Brooklyn Park, Minn., native named University of North Dakota’s Certified Flight Instructor of the Month
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Sarah Hines, a University of North Dakota graduate and certified flight instructor from Brooklyn Park, Minn., was named UND’s Certified Flight Instructor of the Month for February.
A certified flight instructor is a pilot who has been trained in how to teach people how to fly. Flight instructors take students up in an aircraft and do much of their teaching in the cockpit.
As part of the Certified Flight Instructor of the Month selection process, students of the CFIs are invited to submit nominations. “I would like to nominate Sarah for CFI of the Month because she truly represents the highest level of education, service and safety at UND,” one student wrote.
“She is always thinking three steps ahead and is prepared for anything, schedule-wise. She takes the time to break concepts down clearly, patiently and thoroughly; she doesn’t just tell me what to do, she explains the ‘why’ behind everything so I fully understand the reasoning and can make safe, confident decisions.
“Having trained with at least 10 different CFIs over the years, I can confidently say Sarah brings together the best qualities of all of them in one instructor,” the student continued. “She is someone I would recommend to anyone and, in my opinion, is the ideal UND CFI.”
Hines is a graduate of Park Center Senior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minn. At UND, she majored in Commercial Aviation and graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics degree.
She holds Certified Flight Instructor and Certified Flight Instrument Instructor ratings.
“During my junior year of high school, I started thinking about getting into aviation and really wanted to fly planes,” Hines said. “That summer, I signed up for the University of North Dakota Aerospace Camp, and that’s what got me hooked.
“Flying became something possible and extremely exciting for me. It was no longer just a dream, but something tangible that was my future.
“It is incredible how UND Aerospace is capable of teaching people who have never touched a plane before,” she continued. “It makes you incredibly proud to be a part of a program like this and feels so wonderful that the work is recognized.
“My dream is to become a captain and carry everything UND has taught me into the flight deck of a major airline.”
