Current recs on accelerated CFI courses?

H

HelloCentral

New Member
Happy New Year!! :beer: I have finally finished up my commercial-ASEL and am wondering how to go about getting a CFI. I've gone the FBO route so far and would prefer to go on to a structured, accelerated program for the CFI and get it done. Both writtens are taken, and I'm getting ready to start working on lesson plans. Would appreciate your recs on programs that are currently running and reliable. Thank-you so much!
 
No structured CFI course is going to be any better than the FBO route. All they are going to do is give you a ton of studying to do beforehand which you will be doing on your own anyway going it alone. It's just more likely the structured route is going to cost you more money.
 
Depends on the type of learner you are. If you are a slower learner and like to learn form experience, then you may want an FBO approach where you will be able to teach ground with a CFI looking over your shoulder all the time. If you have good self study skills you can do the accelerated course and have your CFI in less than half the time of the FBO route.
 
I too think it depends on the type of learner you are and how much money you want to spend. The accelerated courses will most like cost you more for less time. I recently passed my CFI through the local FBO and was more than pleased with the training I received.
 
I’d recommend sticking with FBO. That’s what I did and it worked out fine for me. There is no hour requirement for flight just spin endorsement and learn to fly and teach from the right seat.
I practiced teaching different subjects to a CFI and got all the advice I could. I used 4 different CIF’s. I would recommend it to anyone. Every instructor is different and likes to emphasize on different subjects. That’s just my learning style though. Like everyone else said it really depends on YOU. Just keep in mind you will learn more actually instructing than on your onw.
Good Luck
 
Well if your looking for Acc. Then go to ATP, you will not beat the price or the training. FBO's will do the usual pay as you go bull. ATP 14 days and your done, and actually the whole first week is ground school, so don't listen to people that say they don't do ground. They will do whatever it takes to get you done. Not to mention their equipment will blow any FBO out of the water.
 
tiredofshoveling said:
not atp or american flyers just use the gleims cfi prep dont make any lesson plans. wat r u they first cfi to come through?
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Unless you were drunk riding a motorcycle and texting one handed while trying to navigate through rush hour traffic, you need a lot of help with grammar before any advice you give will be taken seriously.....
 
Did any cfi teaching you to be a cfi ever once use a lesson plan? Thats all im saying. Use the books thats what they are there for. Fly whatever plane you are most comfortable in. Thats what I recommend, i've been to american flyers and atp, they both stink.

tos
 
Having been the only one of seven to finish ATP's course in 2 weeks should say something. And I'm not Bob Hoover. (during my stint)

If you are able to cram study AND RETAIN knowledge, go for it. If not, go the FBO route.
 
dhc2tacksby said:
Having been the only one of seven to finish ATP's course in 2 weeks should say something. And I'm not Bob Hoover. (during my stint)

If you are able to cram study AND RETAIN knowledge, go for it. If not, go the FBO route.
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You bring up an important point. It seems that everyone I have come across who has taken an accelerated course has ended up spending more time and money than promised. And yes, they are pricey to begin with.

I vote for the FBO route. Create your own schedule for completion and stick with it.
 
matman said:
Well if your looking for Acc. Then go to ATP, you will not beat the price or the training. FBO's will do the usual pay as you go bull. ATP 14 days and your done, and actually the whole first week is ground school, so don't listen to people that say they don't do ground. They will do whatever it takes to get you done. Not to mention their equipment will blow any FBO out of the water.
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Not saying you're incorrect, just saying that your opinion is just as valid as the others opinions.

I've worked at FBO's with better equipment than ATP and those with less. I am also a fan of paying as you go instead of up front $$.

Then again, this is my opinion.
 
wjmiller3 said:
Unless you were drunk riding a motorcycle and texting one handed while trying to navigate through rush hour traffic, you need a lot of help with grammar before any advice you give will be taken seriously.....
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Win.
 
Goldmember said:
No structured CFI course is going to be any better than the FBO route.
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I am not sure how anyone can claim this to be true, it really depends on a variety of things.

