GAA Live 2018

Dan Christman

Presenter

Daniel Peter Christman of Las Vegas, Nevada was the 2018 National Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year. He holds multiple ATP, instrument, aircraft, glider, Flight Engineer and Remote Pilot ratings, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF and a military instructor/evaluator pilot, and has been a flight instructor for over 19 years, specializing in glass cockpits. He created an aerobatic/upset recovery training program and supports the Young Eagles program.

C. William Pancake

Presenter

C. William (Bill) Pancake, Jr. of West Virginia was the 2018 National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year.

Catherine Cavagnaro

Presenter

Catherine Cavagnaro, CFI-I, ATP, PhD Based on her career as an aerobatic flight instructor, FAA designated pilot examiner, monthly contributor for AOPA Pilot Magazine and mathematics professor, Catherine will offer advice for pilots and flight instructors who want to improve their skills and safety.  She produces her own videos that make aerodynamic principles clear and interesting. Presenter Bio Catherine Cavagnaro serves as lead rep and DPE for the Nashville FSDO. She is an ATP-SEL, COM-MEL, COM-SES and glider. She holds CFI,SEL/MEL and Instrument ratings. Dr. Cavagnaro is Professor of Mathematics and was Chair of the Mathematics Department at the University of the South. She developed courses in aerodynamics, differential equations, and mathematical modeling using aviation examples. Catherine owns the Ace Aerobatic School in Sewanee, TN, where she is a widely known expert on spin training, recovery, and avoidance. During 2004-2008, Professor Cavagnaro served as a test pilot, spin demonstration pilot, researcher, and visiting professor of aviation systems at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Catherine is the first woman to achieve both the 2018 National FAASTeam Rep of the year and the 2020 National CFI of the year. Host Bio CATHERINE CAVAGNARO - PRESENTER

Catherine Cavagnaro serves as lead rep and DPE for the Nashville FSDO. She is an ATP-SEL, COM-MEL, COM-SES and glider. She holds CFI,SEL/MEL and Instrument ratings. Dr. Cavagnaro is Professor of Mathematics and was Chair of the Mathematics Department at the University of the South. She developed courses in aerodynamics, differential equations, and mathematical modeling using aviation examples.

Catherine owns the Ace Aerobatic School in Sewanee, TN, where she is a widely known expert on spin training, recovery, and avoidance. During 2004-2008, Professor Cavagnaro served as a test pilot, spin demonstration pilot, researcher, and visiting professor of aviation systems at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Catherine is the first woman to achieve both the 2018 National FAASTeam Rep of the year and the 2020 National CFI of the year.

Greg Feith

Host

Greg Feith is a former Senior Air Safety Investigator and “Go-Team” captain with the NTSB who has investigated over 2,500 aviation accidents worldwide during his 40-year career. He spent 21 years with the NTSB as an Investigator-In-Charge or U.S. Accredited Representative for numerous high-profile accidents, including the ValuJet DC-9 in-flight fire in the Florida Everglades, the American Eagle ATR 72 icing crash in Roselawn, and the Korean Air Boeing 747 CFIT crash in Guam. Greg also led an expedition to 21,000 feet on Mt. Illimani in Bolivia to investigate Eastern Airlines Flight 980, the highest aviation-controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accident in history.

Greg holds an ATP, CFI, CFII, Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor certificates, and a BS in Aeronautical Studies from Embry-Riddle. He has received multiple industry awards, including the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurel Award and the SAFE Association’s Michael R. Grost Award. A respected aviation safety expert, Greg is an NBC News Aviation Safety Analyst, a frequent speaker, and has appeared on MAYDAY, Seconds to Disaster, and Why Airplanes Crash. He was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2016 and co-hosts the Flight Safety Detectives podcast. He also advises on aviation safety technology and co-invented LapKidz, a safety restraint for infant passengers. Though based in Golden, Colorado, Greg spends much of his time traveling the world, advocating for aviation safety.