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Instructor

Effective PA46 pilot training is difficult to find because instructor turnover is high. Many instructors have limited experience with these technically advanced aircraft and the challenges associated with training owner pilots.

Dick Rochfort is a full-time pilot instructor working exclusively in the Piper Matrix, Malibu, Mirage and Meridian aircraft (PA46). He provides 60 to 80 insurance-approved initial and recurrent programs, relocation service, aircraft testing and pilot mentoring services each year all over the US, Canada and Western Europe, specifically in these aircraft.

He serves as an FAA Aviation Safety Counselor for the Baltimore Flight Standards District Office and is accredited Master Instructor by The National Association of Flight Instructors. The NAFI Master Flight Instructor accreditation is a national accreditation that may be earned by aviation instructors and educators based upon a system of advanced professional standards and peer review. The accreditation granted by NAFI serves a dual purpose. First, it identifies and publicly recognizes those Teachers of Flight who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service to the aviation community. Second, it sets professional standards to which all aviation instructors and educators can aspire.

The purpose of this accreditation is to identify the practitioners of aviation instruction that have reached a higher level of instructional activity, educational experience and professional service to the flight training community. These individuals have truly become masters within the field of aviation instruction and education. This accreditation is focused specifically on activity of the individual and the experience they have gained and are able to offer those they have instructed and educated. It is focused on active instruction, not on simply taking courses or on the length of time an individual has held an instructor’s certificate. Thus it is not an honorary award recognizing longtime service as an instructor, but rather recognition of the individual that continues to practice aviation education at a higher level.

The accreditation requires a rigorous process of continuing professional activity. Like a flight instructor certificate it must be renewed on a periodic basis. To promote continuous involvement in the aviation community, designees must remain active and renew their accreditations every 24-calendar months. The NAFI Master Flight Instructor accreditation acknowledges an individual’s continuing professional growth and involvement in a broad spectrum of aviation endeavors.

Dick is a National Industry Member of the FAA Safety Team. He is a member of the Malibu Mirage Owners and Pilots Association and has served that group in the past as a member of the board of directors and as Flight Instructor for the MMOPA Safety and Training Foundation.

Dick has been teaching pilots of all experience levels for over 20 years with no accidents. In addition to corporate flying, his background includes training in clinical psychology and human factors engineering. This experience gives him additional insight into the learning process for owner pilots whose learning styles tend to differ from those of professional pilots.