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The skinny on a CFI rating?

Carbon Cub Chick

Carbon Cub Chick

Registered User
Little Rock
I am finishing up my Instrument and will then get my Commercial and would then like to get my CFI rating. I have not looked into what all is involved in getting your CFI...except to talk to several who have basically said a lot of it is self taught (in that you can't teach someone to be a teacher). Anyhow, any information you could give would be great (the ups and downs)! I just want to pass on the joy of flying and maybe make some $ for av gas...oh, and teach my 10 yr. old son how to fly.

p.s. Is that big, strapping 6'5 dude going to take one look at this 5'1 chick that needs a cushion to see over the panel and think :eek: ???
:lol:
 
Hey Tish,

I'm finishing up my instrument ticket and starting on my CFI now. I've heard it takes about 10 or 15 hours of flight training to get the rating. You're not really learning anything new, just how to do it from the other seat and explain everything, etc. Same maneuvers you did for your private and commercial.

There is quite a bit of studying, though. The oral exam is supposed to be killer. There are 2 written tests, as well. I took the Fundamentals of Instruction test a couple weeks ago and am taking the Flight Instructor-Airplane test tomorrow. They are both easier than the instrument written.

I would also like to hear some advice from the CFI's here about the rating, checkride, etc.

Thomas
 
Its all about multi-tasking. The hardest checkride I've had to do to date, six hour oral and a two hour flight. My DE was a former aerospace engineer so I had to be real tight with all of the technical/mechanical aspects of the aircraft. He failed my first oral due to an "improper" and "prolonged" explanation of the propeller governor on an aircraft equipped with a constant speed prop. Had to come back the next week and do it all over again. Moral? Know your DE and what he expects from you, and know the airplane and FOI inside and out. Its definitely worth it, and not just from the instructing standpoint. Makes you a better pilot personally as you learn to critique, and having the rating looks good if you ever go looking for a job/career in aviation.
 
You Go, Girl!!

Two of the best flight instructors I've ever had the pleasure of flying with were each a little less than 5 feet tall, and less than 100 pounds. They both taught me a lot, one that you don't have to see out of a Cub to fly it from the back seat (she could simulate Jimmy Doolittles first instrument flight just sitting in the back, and could land it way better than me in the front) and the other in learning instrument flight and learning to instruct.

Flight instructing will make you a better pilot. Just DO NOT make assumptions, other than that the person in the other seat will probably do something really goofy and try to hurt you very soon. That said, it is really gratifying, and we owe it to the folks who mentored us to pass along those gems of information they so graciously passed to us.

As noted, there are two writtens. The FOI is pretty basic. Read the book, take the test. The second written is just an abbreviated version of the Commercial.

Depending on where you are, the initial flight instructor practical test may still be given by and FAA person. This is, I believe, about the only practical that is still given by the FAA in some regions. Others farm it out as well. As noted, find out who the examiner is and what they expect.

Plan a full day or two for the practical. There will be a several hour oral, in which you will be told to prepare and teach a lesson plan on some maneuver or..... The examiner should tell you what those will be ahead of time so you can prepare. They will want to see you teach them ground school on that subject, complete with questions, etc. Often, they'll let you get part way into a lesson, then say fine, and move on to the next.

In the airplane, they'll have you demonstrate, or teach or both, several maneuvers. They want to know that you can fly the plane from the right seat, but more importantly they want to know if you can talk while you demonstrate, and critique their flying of a maneuver.

I think one of the biggest mistakes that instructors make is flying the airplane too much, and the FAA for the most part agrees. The point is for the student to fly the airplane. The instructor shouldn't be flying the plane much, except to demonstrate, or to get home in one piece if the student absolutely can't fly.

Flight instructing can be the toughest thing you've ever done in an airplane ("dang, I wonder what he was thinking?") and it can be the most rewarding thing you'll ever do in an airplane.

Go for it.

