AOPA Flight Training Instructor Program helps students replace CFIs called for active duty

As the nation gears up for the possible conflict with Iraq, some student pilots have encountered an unexpected consequence: Their flight instructors have been called for active duty. AOPA's free Flight Training Instructor Program maintains a public database that can help any student find a replacement to continue toward a private or advanced certificate and ratings. And AOPA makes it easy for instructors to register online to be listed in the database.

An AOPA member living near Camp Pendleton, California, noted that student pilots near military facilities are especially being affected by the loss of CFIs. The AOPA Online list includes about 6,500 instructors throughout the United States.

When an instructor enrolls a student in the program, the instructor is automatically enrolled in the database. Complete details about the program, including all instructor and student benefits, can be found on the Web.

The association is encouraging instructors to register if they are not already listed, which provides students a better opportunity to keep their training on schedule. An instructor does not have to be an AOPA member to be listed in the database.

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