About SafeFlight

During the past forty years seven time Master CFI Chuck McGill has logged over 14,500 hours of flight time in over 80 different makes and models of aircraft, with over 11,000 hours as a flight instructor. Most of his teaching has been in retractable, high-performance, single-engine airplanes, primarily Cessna P/T-210 and Mooney aircraft. Specialization in these types of aircraft resulted from Chuck owning and using them in his other businesses. Chuck flew his M20J (201) exclusively while attaining his Instrument, Commercial and CFI ratings and received his CFII flying his T-210.

In 2012, Chuck wrote and published a book - Flying the Cessna 210: The Secrets Unlocked. This book has been highly acclaimed in the aviation community by many famous aviators such as Barry Schiff, Rod Machado, and others, and is available in print or electronically from Amazon and Apple.

Chuck holds a Commercial Certificate for Single Engine Land and Sea airplanes and Multi-engine land airplanes. He is a Master CFI who holds Flight Instructor ratings for Single Engine Land and Sea Airplanes, Multi-engine Land Airplanes, and Instrument Instructor Airplane.

Chuck McGill was designated as the FAA's 2009 Flight Instructor of the Year, Western Pacific Region and served as an Aviation Safety Counselor and a FAASTeam representative in the San Diego FSDO area for over thirty years.

Owning and operating his own aircraft equipped with the latest state-of-the-art avionics, Chuck teaches new owners how to operate their Advanced Avionics: Garmin G500/G600; panel-mounted GPS/GNS systems, especially Garmin GTN750Txi/650Txi series; digital Autopilot units (Garmin STEC, King); Multi-Function Displays (MFD's); Digital Engine Analyzers; and Traffic Systems.

Chuck developed and utilizes a specialized "model specific" FITS training program in certain high-performance, complex, high-altitude aircraft, specifically the Cessna Turbo and P-210s, the Mooney "TN," TLS/Bravo, 252, 201 and Ovation aircraft. His favorite aircraft for teaching the commercial rating is the M20J. He provides personalized training in high-altitude operations, flight in positive control airspace, use of oxygen, turbocharged engine operation, emergency descents, restart procedures, and advanced engine analyzer operations. Most instruction given is for model-specific checkouts, recurrent and proficiency training, plus instrument and mountain flying operations. Chuck's model-specific training programs are approved by virtually all of the insurance underwriters that insure the models of aircraft in which he teaches. Insurance checkouts are performed to satisfy the desires of both the insurance company and the pilot under instruction.

In 1987, Chuck became an instructor for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation and taught over fifty Mountain Flying, Instrument Refresher, Instrument Procedures and Pinch Hitter Courses at AOPA Flight Training Clinics throughout the United States until the program ended in 1995.

He has been an active instructor for the MAPA Safety Foundation, and was a contributing editor to the AOPA's Air Safety Foundation Review, Mooney M20 Series in 1995. 

Chuck is also a contributor to the MAPA Log, the Cessna Pilots Association magazine and the Cessna Owner's magazine from time to time, writing on safety and flight instruction topics.

The Cessna Pilots Association used Chuck as a ground and flight instructor for their 210 Course in Santa Maria, California until their flight program was closed.

Chuck has served as an FAA designated Aviation Safety Counselor/FAASTeam Representative for over 25 years.

Functioning as a contract instructor for a U.S. Government Agency in 1996, he designed, wrote, and taught a specialized "Initial Type Training" course for instructors and pilots in highly modified T-210s. Ground School on aircraft systems and procedures, as well extensive flight training, are set at the commercial pilot skill level. The course emphasizes situational awareness, single-pilot cockpit resource management in a high workload and stressful environment in both VFR and IFR operations, while simultaneously conducting activities unique to the agencys operational requirements. The full envelope of aircraft capabilities is utilized from normal airport operations in a high-density IFR traffic environment to low and slow STOL operations in remote mountainous areas. This type of in-depth training is now available to all of his students.

In May 1987, he re-enacted Lindbergh's crossing of the Atlantic in his T-210, receiving the Medal of Paris from the French government. His personal flying experiences have taken him throughout the United States, to Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, England, The Netherlands and France.

Chuck holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management, an MBA in Finance and Marketing, and is a former adjunct professor of Aeronautics at National University. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps.

It is apparent to everyone who knows him that Chuck really enjoys flying, and loves teaching others to fly their aircraft well. The pilots under instruction enjoy the benefits of his years of flight experience and enthusiasm for consistent, accident-free operation of general aviation aircraft.