David Paul St George

David Paul St. George is a preeminent FAA Designated Pilot Examiner and Master Flight Instructor based in Ithaca, New York. With over 50 years of aviation experience beginning in 1970, he has become a cornerstone of the flight training community. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) and previously spent 25 years managing a prominent Part 141 flight school in Upstate New York. His professional background also includes a successful previous career in the printing industry and an academic foundation with a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, which informs his expert approach to pilot pedagogy.

David boasts an impressive logistical record with over 21,000 total flight hours, including more than 16,000 hours of dual instruction given. As a DPE for nearly three decades, he has conducted over 3,800 practical tests across various certificate levels, from Sport to ATP. He is a 14-time Master CFI and currently flies Citation jets in Part 135 charter operations. A staunch advocate for safety, David maintains an exemplary record and specializes in scenario-based training and risk management. He is also the developer of the SAFE CFI Toolkit app, reflecting his commitment to modernizing aviation education and reducing accidents through improved instructor professional development.