Dear CFIs..

A150K

Well-Known Member
If you're gonna bea CFI under part 61, take the time to know the part 61 requirements for the certificates you're training people for. I've noticed 2 serious oversights with students I have picked up. The first is with a Private student I picked up who had most of the 61.109 ppl requirements met and just needs to prepare for the checkride. Only problem is...his dual night XC wasn't even an XC. The farthest landing took place at ABQ, which is less than 50 nm from SAF, so the poor guy had to fork over a bunch of cash for a legal night XC with me this past thursday. The second case is with a Commercial student of mine. He owns a PA28-140 and hired me to teach him the maneuvers in it and I sent him to a certain flight school in ABQ to get his complex time in an Arrow (he'll be doinghis checkride with 2 airplanes). To kill 2 birds with one stone, I suggested he do his 61.129 dual XC's (one night, one day) in the Arrow. Well they did them the other night, but only one problem....each way was at night thus not satisfying the day XC requirement.These Jackass instructors are out there wasting these people's time and money when the requirements are right there in Part 61....there really should be no excuse for these oversights...rant over.
 
On second thought...let it continue. I charge and keep $50/hr for my services and have made quite a bit of extra pocket change thanks to their oversights.
 
Be easy on those airline pilots who keep their CFI tickets current for 15 years without teaching anything, I mean 61.109(a) is like at least 15 lines long, it's hard to read. :bounce:
 
On second thought...let it continue. I charge and keep $50/hr for my services and have made quite a bit of extra pocket change thanks to their oversights.


Except it's coming out of the student's pocket—so your profit, in this case, is the student's loss. A loss that the student has no way to recoup.

So no, you had it right the first time.

~Fox
 
Be easy on those airline pilots who keep their CFI tickets current for 15 years without teaching anything, I mean 61.109(a) is like at least 15 lines long, it's hard to read. :bounce:

Hey, that's me...

I'm not really sure why I do it. I know it was a great acheivement and gave me a lot of satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment that airline flying will never give. I have no real reason to keep my CFI but I know the minute I let it go I'm gonna regret it.
 
Hey, that's me...

I'm not really sure why I do it. I know it was a great acheivement and gave me a lot of satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment that airline flying will never give. I have no real reason to keep my CFI but I know the minute I let it go I'm gonna regret it.


I'm just teasing, hehe. I wouldn't let it expire, nice certificate to have in the pocket and sure a lot easier to maintain than to re-certify!
 
Except it's coming out of the student's pocket—so your profit, in this case, is the student's loss. A loss that the student has no way to recoup.

So no, you had it right the first time.

~Fox
I think I forgot the sarcasm tag on that one.
 
True. But honestly I knew the requirements of every rating I've applied for. Not really much excuse for the students not to in a lot of cases, particularly at the commercial level.
As did I ( in fact, I specifically went over what needed to be done with the commercial guy), but the CFI is the only one who should be absolutely expected to know it.
 
Be easy on those airline pilots who keep their CFI tickets current for 15 years without teaching anything, I mean 61.109(a) is like at least 15 lines long, it's hard to read. :bounce:
Funny. The guy I took over the private student for is a former airline pilot/current Citation driver.
 
Funny. The guy I took over the private student for is a former airline pilot/current Citation driver.


I've seen that same scenario several times... people with good intentions and a lot of experience but without the thought/consideration to go back and ensure all basic requirements and fundamentals have been covered appropriately.
 
Happens to me all the time,
I have 2 students right now that came to me with everything but the long xc and the night xc done???
 
I once picked up a stage 3 private student who had no ground school, and never saw or tried a short of soft field landing. He had solo cross country time in his logbook. o_O The instructor is currently keeping it classy at Aerosim.
 
I once picked up a stage 3 private student who had no ground school, and never saw or tried a short of soft field landing. He had solo cross country time in his logbook. o_O The instructor is currently keeping it classy at Aerosim.
Crickey. I don't get people's aversion to ground. You get paid and you don't had as much frustration when you get in the airplane and realize the student doesn't know anything.
 
I once picked up a stage 3 private student who had no ground school, and never saw or tried a short of soft field landing. He had solo cross country time in his logbook. o_O The instructor is currently keeping it classy at Aerosim.


Students have bad memories. I wouldn't automatically blame the instructor, there could have been more pressing things the instructor decided needed more immediate attention.

It was nice back in the day, when private students went to a 40 hour ground school, in a classroom, led by a CFI. No one seems to do this anymore, sadly.
 
It was nice back in the day, when private students went to a 40 hour ground school, in a classroom, led by a CFI. No one seems to do this anymore, sadly.


Back in the 90's everyone I remember was ordering King VHS tapes, I dont recall ground schools being popular back then either... unless you mean pre-King era.
 
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