* The student, some people like structure and some dislike it.
* The instructor, few times will one mind be better than a group.
* The school, some ground schools are advertised as "structured" when they are just off the cuff. Others are long thought out processes with years of tweaks and improvements.

I personally was at a college in a structured ground school. We had 12 students and spend about 10 of the 14 weeks doing/observing presentations. The information learned from watching 11 other people teach and seeing my own teaching was invaluable in my opinion.

It is the next best thing to classroom hours/internships required of any teaching degree. There is a reason teaching degrees require it. Unfortunately it isn't easy to give classroom hours to instructor applicants.



OP: Any teaching can be helpful. I took a class where I assistant taught a college algebra while studying learning. If you have any teachers you liked at a local college or high school that can give you some time assistant teaching, do it.

It is easy to say one thing and have a student hear something entirely different or be a little unorganized/prepared. Until you experience this you won't know how much of a disservice you are doing to your student. Any form of teaching can give you these insights and experiences.
 
tiredofshoveling said:
Did any cfi teaching you to be a cfi ever once use a lesson plan? Thats all im saying. Use the books thats what they are there for. Fly whatever plane you are most comfortable in. Thats what I recommend, i've been to american flyers and atp, they both stink.

tos
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When I read that I had Little Jacob's voice off of GTA4 talking in my head.
 
Not bashing anyone here, just a couple observations. Over the last 2 years, we have had several instructors from ATP and several from Purdue and Indiana State. Here are some of the things I have found absolutely awesome from these awesome instructors. BTW, the Purdue and ISU guys had a tremendous amount of knowledge but practicality was a little lacking I think due to their restraints in college. The ATP guys were a complete cluster. Like I said, this is based on only a couple instances so don't get your feelings hurt by me posting this:

ATP grad: (It's raining out, ceiling 5000 vis 10 plus). " I guess I'm going to cancel my flights today." Why I say? "These planes don't have wipers."

Purdue Grad: "Do you have any oil?" I'll have to go to the shop so you'll have to wait an hour or so. "I can't fly then, the 152 is at 4.5 and I won't fly with less than 6." Seriously?

ISU grad: "God I can't stand being a CFI on a commercial student, it's so dangerous what with all the full break stalls we have to do."

My point on CFI training is this: how can one of these package deals be any better than studying on your own and only paying for what you need? I mean, sure I can go somewhere and give them 3k to tell me to read a book but why would I do that, I already have the knowledge in me, it's just now figuring out a way to explain it to someone. My advice, take it or leave it, is this: get out your PTS and march through it line by line and figure out an analogy for just about every item in there. You know what it is you need a lesson on and what you just need practicing teaching. Get with a seasoned CFI and ask him/her to teach you how they teach the items you need work on. ANALOGIES are what you need to cement the material in not only your head, but the heads of your students.
 
I'm really interested in this. I have looked at a few accelerated courses, one was a 10 day CFI & CFII, with a 2-day MEI add on. It would cost me about $5k plus housing.

On the other hand there is an FBO 2 miles from my parents house that said they would have me doing ground and teaching everyday assuring me I'd get through in 2 months. I don't know about pricing but I hear that the flight time isn't too much and since it's near my parents place I could crash in my old room and not pay for housing.
 
I'm kind of torn on this. On one hand i can see the value of a structured program like you get at ATP (or CAN get at an FBO). At the same time I kind of find it hard to justify spending more time in the airplane than is needed to pass the checkride.

I guess the problem I have with it is how much practical experience you are going to get out of either environment. All said and done a 0 hours of dual given CFI from ATP is still a 0 hours of dual given CFI just like the Guy from Bob's flying school and rib shack. The ATP may be a little stronger in the FOI at the rote level.

All said and done I would suggest goin to which ever is cheaper. Then past that I would go to which ever is going to prepare you better for the checkride.
 
I am struggling with the acccelerated course of sticking with the FBO I have been working with. My time is very limited due to responsibilities. I have a plan of giving up my day job and focusing on building my time, I am just not sure if I stick with the FBO that isn't hiring or go to American Flyers at PMP. I looked at ATP's and I am not impressed at all.
 
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