Advice for getting the CFI

I appreciate the diverse insights I've seen in this thread on how to be effective with my future CFI training. Anyway, placed the order for the FOI/FIA written books from Gleim yesterday and should be here by the end of the week. Here's to exciting times ahead!
 
Congrats on deciding to get started!

I'm doing the binder thing. It's actually going to end up being a couple binders... They are a ton of work to put together, but it is all stuff we are expected to know. They're my books and I know where everything is at...

It is a great learning experience putting them together too because you go over everything, but I think the real payoff will be having them as a reference during the oral.

I'm using all the FAA pubs, the Gleim Flight Instructor's Maneuvers Guide (excellent book the covers everything in the Flight Instructor PTS), and June Bonesteele's guides.
 
Dont do one of those CFI/II 30 day academy. i did one and came out spending another full month doing some extremely hardcore self studying bc they just didnt prepare me enough. I came out feeling inadequatly prepared and when i first started instructing i felt very uncertain. It took me another 6 months before i really began to know my stuff to teach with some confidence. students are the best teachers.
 
Congrats on the next step, when you have an idea on who you are using please post. I am a CFI across the river from you at TTD and I have the gouge on a few of the FAA examiners in our area. Have fun studying!
 
My god...a 3 hour flight??? That is insane! I think mine back in the day was about 1.5 for the flight. Ground was about 5 hours with an hour lunch break.

Experiences will vary with FSDO, but most of the CFI checkrides I've sent have been pretty fair. I've had a couple busts because I feel the students got themselves way to nervous for the ride. One guy forgot to put the landing gear down during an emergency approach into a field! Realized it just a second to late and had to retake.

The feedback I've been getting is that the Inspectors are fair and as fire breathing as they have been made out to be. 4 hour grounds seem to be about the norm.

As others have said feel free to use any resource you have during ground. Teach out of the PTS...use the AFH. Be warned though. It's not hard to spot someone who is using the book as an instructional aid and someone who is using the book because he has no idea what he is talking about.

Best advice I have is just relax. Don't sweat this ride, and when you do go...own it! Just go in with the mindset that you are going to dominate it.
 
Dont do one of those CFI/II 30 day academy. i did one and came out spending another full month doing some extremely hardcore self studying bc they just didnt prepare me enough. I came out feeling inadequatly prepared and when i first started instructing i felt very uncertain. It took me another 6 months before i really began to know my stuff to teach with some confidence. students are the best teachers.

I was thinking about doing the American flyers CFI-A and II but thought long and hard about it and decided it just wasn't for me. I did a 2 week commercial and that was hard enough trying to get all the info in my head that fast. I passed but like you said didn't feel as good about the material as I could have.

Now Im doing it at my local FBO taking my time and flying when I feel its needed and not when Im told to. I'm also saving a ton of cash this way too!:)
 
Congrats on deciding to get started!

I'm doing the binder thing. It's actually going to end up being a couple binders... They are a ton of work to put together, but it is all stuff we are expected to know. They're my books and I know where everything is at...

It is a great learning experience putting them together too because you go over everything, but I think the real payoff will be having them as a reference during the oral.

I'm using all the FAA pubs, the Gleim Flight Instructor's Maneuvers Guide (excellent book the covers everything in the Flight Instructor PTS), and June Bonesteele's guides.

I've never heard of June Bonesteele. Are her books similar to Bill Kershner's work or are they different?
 
I was thinking about doing the American flyers CFI-A and II but thought long and hard about it and decided it just wasn't for me. I did a 2 week commercial and that was hard enough trying to get all the info in my head that fast. I passed but like you said didn't feel as good about the material as I could have.

Now Im doing it at my local FBO taking my time and flying when I feel its needed and not when Im told to. I'm also saving a ton of cash this way too!:)

Yep you will too, i did flyers and all they really seemed to care about was $$$$.

I would however consider doing your cfi and cfii at the same time and trying to knock both out. the cfii is not hard and will open up doors so you wont always have pvt students. Good luck:beer:
 
I've never heard of June Bonesteele. Are her books similar to Bill Kershner's work or are they different?

I first heard of this author here while searching around on some topics. The books are basically questions and answers with the references included. The books are nothing earth shattering, but they are the single best consolidation of material I have found. Great for reaffirming knowledge and brushing up. This is an example off of the website.



cfi_inst_sample_2.jpg
 
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