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The National Association of Flight Instructors announces the winners of two prestigious awards: the Jack J. Eggspuehler Service Award and the Greg J. Laslo Excellence in Writing Award. This year, both awards went to contributors of NAFI Mentor magazine and NAFI publications.This year's Jack J. Eggspuehler Service Award was given to David Hipschman, NAFI's retired Director of Publications and Editor.
The Jack J. Eggspuehler Service Award is NAFI's highest honor. It is given to deserving members, industry leaders, and/or organizations that perform, past and present, outstanding services for NAFI to the benefit of its members.
Hipschman's commitment to aviation education, safety practices, and tireless efforts to help new and established writers share their knowledge with flight instructors blended his passion for writing and flying with the ability to teach others to be better communicators. Countless contributions to NAFI's Mentor magazine, eMentor, and other publications have benefitted from his editorial skills.
Hipschman, 70, who retired from NAFI last year, was previously EAA's director of publications. He had been the foreign services editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and the publisher and editor of Kinesis, a nationally distributed literary magazine based in Montana. Under his editorship, Wyoming's Casper Star-Tribune won the GLAAD Media Award for fighting hate crime.
When presenting the award to Hipschman, NAFI Board Chair Emeritus Robert Meder said, "David is not only a colleague, but a friend as well. In fact, he is the very best kind of friend — one who will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. NAFI is a better organization for that. David helped me, along with scores of others, learn how to better express ourselves in writing."
Jack J. Eggspuehler, founder of the National Association of Flight Instructors, and a member of the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame, served as president of NAFI for more than 30 years. Past award recipients of the Eggspuehler Award include Tom Poberezny, John and Martha King, and the Jeppesen Flight Training products team.
The Greg J. Laslo Excellence in Writing Award went to three writers: Jen Watson, Dana McIlwain, and Josh Watson, creators of The Right Seat advice column in Mentor magazine.
The Greg J. Laslo Excellence in Writing Award was created by the NAFI board after Laslo's retirement. He was the editor of NAFI's Mentor magazine from 2000 - 2011.
Of the trio of writers who won the Greg J. Laslo Excellence in Writing Award, Beth Stanton, NAFI's Director of Publications and Editor said, "After cringing for years reading really bad answers to questions asked on social media, they had to do something about it and The Right Seat advice column was their answer," Stanton said. "They are a dream team of instructors, flight school and maintenance shop owners, and a safety inspector."
Jen and Josh Watson are co-owners of AeroDynamic Aviation San Jose, California. Jen Watson is an FAA Gold Seal flight instructor and two-time NAFI Master Flight Instructor. Josh Watson is an Aandamp;P mechanic with inspection authorization and runs the operational and maintenance aspects of the school. He is an instrument rated pilot with the eventual goal of becoming a CFI. McIlwain has been a flight instructor since 2015 and is a safety inspector for a three-letter agency.
About the National Association of Flight Instructors
Members of the National Association of Flight Instructors work as independent instructors, at flight schools, universities, FBOs, corporate flight departments, and in the military. Since 1967, NAFI and its members, who teach in countries around the globe, are dedicated to increasing and maintaining the professionalism of flight instruction.
NAFI members influence active pilots daily: Students working to become pilots, current pilots training to advance their skills with new ratings or certificates, and pilots who seek to improve their skills with recurrent training. NAFI also serves as an advocate with industry and government as a voice for flight instruction. NAFI helps shape the current and future direction of flight training.