CFIs Get Well-Deserved Funds from WINGS Sweepstakes

Members of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) got some well-deserved funding to help further their endeavors in making pilots safer. Ten flight instructors received anywhere from $500 to $1,500 as part of the Paul and Fran Burger $10,000 WINGS Sweepstakes.

The sweepstakes was conceived to encourage instructors to get their students to use the FAASTeam WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program as a way to increase flight safety. Four groups, NAFI, SAFE, the AOPA Safety Institute (ASI) and the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), came together to bring the concept to life and 40 organizations and individuals have endorsed the campaign.

“More than 20 years ago I personally witnessed a tragedy where the pilot, his nephew and niece and a family friend were killed. Since then I have donated a substantial amount of energy, time and money for GA safety so that fewer friends and family have to have this same experience,” said Paul Burger, the founder of the WINGS Industry Advisory Committee (WIAC), which announced the winners of the sweepstakes.

Members of the two flight instructor organizations receive entries for the sweepstakes when they validate WINGS flight credits that bring a student pilot or pilot to a phase. The WINGS program has three phases and each phase requires six credits. Credits can be achieved by attending WINGS-qualified clinics live or online.

This year, four instructors received $1,500, four received $750 and two instructors won $500.