John Mahany

About John Mahany

Since the age of 3, John has been intrigued by airplanes and the world of aviation! Constantly seeking “pearls of wisdom” and inspiration from fellow pilots and experts in aviation, he considers himself to be a lifetime student.

John first earned the distinction of Master Certificated Flight Instructor (MCFI) in 2003 and is one of only 25 worldwide to earn the credential six (6) times. The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA and candidates must pass a rigorous evaluation by a peer Board of Review.

In the words of former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, "The Master Instructor accreditation singles out the best that the right seat has to offer."

John is widely recognized as an outstanding aviation educator for not only his excellence in teaching, but for his engagement in the continuous process of learning -- both his own, and his students'. He has been teaching aviation safety for more than 40 years and is recognized as a leading advocate of flight safety. John is a frequent guest speaker at safety seminars and is a feature writer in various aviation publications.

Entries by John Mahany

Mental toughness and how it applies to aviation

May 7, 2019/by John Mahany

Why you should visit AirVenture

September 10, 2018/by John Mahany

AirVenture 2018 was awesome! There was lots of cool stuff to see and do. Which is why you should visit AirVenture! Where to begin? It’s hard to describe ‘AirVenture’! It’s so much more than ‘an airshow’, or a convention. It’s like Disneyland to ‘the max’. It’s impossible to take it all in, from the range […]

Certified Pilot – Forty Years Flying!

August 28, 2018/by John Mahany

August 15, 2018, marks forty years since I earned my Private Pilot Certificate! Back then, I had not given any thought to forty years later! Who does? And here I am reminiscing about how far I’ve come! And I’m not finished yet! Since that day forty years ago, I have logged more than 9,100 hours […]

Flying a Cessna Citation

July 7, 2018/by John Mahany

On Sunday, July 1, 2018, I had the opportunity to fly with a friend in his Single-Pilot (SP) Cessna Citation, a CE-501, from where it is based, at John Wayne Airport (KSNA) to San Jose, CA (KSJC), and back. It was a beautiful day to fly in Southern California. Though it was warmer than normal, […]

Master Instructors LLC Renews John’s Master CFI Accreditation

January 4, 2018/by John Mahany

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Master Instructors LLC takes great pride in announcing a significant aviation accomplishment […]

Weather Accidents and How To Avoid Them

February 5, 2016/by John Mahany

Join two of PilotSafety.org’s Master Instructors on a 90 minute discussion of three different general aviation weather accidents. This free and entertaining class will not only show what went wrong but teach you how to keep from making the same weather mistakes. A must attend class for anyone from a student pilot to and experienced […]

Flying Expo 2015

October 16, 2015/by John Mahany

Palm Springs, California. Under partly cloudy skies on Friday morning, October 15, 2015, I attended the 2nd annual Flying Magazine Expo. While it was ok overall, the attendance seemed smaller this year, and the number of exhibitors was down, as well. There were fewer than 100 exhibitors. Some of the biggest players in the industry […]

AOPA’s You Can Fly Program’ and Yellowbird

July 9, 2015/by John Mahany

It was great to see Kay Sundaram last week. She made the trip to Long Beach Airport to meet with our fabulous AOPA volunteers and FAA Safety Team representatives. AOPA is the largest aviation association in the world. It has been protecting your freedom to fly for 75 years. To further our Advanced Pilot Training programs we […]

Annual ‘Flying Circus’

June 15, 2015/by John Mahany

On Saturday, June 6, 2015, I flew myself and 3 friends to Flabob Airport (KRIR), which is a privately owned airport located in Riverside, California, 38 NM east of Long Beach, as the crow flies. The occasion was the 3rd annual ‘Flying Circus’, which is really an open house, and many antique and vintage aircraft […]

Flying to Breakfast

May 30, 2015/by John Mahany

On Saturday morning, May 23, 2015, I flew to the Riverside, CA, airport (KRAL) for breakfast in my Cessna 180, with several other friends, who also have airplanes based at Long Beach, CA. (KLGB). It is a short, 20 minute flight east of Long Beach. On this particular Saturday morning, the weather was marginal VFR, […]