Burt Compton, now of Marfa in west Texas, grew up in an aviation family on their gliderport near Miami, Florida.  His father was a former SSA Director and World Soaring Championship Team pilot.  Burt soloed in gliders in 1968 and currently is a FAA "Gold Seal" Certificated Flight Instructor in gliders and airplanes.  He is a FAA Designated Pilot Examiner for the Lubbock FAA FSDO, which includes much of west Texas, including Marfa and Hobbs, New Mexico.

In 2007, he was selected as "Flight Instructor of the Year" by the Lubbock FAA FSDO.  Burt is one of only 300 "Master" flight instructors nationwide as designated by the National Association of Flight Instructors.  He has flown 47 different types of gliders - so far - from training gliders to the high performance racing sailplanes, at 66 soaring sites around the world.  In 2001, he was designated a Soaring Society of America (SSA) Master Cross Country Instructor.  In 2004 he was appointed the Chief Master SSA Instructor, and will manage the SSAI Master program for the Soaring Society of America. 

Burt developed the Soaring Safety Foundation "Soaring Site Safety Surveys" and has visited 39 US soaring sites (so far) to observe operations procedures, share his knowledge on risk management, and conduct lively Soaring Safety Seminars.  He is often a guest speaker at the annual SSA / Air Sports Convention, and was invited to speak at the 2001 Swedish Soaring Federation Convention.  

As an aviation video producer, he has written and produced three videos (now on DVD) for the Soaring Safety Foundation.  He was appointed as a Trustee of the Soaring Safety Foundation in 2004.   Burt is the author of "The Towpilot Manual", the popular book on how to fly the towplane, first of the "Mentor Series" published by Bob Wander and available at www.bobwander.com

 Burt is a Life Member of the Soaring Society of America since 1967.   For several years, he managed the SSA Exhibit at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and Sun 'n Fun aviation conventions.  For his marketing work at the aviation trade shows, he received the SSA Exceptional Service Award in 1999.  

Now teaching soaring in Marfa, Texas, Burt is a member of the Presidio County Airport Board, and served as President of the Board of the Marfa Chamber of Commerce.  Before moving to Texas, Burt operated "Miami Gliders" flight school in South Florida.  He was on the Board of the Greater Miami Aviation Association,  the AOPA airport representative for Homestead Airport, and an FAA Aviation Safety Counselor.  As an Adjunct Professor, he taught Glider Ground School courses for the  Miami-Dade Community College Aviation Department.

Passionate about flying, Burt enjoys sharing his time and knowledge with those seeking the dream of soaring flight.  With the addition of his new DG-1000T high performance, two-seat sailplane, Burt will also offer advanced soaring instruction at Marfa.

Burt and Kathie Compton were married in a glider high above Marfa Airport in west Texas, where they own and operate "Marfa Gliders" year round.   The Compton's sponsor the annual "Burt & Kathie Compton Aviation Experience Scholarship" for qualifying Marfa High School students.  

Email Burt Compton at  marfagliders@aol.com

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This page last updated April 16, 2008