ATP Flight Instructors Honored with AOPA 2023 Flight Training Experience Awards
Jacksonville Beach, FL — April 13, 2023
ATP Flight School is proud to announce that four instructors were recently recognized by AOPA for their excellence in flight training. Each year through its Flight Training Experience Survey, AOPA acknowledges the efforts of individual instructors who have made a meaningful impact on the aviation community and the betterment of student pilots by providing the highest tier of quality and professionalism in flight training.
For 2023, ATP CFIs Katherine Grones and Preston Harrison received the honor of Distinguished Flight Instructor by Region, along with ATP Flight Standards Manager Todd Shellnut. Representing the Pacific Northwest, Training Center Flight Standards Instructor William Crabtree was awarded Best Flight Instructor by Region. This distinct recognition makes William one of six instructors in the nation to receive the honor.
Congratulations, William, Todd, Katherine, and Preston, for this achievement!
My favorite part of instructing is introducing and teaching my future peers to a craft that they will hopefully love and enjoy for a lifetime. Aviation, to me, has become a lifestyle, not just a career. I enjoy seeing aviation becoming a passion for others, current and future aviators.
My favorite part of being a flight instructor is knowing I must learn my trade to be a great pilot! This is much easier when you are instructing and seeing how others learn. I learn something new each time I go on a flight with a student.
The most rewarding part of being a flight instructor at ATP is helping students achieve their goals and getting one step closer to where they want to be.
Seeing a student go from zero knowledge about aircraft and the world of aviation to developing a love of aviation and achieving their dreams is my favorite part of being a CFI!
ATP is incredibly proud of Katherine, Preston, Todd, and William, who represent the best of the industry, and their ATP colleagues for their dedication to their students' success while exemplifying ATP's core values of safety-focused decisions, consistent professionalism, and integrity with students' investment. Each embodies the shared commitment and responsibility of the entire ATP instructor group for training and developing the nation's next generation of airline pilots.
