Just like anyone else who has tried to keep a continuous blog during training, I was too busy during CFI school to make daily posts. I'm going to combine what I remember from the week into one post.
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Monday 3/24/08 - Friday 3/28/08
Class began at 8am Monday morning. Most days went until about 6:30pm. It was a larger than normal class. I think there were eight or nine of us total. Two guys didn't pass from the previous week and were carried over. We were told this was very rare and should not expect the same if we failed. There were still a couple guys who had not completed their commercial checkrides yet, so the class really didn't get started right away. These guys were off completing their checkrides for the first day-and-a-half, so we really didn't do any formal classroom stuff during that time. We did get to do the spin training in the Cessna 172 the first day, though, and even though it was fun, the spin training was kind of sad. I think I was the only one who really got to do a real spin. The instructor just wanted us to be able to recognize when a spin was imminent and stop it from happening, but I talked him into letting it really develop once. The spin only lasted a couple seconds and the airplane was flying again, just pointed straight down and gaining lots of speed. The airspeed was pushing Vno as we rounded it out. This was the first time I'd ever even sat in a 172, so I talked the instructor into letting me land it (he did all the flying for everyone else, because he said he wanted us thinking Seminole only during CFI school). All I can say about flying the 172 is, wow, that thing will float forever! That airplane glides so far, I'd almost be willing to bet you could make a touch-n-go with no power. It will definitely take some getting used to when I progress to my single-engine add-on's. For the rest of the first day, the instructor just went over the expectations of us during this portion of the program and the pitfalls that have hurt people in the past.
The second day didn't really get started until after lunch, but eventually we started getting into the meat of the presentation. We received lecture throughout the week on the flight instructor PTS, how the checkride will work, Seminole systems, more Seminole systems, certificate requirements, solo requirements, instructor endorsements, lesson plans, fundamentals of instructing, and the FAR/AIM. We were each given 5 different lesson plans to create and present to the class in the upcoming days.
On Wednesday, we practiced presenting lesson plans in front of the class, and everyone got to critique you. Many of us got to fly on Thursday with one of the assistant instructors in preparation for your flight with the CFI instructor. The winds were howling that day. 20kts gusting to 30. It took me a couple times to get steep turns under control from the right seat, but other than that, I think I did pretty well. The instructor gave me a lot of good pointers on how to explain stuff to a student when in the air.
Friday we didn't get to fly because the ceilings were too low. We need to get up to 5000'AGL for the engine out demonstrations. I went home Friday afternoon, and I should hopefully get to go back and fly with the CFI instructor on Tuesday so that I can get signed off to go to the checkride.
When I first arrived for the CFI class, I was really intimidated by this checkride, because it is so built up by everyone there. They said the common problem that everyone has is that they haven't developed a "CFI mindset". The students are too used to having their instructor sitting next to them who is in charge of the flight. The CFI instructor wants to see that you are in control of the flight at all times, always watching for traffic, while explaining the maneuvers, and performing them to commercial standards from the right seat. By the end of the class, I really knew where my weak points are knowledge wise, so I can work on that before the checkride, and I'm feeling much better about the checkride itself. I've been flying long enough that I feel confident with my situational awareness with regards to traffic and airspace. Right seat is no different than left for me. I flew from the right seat for years before I moved to the left. The only thing I really need to work on is talking more during the flight as I explain my way through the maneuvers.
