Doug Stewart is the “National Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year for 2004”. An eleven-time Master Certified Flight Instructor, Gold Seal Instructor, and Designated Pilot Examiner, he is based at the Columbia County Airport (1B1) in Hudson, NY. At the time of this writing he had logged over 12,700 hours of dual instruction given, with over 5,600 hours of that being instrument instruction. This instruction has been given in aircraft as simple as the J-3 Cub, and as complex as the Cessna C10T Silver Eagle. Aviation is not only Doug’s vocation, but his avocation as well. It is a consuming passion in his life. Much of his “time off” is spent flying.

Prior to starting DSFI, Inc. he was the chief flight instructor for Berkshire Aviation Enterprises, where he had instructed since July 1991. Both the Windsor Locks Flight Standards District Office, and the New England Regional Office of the FAA have recognized him as the “Flight Instructor of the Year”. As a Founding and Charter member, Doug is also deeply involved with the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE).  He retired as their first Executive Director so that he could devote more time to his true love… flight instruction.

Of all these things, Doug is first and foremost, a flight instructor. He cheerfully and enthusiastically shares his love and passion for aviation with all he comes in contact with. Underlying this joy of flight is the deep rooted understanding that safety is of paramount importance. Safety of flight is the root of his instruction and the spirituality of flight is the heart of it. Whether it be in the cockpit, the classroom or the lecture hall, he wants you to share his passion for flight.

The East Coast IFR Experience (ECIE) is a carefully planned five-day aviation adventure developed by master instructor Doug Stewart that takes a pilot through some of the most demanding real world flying scenarios that one would encounter in years of normal flight. The ECIE begins at the Berkshire Hills of New England, proceeds southwest over the Catskills, the Poconos, Appalachians and through North and South Carolina, Georgia, and south Florida. The return trip proceeds up the east coast all the way to Maine, then back over the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire to ultimately, where the trip started, Columbia County Airport (1B1) at Hudson, NY.

All along the way Doug challenges the pilot to fly some of the most difficult IFR procedures available. This includes all types of approaches, departures, communications, partial panel flight, deviations, flight planning, weather briefings, radio navigation, and emergencies. Doug also shares personal techniques and best practices developed from thousands of hours of IFR flight. Over the course of the five days, pilots can expect to log over 30 hours of flight time, 20+ approaches, landings and departures.

As you can imagine the price of such a trip is significant and not within everyone's budget. However Community Aviation filmed and documented the entire trip so you can come along for a fraction of the cost.

Everyone is encouraged to follow in the wake trail of Doug's pilot-in-training (PIT), Billy Winburn as he undergoes a very open (at times humiliating) learning experience. Many chapters includes a first-hand and reflective narrative of lessons learned from each flight.

Doug talks about the origin of the East Coast IFR Experience and how it developed into the learning adventure that it delivers today. While he initially thought most of his customers would be students working on their IFR rating, indeed most of his business is from pilots who are already instrument rated.

Many general aviation pilots can go through a lifetime of flying without encountering situations that can present themselves during this five-day trip. Having an experienced pilot by your side while you are at the controls deepens the learning experience. Decision making is a major factor for many of the lessons learned during this experience. They are about taking direct responsibility for the flight. You are in charge of your airplane and its crew, no one else.