2006 ASC OF THE YEAR: Master CFI Gene Hudson is the chief flight instructor of Silver Wings (www.GeneHudson.com), a CFR Part 61 flight school at Van Nuys Airport (VNY). He specializes in instrument, high-performance and technically advanced aircraft training.
A flight instructor since 1987 and an Aviation Safety Counselor (ASC) for more than 18 years, his skills as a lecturer are widely known in southern California. He regularly offers WINGS safety seminars to standing-room-only crowds on such topics as instrument flying techniques, airspace, landings and the human factors of flight. He also lectures to local pilot examiners on human factors and the psychology of pilot error as a part of their annual recurrency training.
Hudson also promotes aviation safety through the written word. His articles have appeared in Plane & Pilot, Private Pilot and SoCal Aviation Review as well as the US Air Force Flight Safety magazine. He is the author of one book, Instrument Flying Made Easy, and is currently working on a companion volume that will help pilots recognize and recover from vacuum and other failures in instrument conditions.