NAFI MASTER INSTRUCTOR vrs. FAA GOLD SEAL CFI?

[RefugePilot]

Mcfi

To qualify you need to have met requirements in the following categories

1. Educator
2. Service to the Aviation Community
3. Creator of Media
4. Participant(education for yourself)

To apply for the rating you must do the following:

1. Completed Master Instructor Application page;
___ 2. Completed Biographical Data page;
___ 3. A 1 or 2-page professional résumé showing aviation, education and professional background;
___ 4. An aviation oriented JPEG image or photograph;
___ 5. Legible photocopies of both sides of all airman certificates;
___ 6. Legible photocopy of a government issued photo identification (i.e., drivers license, passport);
___ 7. Completed Portfolio of Professional Development page(s) with signed affidavit;
___ 8. Activity Completion Forms for each Master Instructor activity submitted for continuing education
credit, along with appropriate supporting documentation for each submitted activity;
___ 9. A check or money order, payable to NAFI (refer to rate charts on the following page).

But if you become a MCFI you have the following benefits

1. Recognition by their professional aviation association that Master Instructors have achieved a
level of professionalism and excellence that exceeds government/industry standards,
2. The option to renew an unexpired flight instructor certificate,
3. An 8” x 10” laser engraved plaque of designation as a Master Instructor,
(recognition from both NAFI and IAC on Master CFI-A plaques)
4. A Master Instructor identification card,
5. Local and national press releases and e-mail designation announcements,
6. Use of Master Instructor wings to create special Master Instructor identity items,
7. A special listing on NAFI’s web site under “Find a Master Instructor,”
8. The ability to use the designation as a reference source for future employment,
9. The opportunity for future higher earning potential and professional advancement,
10. Substantial discounts on flight instructor liability insurance

The requirements for the MCFI is higher than the gold seal and I believe the # of students you have trained would be similar to the requirements for the for Gold Seal flight instructor under the educator category plus additional contributions to the aviation community. There are some other ways to fill this requirement beside students trained. I imagine it would be hard to qualify for the MCFI but not the Gold Seal.

The requirements are high as is the cost of obtaining it, but if it was easy and free there would be more MCFIs and it would not be such a high achievement.

You can be an excellent instructor and very experienced without having your MCFI, but unless you are very involved in instructing chances are you will not qualify. Most of the MCFIs are either full time instructors or are very active in instructing.

Is it worth $150? Considering the 8” x 10” laser engraved plaque and use of Master Instructor wings to create special Master Instructor identity items, I would say it is a bargain. Okay maybe not, but if you want to make elevate your potential income and proudly display your Master Instructor identification card it is worth it. The one MCFI I know charges $70/hr, at that price you could recoupe your $150.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

RefugePilot: Thanks for your input on this. I would like to know how many students need to have been trained to what pass rate to qualify.

Are you going to become an E-CFI?

 

[AAflyer]

AA flyer, would you like to be the next E-CFI? If so list E-CFI under your ratings on this Board. Looks to me like you qualify.

I took you up on the offer, thanks for the new rating!!

Cheers
AAflyer

 

[MauleSkinner]

I would like to know how many students need to have been trained to what pass rate to qualify.

According to the NAFI website, "At least 16 CEU's must come from at least two different activities in the EDUCATOR category"...and "typically, colleges require at approximately 15 hours of direct involvement for a single college credit. A similar time requirement is generally used to determine the number of CEU's granted for an activity." So, assuming you get 10 CEU's for instructional activity, you'd have to document 150 hours of flight and ground instruction. I suppose 15 hours of flight instruction would garner 1 CEU, with the other 15 EDUCATOR CEU's coming from other activities might be considered a minimum...on the other hand, 15 CEU's would be 225 hours of flight and ground instruction, with the 16th EDUCATOR CEU from a different activity.

32 total CEU's are required, which translates roughly into 480 hours spent on qualified activities in the various categories.

No "pass rate" is specified, but "the activity's quality is also considered". If this instruction were towards certificates and ratings, they would probably want to know about your pass rate. On the other hand, it also allows for instructional activities not directly tied to checkride endorsement...tailwheel checkouts, jet transitions, 135 training, and aerobatic instruction are just a few of the instructional activities that many of us are involved in for which a "pass rate" cannot be determined by traditional means.

Fly safe!

David

 

[RefugePilot]

RefugePilot: Thanks for your input on this. I would like to know how many students need to have been trained to what pass rate to qualify.

Are you going to become an E-CFI?

I have just come up with the qualifications and have already set about copyrighting the ME-CFI rating. I am not sure how much to charge for the application fee, as I just trying to come up with a way to fund my MCFI application.

The application for MCFI is at
http://www.nafinet.org/mastercfi/mcfi_app.pdf

You can also get a word formated doc at
http://www.nafinet.org/mastercfi/index.html
This will allow you to type directly into the form.

I think the qualifications for the educational experieince is such that you can use a bunch of different things to meet this requirement, so that you dont have to be a full time Instructor to meet it. It is the publishing and other requirments that might be difficult to come by as a part timer.

I am going to get my application in the mail in the next few days.

PM me if anyone is interested in applying for the ME-CFI rating, it will be very exclusive, right now only one person has met the requirements.

 

[AAflyer]

That is the one area NAFI makes it easy for you. Publishing. With Mentor and EMentor any member of NAFI may submit an article. It is our magazine. I just had one published in the EMentor a week ago.

Also trying Airways, and Flight training right now, different subjects obviously.

PM with your requirements.

AAflyer