At Redbird Migration, AOPA Unveils National Flight Training Award Winners

The annual flight training conference attracts CFIs and flight schools and has been ongoing since 2011. While it was held virtually in 2020—and the next meeting pushed to February 2022—the in-person event took place in the Aerospace Center for Excellence’s newly completed Ramos Skylab at the Florida Air Museum hangar.

The association also changed the nature of its awards in 2020 to reflect the environment caused by the pandemic.

AOPA has used Migration as its platform for honoring those who secure each year’s top award in several categories, with the list of “honorable mentions” already released in November 2021 for that year’s awards.

The U.S. is divided into regions for the awards, which are based on an extensive survey of students, pilots, and instructors across the country. Pilots can vote on their favorite CFI and flight school programs, with those garnering the most votes listed on the association’s site.

More than 8,000 submissions for the 2021-22 season translated into 1,740 recommendations for top instructors, with 949 for the best in flight training organizations. The Flight Training Experience Survey gathers data on educational quality, customer focus, aviation community, and information sharing.

CFI Ambyr Peterson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was nominated as a distinguished instructor in the Great Lakes region—and just found out she made the top of the list. 

“Peterson is not only an outstanding CFI,” said AOPA in a statement, “she has a knack for helping other instructors get the best results from their teaching.”

Instructors can be nominated by both their current student pilots as well as those pilots who have received instruction during the past year.

In the Pattern, a flight school based in Denton, Texas, garnered its award as the top training organization in the Central Southwest Region before learning that they had secured the national award as well. 

“In just three years at Denton Enterprise Airport (KDTO), In the Pattern has built a solid reputation as an outstanding business with 12 airplanes, seven instructors, and rave reviews,” said AOPA. “The school lives up to its motto of ‘Experience Aviation.’”

“These awards allow us the opportunity to recognize the very best in flight training across the nation,” said Elizabeth Tennyson, executive director of AOPA’s You Can Fly initiative. “Flight schools and CFIs are our front-line ambassadors to protect and grow general aviation, and these professionals are responsible for molding our next generation of pilots. 

“It’s rewarding to see aviation leaders dedicated to delivering excellent training, and setting an outstanding example for new and future pilots.”