective May 7, 2012

The Aviation Educator Hall of Fame (AEHOF) was recently granted 501(c)(3) tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. Begun in 2010 as an initiative of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), a coalition of more than 20 aviation organizations and individuals formally established the independent Hall of Fame in May 2012. The organization is led by President Jack Pelton, Vice President Steve Riethof, and Secretary Judy Phelps. Peggy Chabrian, Rod Machado, Rusty Sachs, and Thomas Turner make up the selection committee.

Currently a virtual Hall of Fame, AEHOF’s purpose is to select and recognize qualified nominees who, through extraordinary achievement and service of either a sustained or a one-time nature, have made outstanding contributions to aviation education generally, in a specific field of endeavor, or in a niche. Any person or group may nominate an individual for induction into AEHOF. Eligible nominees include ground, flight, and simulator instructors, pilot examiners, teachers and academicians, authors, researchers and innovators, maintenance and avionics instructors, and other aviation-education-related professionals who warrant consideration. AEHOF’s goals for 2013 include inducting its inaugural class of honorees.

Tax deductible donations to AEHOF can be made using the organization’s PayPal “Donate” button, or by check payable to Aviation Educator Hall of Fame, Inc., c/o P.O. Box 1026, McCall, ID 83638. For those wishing to support AEHOF by volunteering time and expertise, please email.

For more information, to make an online donation, or to nominate a candidate for consideration for the Hall of Fame, visit http://www.AviationEducatorHoF.org.

New Content Now Available for K–12 Teachers & Other Aviation Educators

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) recently expanded its online Resource Center. In addition to content tailored to flight, ground, avionics, and maintenance technology instructors, new material has been added specifically for K–12 teachers and educators involved in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. Although most of the content in the Resource Center is exclusively for SAFE members, the organization also maintains a Public Resource Center replete with training aids, free syllabi, and other useful material.

In response to a survey of teachers conducted by SAFE’s K–12 Resources Group during AirVenture 2012, an annotated list of online resources was recently added to the Public section. The six-page list was vetted by SAFE and is designed to save time for K–12 teachers looking to introduce aviation and aerospace themes into their classrooms. For example, the site www.FlyToLearn.com promotes “S.T.E.M. Education Through Aviation” for students of all ages and offers software for classroom use that allows students to design, build, and fly virtual airplanes for a few dollars per student per year.

According to SAFE Executive Director Doug Stewart, “Our goal is to continue to provide aviation educators—members and non-members alike—with useful and easy-to-access educational resources.” Stewart added, “And thanks to our working relationship with the FAA, members can now access the SAFE-created FAASTeam Flight Instructor Open Forums directly from our Resource Center.”

A 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, SAFE represents nearly 700 of the industry’s top aviation educators, including the majority of Master Instructors as well as numerous local, regional, and national General Aviation Awards winners.

FMI: http://www.safepilots.org, http://www.safepilots.org/resource-center/public-documents/

SAFE, Redbird Make Training Scenarios Accessible to All Redbird Operators

In cooperation with Redbird Flight Simulations, the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) recently made its Pilot Proficiency Project™ simulator training scenarios available for download through the SAFE website. The same simulator training scenarios co-developed by SAFE instructors and the Redbird team that were employed during this year’s EAA AirVenture and AOPA Summit are now available to all operators of Redbird simulators.

According to SAFE Executive Director Doug Stewart, “Given the success of the simulator portion of the Pilot Proficiency Project™, the time had come to share these challenging training scenarios with those who provide training in Redbird sims across the country.” Each of the ten simulator scenarios can be downloaded to Redbird pilot keys for the three most popular configurations of the Cessna 172. Other Redbird configurations can also be made available upon request.

Operators must have the latest Redbird software installed in order to properly run these training scenarios. In addition to the software, documentation with recommended teaching points is also available at http://www.SafePilots.org/resource-center/public-documents/terms-of-use-redbird-simulator-scenarios/.

Redbird currently has a network of more than 300 simulators working in flight schools. SAFE’s Pilot Proficiency Project™ provides forums and simulator training sessions that address key safety of flight issues. Founded in 2009, SAFE represents nearly 700 of the industry’s top aviation educators, including the majority of Master Instructors as well as numerous local, regional, and national General Aviation Awards winners.

Access to the Redbird sim scenarios as well as other free materials (syllabi, training aids, etc.) is provided on SAFE’s Public Resource Center webpage.

FMI: http://www.safepilots.org, http://www.redbirdflightsimulations.com/

SAFE Instructors to Provide Training in Redbird FMX Simulators

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) has announced that its Pilot Proficiency Project™ will be available during next week’s AOPA Summit. Conceived by SAFE in 2010, the upcoming project in Palm Springs will be a cooperative effort between SAFE, Redbird Flight Simulations, and AOPA.

SAFE’s Pilot Proficiency Project™ provides forums and simulator training sessions that address key safety of flight issues. During Summit, however, only the simulator portion will be offered. A number of modifications to the simulator sessions have been made based on feedback received from previous participants, including:

• One-hour simulator sessions consisting of 15-minute pre- and post-briefings with 30 minutes in the simulator;
• Scenarios available with either a Legacy panel (i.e., “steam gages”) or a G1000 panel;
• Ability to choose two of eleven scenarios co-developed by SAFE and Redbird.

Training sessions will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis on Thursday, October 11, from 10am to 5pm, and on Friday and Saturday, October 12 and 13 from 9am to 5pm. Slots are limited, so interested pilots are urged to sign up early during the event.

Founded in 2009, SAFE represents nearly 700 of the industry’s top aviation educators, including the majority of Master Instructors as well as numerous local, regional, and national General Aviation Awards winners.

FMI: http://www.safepilots.org, http://www.redbirdflightsimulations.com/, http://www.aopa.org/summit