Thomas P. Turner has been named the winner of the 2021 Jack J. Eggspuehler Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by the National Association of Flight Instructors.
The award is given to an individual or organization making a significant contribution to flight instructors, flight instruction, or aviation education.
“Mr. Turner is a great educator, author, presenter, flight instructor and good friend,” said Bob Meder, NAFI chairman. “His dedication to NAFI and flight instruction overall is an inspiration. Sharing his time, experience and good nature to NAFI is just one of the many things that makes us proud to select him for this award.”
An active flight instructor for more than 30 years, Turner specializes in type specific transition and recurrent training in Beech Bonanzas and Barons. He has published six books and hundreds of articles on flying technique and safety.
For the past 18 years, Tom has led the education and training efforts of the 10,000-member American Bonanza Society while simultaneously producing his free FLYING LESSONS Weekly blog at Mastery-Flight-Training.com.
Turner has served on the NAFI board and played a significant role in helping NAFI refine its business plans and practices, facilitating the organization’s growth and increasing stature in the aviation industry, according to NAFI officials.
In addition to the Jack J. Eggspuehler Service Award, Turner was the 2008 FAA Central Region Flight Instructor of the Year, the 2010 National FAASTeam Representative of the Year, and in 2015 was inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame. He continues to instruct, write, lecture, and publish from his home in Wichita, Kansas.
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.