tmccaghren17
CFI/CFII
Hey guys I'll be starting to get my CFI initial training here in about 2 weeks. Just wated to see if y'all had any tips or advice. Also which written should i take first, FOI or CFI-A?
CFI Initial Training
- Thread starter tmccaghren17
- Start date
grkero
fer yer health
Practice teaching ground school. Find people to teach like other CFI candidates or primary flight students. When I was doing my CFI I connected with a guy working on his private at the same school. He got a lot of free ground school from me 
You should have at least talked through a lesson plan on EVERYTHING in the PTS a few times, including all the FOI tasks.
You should have at least talked through a lesson plan on EVERYTHING in the PTS a few times, including all the FOI tasks.
RedBaron2000
Well-Known Member
Doesn't really matter if you do FOI or FIA first - I did FOI first since it was the "new" info. I used and really like Sheppard Air software. You can get it for iOS devices or a computer - I used iPad which was really convenient.
I just passed my ride two days ago so it's fresh for me. You can Google "CFI lesson plans" and find lesson plans online that are free to use. I started there and then modified heavily. I don't think it's necessary to create your own from scratch, but I also think you need to make it "your own."
My ASI went straight from the PTS, so know the PTS, especially the stuff that's guaranteed to be on there. For the FOI, Task E, Aviation & Flight Instructor Responsibilities, is required to be covered. Same goes for Runway Incursions, Endorsements, Eights on Pylons, and then there's a few where you'll do one or the other (Steep turns or Steep spirals, for example). Especially for those areas, there's no reason not to know it perfectly since it's guaranteed to be covered. For my exam, since we were going to be doing Eights on Pylons, you're also required to teach one lesson on a maneuver to be performed in flight, so I ended up teaching eights on pylons. That was the only thing I actually got up and taught from the white board - everything else was pretty much just talking through.
It's been said before but it's true - know the PTS. The questions he asked me were literally straight from the PTS (mostly) and he seemed to be looking for certain words that I'd say, then we'd move on.
I just passed my ride two days ago so it's fresh for me. You can Google "CFI lesson plans" and find lesson plans online that are free to use. I started there and then modified heavily. I don't think it's necessary to create your own from scratch, but I also think you need to make it "your own."
My ASI went straight from the PTS, so know the PTS, especially the stuff that's guaranteed to be on there. For the FOI, Task E, Aviation & Flight Instructor Responsibilities, is required to be covered. Same goes for Runway Incursions, Endorsements, Eights on Pylons, and then there's a few where you'll do one or the other (Steep turns or Steep spirals, for example). Especially for those areas, there's no reason not to know it perfectly since it's guaranteed to be covered. For my exam, since we were going to be doing Eights on Pylons, you're also required to teach one lesson on a maneuver to be performed in flight, so I ended up teaching eights on pylons. That was the only thing I actually got up and taught from the white board - everything else was pretty much just talking through.
It's been said before but it's true - know the PTS. The questions he asked me were literally straight from the PTS (mostly) and he seemed to be looking for certain words that I'd say, then we'd move on.
Cloud Surfer
All Roads lead to Trantor
I'm undergoing such a program right now, and it is by no means easy, my friend. It can truly be more detrimental than beneficial in regards to how much you will learn. Frankly I would recommend that you avoid accelerated programs. Study at your own leisurely pace so that you grasp the material more solidly.
Houston
Well-Known Member
I know every examiner (ASI / DPE) is different, but what was your experience. Did you ask him in advance what he would like you to teach? Did he give you any guidance ahead of time, either in response to a direct question from you or just giving advice of his own?
RedBaron2000
Well-Known Member
I didn't know anything until I got there. He didn't give me any guidance at all.
thevideographer
Well-Known Member
Practice teaching ground school. Find people to teach like other CFI candidates or primary flight students. When I was doing my CFI I connected with a guy working on his private at the same school. He got a lot of free ground school from me
You should have at least talked through a lesson plan on EVERYTHING in the PTS a few times, including all the FOI tasks.
Definitely do this. You can know the material inside and out but when the examiner just says "teach me about short field landings" you can't just wing it, or you will end up forgetting half of the required items.