MTV
 
CFI

1. You will become a better pilot.
2. Your first student solo is just about as exciting as your own first solo.
3. It's fun to help someone realize their dreams.
4. You already have more experience than most, flying a taildragger and owning a airplane.
Cautions:
1. Don't get to full of yourself. (overconfidence)
2. Don't let it go any farther than you can recover from.
3. Never get complacent.

Buy the books and study like all the other ratings.
 
Cubchick,

While you are working on your CPC, do all your lesson plans for all the Private and Commercial PTS maneuvers.

Fly 50/50 right and left seat during Commercial training, dual and solo practice.

Lots of ground instruction. Lesson plans for all PTS areas plus good explanations and examples of things like drag curve, airfoils, basic aerodynamics, forces of flight, etc. Also need basic knowledge and diagrams of aircraft systems.... and be able to explain design & function. Lastly, be prepared to explain all FARs relating to instruction.... including all endorsements required.

I've put some applicants through CFI with virtually no extra flight time if you start now with lots of right seat flying. Last one did it with 2.5 hrs dual flight time and about 25 hours of ground school.

Good luck.... it's hard work, but worth it in the end.
 
:eek: WOW!

Thanks for all of the replies guys! I admit, the engine/mechanical "stuff" is what I'm really going to have to hone up on.

I just keep reminding myself "Remember how insurmountable getting your private seemed when you started out?!!"

p.s. Right about now, I'm wishing I had hung out with my dad in his shop while growing up instead of chasing the boys. :lol: Well, maybe not. :Gheart:
 
As far as what the 6'-5" dude will think....."Just forget about it."(<---Use a New York accent) My CFI was a little bitty french girl. The thing I liked most about her is she would say things like " your doing it wrong AND this is why" She never said anything bad about my flying with out saying "and this is why...." Another thing to remember about private pilot students is that they will almost always think a CFI is a god until they get their ticket, then they think they're a god, for a while at least.

Teaching is not a thing a person is "Born" to do. Just like flying it is a skill that requires initial and recurrent training.
 
In this country instruction is a graded thing,
first is a grade 3 they basically do ground instruction and a little bit of circuit work and must work under the direct supervision of a grade 1 instructor.

A grade 2 is a grade 3 with 100 hours of instruction time (flying) and can do most instruction including cross countries, and most of this time is under direct supervision of a grade 1 with some time being indirect supervision. After the intial supervised time is flown off the rest of the 1000 hours can be unsupervised but discussed with the CFI.

A grade 1 instructor has 1000 hours (flying) instructing and then can go for Chief Flying Instructor. You can be a grade 1 and not be a CFI.

It used to be a way in this country to get hours up, it seemed to me of supplying bad training as most didn't want to be there. There are pilots instructing with as little as 300 hours. There is also an oversupply of instructors so there are pilots actually paying to work for companys just to get "hours up".

I think there should be at least 1000 hour minimum for instruction, at least then you would have a bit of an idea. I'm not saying that pilots with less are no good it just makes more sense to get out in the real world and have done some flying. In England I think the requirement calls for at least 500 hours.
 
The only thing I can add to the excellent comments above is that if your going to do it, do it right away after the commercial. Main reason being that much of what your going to have to demonstrate is fresh in your mind. The longer you wait the less detail you remember.
Yes, it's an involved process but it should be. After all your being intrusted with a great responsibiltiy. Also remember that it's not as much about being a great pilot as it is about being a great educator. I know some excellent aviators that, frankly SUCK as instructors.
I say go for it.....Some of the best times of my life were in the right seat of 172.
 
Everything said here is true, especially the part about making you a better pilot. Also, get some good lesson plans from somebody who has been through it.

Around here, the FAA insists that you get your initial Instructors Rating with them, then you can go to a DPE for the add on. They don't like it, but what we all do is get the Instrument CFI first. It is a much easier Flight test (assuming you can fly instruments) and a much easier oral because there is a lot less to cover. Then we add on the CFI-A with a DPE. I'm not saying the test is any easier, but somehow the pressure seemed less.

I pass on what I was told by a very experienced instructor. "Tell your students to keep their feet off the brakes. That's the only mistake I can't fix!"

