Sebastian “Vince” Massimini

This is Massimini’s second NAFI Master accreditation. Massimini began flying as a military pilot in 1969. In 1990, he retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps where he flew the A4 Skyhawk and other jet aircraft. His military service included a tour as a military flight instructor and several hundred combat missions in Vietnam. He has been a civilian airplane and instrument instructor since 2005 and currently instructs for Chesapeake Sport Pilot on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Since retiring from the Marine Corps, Massimini has worked with the FAA and foreign governments on GPS for civil aviation, (including WAAS and performance-based navigation), advanced surveillance technologies, parallel instrument approaches, and airport safety. His latest project is the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative.

Massimini volunteers as a docent at the National Air and Space Museum. He and his wife live at Kentmorr Airpark (3W3) in Maryland. He flies his Maule and Champ from the grass runway in their back yard, including commutes to the museum and the FAA. 

Massimini is an Advanced Ground Instructor, an FAA Gold Seal instructor, and an AOPA Distinguished Flight Instructor. He was the 2022 Baltimore District Flight Instructor of the Year.