Ryan110175
Well-Known Member
Colorado Contrails at FNL. It's 14 days straight with both ground and flight every day. I was in this program last month and highly recommend it.
ryan4sail
Well-Known Member
Yep, that's the place to go. I knocked out my CFI/ CFII in like 3 weeks. The guy who teaches te class, Jack is a super cool guy too, and you take your CFII ride with him. Great experience up there.
Ryan110175
Well-Known Member
I'm taking my CFII ride with Jack this weekend. Jack is a great guy and has a ton of experience and insight. It's a great atmosphere and they don't teach just to pass the checkride. The CFI class is intense, because it's a lot of information crammed into 14 days, but prepares you well.
Hammertime
Well-Known Member
Not a ticket to "accelerate." Take your time and learn it right. You will be teaching (and responsible) for the future generation of pilots. You sure you want to rush through that?
Ryan110175
Well-Known Member
Budget $5K for it. That would include 15 hours dual in a 172 and Arrow, books, and the examiners fee.
Ryan110175
Well-Known Member
In your opinion, what is the proper amount of time to take? I understand your point in becoming the best instructor you can, and that we are the first instructor primary students come into contact with, but how much time should we take? Is it one or two lessons a week for a year? Do we do it part time, while we maintain our primary job (and focus), while maintaining a family life also?
Personally, I don't feel like it's rushing into it, when it's your primary focus in life for 16 days. Sure, it was pure insanity for 15 hours a day and 16 days in a row, but I felt like I came out a competent instructor on the other side. I never got the feeling like CC's course was a course designed purely to pass the checkride, but that's just me.
Hammertime
Well-Known Member
It's not about a set amount of time. I'm sure there are people that can pick it up as quickly as you did. My point is that people are different, and different individuals need a different amount of time. It's hard to get that kind of flexibility in a program like that. (I'm not indicting any specific programs, and I'm not familiar with the one in question.)
rframe
pǝʇɹǝʌuı
I suppose every person who gets their Private Pilot certificate is told "now you have a license to learn" and while cliched it's true.... but that's even more true for the CFI I think. You study to learn requirements and rules and the importance of understanding psychology and having a written plan for training students, then you take the intense check ride and 5 minutes later you're a CFI.... a CFI who knows pretty much diddly squat about teaching. So, I'd say focus on really knowing the rules and requirements. Build a great reference library because after a year, you likely wont remember all the endorsement requirements for every situation, nor what a Commercial helicopter pilot needs to do to get his fixed wing rating, etc. but you should know how to look it up right away. Intensity can be a great tool to focus and learn a lot of material, material you will inevitably forget... just dont forget how to find it again. Remember, all the technical details you focus on for the CFI are about 1/3 of what you need as a CFI, the other 2/3 are the people skills, assessment skills, teaching & communication skills that you will only develop through teaching people to fly, along with developing a greater skill and understanding of the airplane so you can safely maintain SA and comfortably let students fly the airplane badly while still learning.
DBrown
Well-Known Member
If I might add my opinion, I don't think it's a set time either more of a maturity issue, I became a CFI later in life with over 1000hrs and having owned several planes. And being in sales most of my life dealing with and talking to people is like second nature
I had a lot of young fresh instructors over the years that had the knowledge and ability but their lack of social skills and experience made them really lousy instructors.
It really made an impression on me when I went to get my CFII and I had 10 times more IMC time than my instructor training me.
If you can absorb the knowledge in 2 weeks go for it, the FAA examiner is the one who judges if enough knowledge has sunk in.
And we all play by the same PTS rules, so disregard people that call accelerated schools "certificate mills"
I had a lot of young fresh instructors over the years that had the knowledge and ability but their lack of social skills and experience made them really lousy instructors.
It really made an impression on me when I went to get my CFII and I had 10 times more IMC time than my instructor training me.
If you can absorb the knowledge in 2 weeks go for it, the FAA examiner is the one who judges if enough knowledge has sunk in.
And we all play by the same PTS rules, so disregard people that call accelerated schools "certificate mills"