Good Luck

Rich
 
Also, be sure you have no assets, or that you have good insurance. Just riding in the right seat will have some insurers target you.
 
While I certainly don't disagree with Bob, I think it's sad that the first thing we have to think about these days is liability. 30yrs ago when I got my CFI we never gave it a thought. I wonder how many excellent instructors we've lost due to liabilty issues.
I've considered renewing my CFI and doing some tailwheel endorsments and insurance dual for folks but I just can't justify the liability myself.
 
Instructing can be very satisfying, but please, remember you are there for the students benefit, not your own. Some instructors just cannot let go of the controls and worse, neglect to let the student know when they are 'helping'. Lack of communication is another problem--may be that is why women CFIs have received favorable comment on this thread. I suffered with both these problems when a student. Unfortunately, there were few tail wheel qualified CFIs to choose from while learning to fly my Champ. Best advise for a new CFI is never let a student exceed YOUR comfort level.

Ron
 
Grrrrrr.........

Liability.

Dang it, folks----there is great liability insurance available for instructors which also covers non-owned aircraft.

Let's see, a lot of folks get all up tight about liability when they are asked to give some flight instruction.

Hey, I'm not saying that is wrong, but consider this:

Same guy is called by his buddy, who has NO insurance whatsoever on his $150 K go-mobile. Buddy says "Hey Bob, can you move my superblaster 500 from MRL to FAI for me?" "Sure" says Bob, and he does the trip. Upon arrival in Fai, he meets an Alaska Airlines smoker upon landing cause he screwed up and ATC didn't catch it. Miraculously, Bob survives, though 18 people on the jet don't.

Let's see: Is there any liability involved there? Well, yes, but hey, Bob got to fly a way cool plane that he'd never be able to afford himself.

Is Bob any better off than if he'd been instructing? Negative.

NAFI has great flight instructor insurance. I carry it, and I've tested it, though I'm not proud of that fact, particularly.

It doesn't cost that much. Charge enough in your flight instructing duties during the year that your flight instructing pays for the insurance, and you get a "free" non owned aircraft policy as well.

So, when you hit the jet, your spouse will be safe, financially.

Dang it, people, every one of us has received all sorts of "gifts" from our mentors. Those folks didn't ask if they were covered by insurance when they told us something or showed us something.

I'm not for a moment suggesting that you go fly without insurance.

I'm suggesting that you all go get some insurance and get out there and give something back.

Dang, this gets me going.

Steve, send me to R and R whenever.....

MTV
 
Couldn't agree more - I haven't checked NAFI. What I want to do is teach a little taildragging - say maybe 40-50 hours a year. Do I want to spend 20 of those hours paying my premiums?

When a student is motivated enough, I ask for a waiver of subrogation. Not nearly enough coverage for all contingencies, but it makes me feel better. Now insurers have quadrupled the premium for the waiver in the last two years. Instructing is apparently very high risk activity.

And I have given back. My last twelve hours' instruction were in a Super Cub. My remuneration is satisfaction.
 
Bob,

I doubt I pay for my CFI premium any more with instructor revenues, but I sure have a lot more peace of mind and it is fun!

Cubchick, all of the above is excellent advice. Just remember it is a teaching rating, not a flying rating. You are expected to be able to find and teach information, not memorize it yourself. The orals are open book, but you better know where to open them to. The best thing any instructor can do is teach others how to help themselves.

As an instructor, any time I am in an airplane I assume that I have some responsiblity for the safe outcome of the flight - and I do not hesitate to speak up, however, I am also almost completely hands off (when I can be) as I want the student to know they can do it themselves from the git go.

I logged 10 hours yesterday between KC and Ogden, UT. (where I am now). I probably had my hands on the controls for a hour at most, performing landings and taxing in a 32kt wind in a 170 at 7000+ elevation (great fun, you should try it). In this case the conditions exceeded my own comfort zone, so trying to talk the new aircraft owner through it would have probably been a recipie for disaster.

