Tribune Staff Reports

Larry S. Bothe of Seymour recently was granted master instructor emeritus status by Master Instructors LLC.

The recognition is for Bothe’s many years of commitment to excellence, professional growth, service to the aviation community and quality aviation education, according to a news release from Master Instructors.

Bothe is an eight-time master instructor and a founding member of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators.

He first earned this national professional accreditation in 2001, has held it continuously since then and is one of only 13 people worldwide to earn the credential eight times.

A U.S. Army veteran, Bothe is an independent flight instructor with Cherry Hill Aviation at Freeman Municipal Airport in Seymour.

He is a designated pilot examiner and a Federal Aviation Administration safety team representative in the agency’s Indianapolis Flight Standards District Office area.

Bothe also is one of only 15 Indiana aviation educators to earn the master title and is one of 36 worldwide to be granted emeritus status.

The master instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA. Candidates must pass a evaluation by a peer board of review — a process that parallels the continuing education regimen used by other professionals to enhance their knowledge base while increasing their professionalism, according to the news release.

Designees are recognized as outstanding aviation educators for not only their excellence in teaching, but for their engagement in the continuous process of learning — both their own, and their students’.

The designation must be renewed biennially and significantly surpasses the FAA requirements for renewal of the candidate’s flight instructor certificate.