David Yost

This is Yost’s fourth NAFI Master Accreditation.

From a young age, Yost had a keen interest in airplanes, building many models as a kid growing up, primarily WW II warbirds. However, this love of airplanes didn’t translate into actual flying until later in life. On the advice of a fellow Boy Scout leader who was also a private pilot, Yost took his first flying lesson at age 47 and never looked back. In the 21 years since then, Yost has become a CFII and accumulated just over 3100 hours of flight time, all ASEL.

Yost has always been an active volunteer in one organization or another, and shortly after receiving his Private Pilot certificate, he joined the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. 3½ years later he received his initial CFI and became a CAP flight instructor, and later a CAP Check Pilot. Yost flies almost exclusively through the Civil Air Patrol, and serves as a Mission Pilot, Instructor Pilot, Orientation Pilot, and Check Pilot Examiner. He has endorsed 5 students for the Private Pilot certificate and 2 for the Instrument Rating – all successful on the first attempt. There are several more Private, Instrument, and Commercial students currently training with Yost. Beyond the CAP, Dave serves the Minneapolis FSDO as a FAA Safety Team representative and has given numerous flight safety briefings and presentations in various venues. He has also added a glider rating to his Commercial certificate.

Outside of flying, Yost works as a database administrator for a major insurance company, and is eagerly looking forward to retirement on April 1 2023. He is married to Shawn, his wife of 43 years. They have two sons, and two grandchildren.