You learn more from being an instructor because you have to think beyond just doing something one way, and you have to learn to explain it many ways.

sj
 
Bob,

A waiver of subrogation works, but the problem I see quite frequently is that many folks, particularly in Alaska, simply have NO insurance coverage of their own, on their own aircraft.

Good for you for going out there and doing some instruction. I'm like Steve, though, not sure I pay for the insurance every year.

There is a great article by Tom Benensen in Flying Magazine this month, entitled "Those who can't, teach". I think his point is well taken that a lot of our current crop of instructors got into aviation with $$$ in mind, planning on an airline career, and not because of a passion for aviation. I agree with Tom that we need more flight instructors in general aviation who are passionate about aviation. Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of airline pilots who are passionate about general aviation as well, and those folks contribute much.

I can think of a few schools around, though, where you ask a flight instructor something about a new sport airplane and they ask you if FedEx flies those.

MTV
 
let my currency go a few years ago. Got it back, and let it go.

Lots of floks like the "cheap" biannual. I don't.

A few things I found important, that I crossed swords over with others were level of proficiencey/ability.

I got in trouble by a boss for making a student sick. This student had gotten his private, twin (in a beech tavelair), and was working on transitioning into a V-tail bonanza. Simple, same basic plane as a Travelair, but one engine in front.

During stalls I noticed that the student loved to look at instruments, (cavu day), so I suggested he look outside. No change in behavior. Next I covered up the AI, HI, and airspeed. He said it was'nt 'fair'. He was totally uncomfortable flying without instruments.

Next on unusual attitudes he had the same problem, only this time when I had it pointed down, in the yellow arch and gaining speed he acutally could not immediatly look outside and recover without instruments, (still cavu). He got sick, I got in trouble for not being nice.

As an instructor I consider that a SEL rating is actually good for anywhere, any plane meeting signoffs, (high performance, retract, etc). So even if you live in the midwest with nothing taller than a cell tower to hit, students should know how to mountain fly, be ready for big winds, and have respect for aircraft they may get the opportunity to fly.

If they can not do the basics, (fly the plane), great radio work, instrument proficiency, knowing systems front and back will not help. In a V-35 bonanza pointed 10 degrees down with 3/4 power banked 20 degrees, trust me, it happens fast. If you dont pull power while leveling wings immediatly, you probably will bend something, if not break it and yourself. Does it matter if it was fair?

For all that, I like instructing friends. It is fun and rewarding, also keeps you sharp. And yeah, they are right, Don't relax at all. Sometime someone will shut the fuel off on you, or do something just as corny.

(are you sure you want to teach your own son????)
 
aktango58 said:
(are you sure you want to teach your own son????)
Click to expand...
Just curious, you sound like that's a bad idea. Why? He's about to turn 10...i want to get ahold of him before he turns smart alleck. :)
 
Instructing child or spouse = easy in theory, hard in practice. Not enough disconnect between teacher and student. Some can do it I suppose, I wouldn't want to though. I have no doubt my kids will learn to fly stick and rudder and navigate from me, but to get their PPL I'll be sending them to another CFI. It can be hard to learn things from your mom/dad when your a teenager.
 
Just get them to solo and then have another CFI take over. You will get the satisfaction out of it and then they will have more respect for another CFI.

Tim
 
Well, I meant the smart alleck attitude that only a true teen can muster. He's gearing up, though. He hasn't quite mastered the art of ignoring me or slamming his bedroom door, but I get a good, "Duhhh mom!" every now and then. :agrue:
 
Cubchick,
If you can swing it, as soon as you get your commercial/instrument ticket, go to the nearest American Flyers CFI course. They've got this thing down pat. Go there, spend lots of time studying.......gitterdone. It ain't cheap but, it's a well proven system.
...but, what do I know? :anon

Lorne
 
Cubchick---go for it. ..It can be a "bonding experience'" for the two of you. No CFI's in our family, but my Dad taught me to fly when I was 15. Took a half hour ride with the CFi and he told me to come back on my birthday. I in turn taught my son to fly the same way. Now am teaching my granddaughter. Just a great way to spend time with the kids.
 
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