Approx Cost to Finish CFI

troopernflight

troopernflight

Well-Known Member
I know this is kind of a loaded question and depends on the ability of the pilot. I was curious what would be the approx cost to do my CFI initial. I'm currently a csel. Is there a lot of flying involved or is it mostly ground school? Any guestimates?
 
troopernflight said:
I know this is kind of a loaded question and depends on the ability of the pilot. I was curious what would be the approx cost to do my CFI initial. I'm currently a csel. Is there a lot of flying involved or is it mostly ground school? Any guestimates?
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10 hours of dual rental and probably 3 hours of solo rental for the checkride. It's mostly ground work studying making lesson plans etc. If your current and have flown from the right seat before you could probably get signed off in leas than 10 hours dual
 
You'll spend a lot more at an advanced school, but get it done much quicker and with less overall knowledge. It doesn't actually cost much to do a CFI, just a few hours in the air and paying for ground time. If you are friendly with a CFI, they may be willing to work with you on the side, so you don't get charged flight school rates for ground. I pay my instructor $20 cash for a lesson and if we did it at the flight schools rate, it would be over $100 per lesson.
 
If you are comfortable flying from the right seat, it should not take much. There is nothing new related to flying you are going to learn. The only requirement related to flying is a spin endorsement.

I did the airplane CFI and commercial dual at the same time, so easily doable in 10 hours. (there is no dual requirement for the CFI technically, not even hours in the last 60 days)

If you study hard, no reason it can't be done at a mom and pop school for well under $2k.
 
Thanks for the responses. I was hoping it would be in the area of 1.5k-2k. Time to work some overtime so I can get it knocked out!
 
"Well, how much you got?" asks the unscrupulous flight school owner.

Its been covered here already but many variables here.

I did mine in 6 days for $1600, but it was a school that specializes in the program but is no longer in business. It is mostly preparation and studying, leading up to the training.

The flight portion should be easy. If you can pass a commercial checkride from the right seat, you should be good to go. If you haven't flown in a while or from the right seat it may take a bit of money to get current and comfortable.

Study FOI, CFI, and FAR/AIM. If you are on a budget you don't want to have to pay someone to teach you what you need to know. Find a CFI or school that has done a CFI training and knows who you will be taking the test with. I feel this is important as anything else. Getting a good gouge on the checkride can save you plenty of time and money and possibly prevent a busted checkride which is not uncommon on CFI initials.
 
Or, find a CFI that has done a CFI initial ride with the same DPE/FSDO recently.

While they can't sign you off for the ride, they can do everything else, including the spin endorsement you need.
 
Another thing to keep in mind, is that the instructor signing you off for the CFI ride has to be experienced, like as in a number of student with ratings under his belt, forgot the number so any CFI can't sign you off. Also 2 written tests need to be taken, plus the examiner fee unless you go FSDO.

My estimate is $3000 at least, depending on where you are and what you pay for plane and instructor. I would get your best estimate and put an extra $500 aside to make sure you have enough to make it through. It would suck to throw $1600 away on not get your CFI yet.

A good way to get some right seat time is to split time as a safety pilot with someone. They get to shoot some approaches and you get to fly some maneuvers and pattern work from the right seat.
 
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