Do I Really Need My CFI

I'd do it.

"Anticipated" hours are as valuable as a slide rule is to a Mallard duck.

I had a sweet corporate gig lined up during my last summer at ERAU. I dropped out of the CFI course and did one of those CRM courses for credit in order to graduate. Well, the gig dried up pretty quickly after it started and I had to do the "walk of shame" into an FBO to restart CFI training.

Best career move I've ever made.

Get the CFI, keep it renewed and I virtually guarantee you'll look back in 2022 and be glad you made that decision in 2012. Unless, of course, the Zombie Apocalypse comes.

And if you "Yeah! But..." me, I'll strangle you.
 
Derg said:
Get the CFI, keep it renewed and I virtually guarantee you'll look back in 2022 and be glad you made that decision in 2012. Unless, of course, the Zombie Apocalypse comes.

And if you "Yeah! But..." me, I'll strangle you.
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I heard they were modding the CFI and FOI portions to include strafing (as a ground reference maneuver, of course) for just such occasions as the zombie apocalypse.

Nothing like sharpening your skills and mowing down hordes of the undead with FFARs and six .50 caliber machine guns.
 
I have a Stutka hidden in my front lawn by my ammunition and money caches.

I got the idea from... :)
 
ILS37R said:
Further, I'd like to echo the quality-vs-quantity statement. Working at a DZ can be excellent for stick-and-rudder skills, but I see a lot of guys whose instrument, procedural and cross-country flight planning skills degrade in that environment. Still great pilots, but the rust can be the difference between passing a hiring sim ride and not. I tend to see fewer issues with CFIs and CFI-rated DZ pilots. Which is to say: if were in charge of hiring and had two low-time, equally qualified candidates with similar backgrounds, but only one had their CFI, I would lean towards that one. And if airlines are out of the question and you're therefore looking at smaller operators, little things like that loom large. Also: work on your 4-year degree if you aren't already.

TL;DR: Strictly speaking no, but get it anyway.
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There is a lot of truth to this statement. I flew jumpers for about a year. All my time was day/vfr. So when I had enough time to move on to something else I did not have even close to the instrument proficiency the operation I wanted to fly for required. I passed my Instrument ride on the first go around with ATP, however after the XC phaseI did not fly on instruments for a very long time. During my training with said operator I was trying to play catch up with my peers and did not make the mark of the instrument proficiency. I was crushed. Circumstances ended up the way they are and I ended up here. I spoke with several pilots was told more than a few times to get a CFI /CFII/MEI rating and teach. If you teach you will ground your self in the fundamentals and you build a solid foundation.

I'll echo what a few people have stated already. Flying jumpers is good for building total time, I have 750 hours as a result of it. But you'll get the quality experience building time if you instruct.That is my plan when I finish my tour here at Wake is to earn my CFI ratings and instruct.On a personal note. It is said everything happens for a reason. Life took me away from flying but I think about it constantly. I finished my degree and am now a Herc crewchief in the Air National Guard. I wish I could have gone to school, and flown airplanes. If that is at all possible to instruct while going to college your future will be so bright you'll have to wear shades.
 
IMHO:

Get your CFI, even after only having about 500 dual given, and a few thousand hours TT, I'm still glad i have it and take the time to renew it every 2 years. I have no interest in instructing any more, but having a CFI has opened doors, and still continues to open doors. You never know when a rich guy will need a sign off in his bonanza, and then ask you to fly his king air.
 
No...but yes. If you don't get your CFI, you'll have to fly some "odd" jobs of aviation, until you can get the time to go elsewhere. I didn't think I was ready to CFI when I was in the position to get rated. I should have gotten my CFI - it wouldn't have been that difficult to get it - but, I was tired of spending money on flying, and was happy to be making money at the time.

As an aside - and I'll certainly get flamed for this- but I don't think 250hrs is really enough to give quality instruction to people past maybe the private. You don't have a big enough reservoir of experience to impart more than the PTS at this point - which is probably why everyone gets all up in arms about various pilot mill CFIs doing something unfortunate. Yes, I know its hard to build hours without a CFI, but I feel that I learned more about making decisions manipulating the controls, planning the flights, and trying to stay out of trouble. My recommendation? Get the CFI - then don't use it to make money - go fly banners or pipeline, or mapping until you get ATP mins.
 
ppragman said:
No...but yes. If you don't get your CFI, you'll have to fly some "odd" jobs of aviation, until you can get the time to go elsewhere. I didn't think I was ready to CFI when I was in the position to get rated. I should have gotten my CFI - it wouldn't have been that difficult to get it - but, I was tired of spending money on flying, and was happy to be making money at the time.

As an aside - and I'll certainly get flamed for this- but I don't think 250hrs is really enough to give quality instruction to people past maybe the private. You don't have a big enough reservoir of experience to impart more than the PTS at this point - which is probably why everyone gets all up in arms about various pilot mill CFIs doing something unfortunate. Yes, I know its hard to build hours without a CFI, but I feel that I learned more about making decisions manipulating the controls, planning the flights, and trying to stay out of trouble. My recommendation? Get the CFI - then don't use it to make money - go fly banners or pipeline, or mapping until you get ATP mins.
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I completely agree with you. I actually didnt want my CFI because i didnt feel like i was in a position to teach anyone. I got my CFI/CFII from a buddy who had all of 300 hours. He was in no position to teach my instrument instruction, and I wasnt either.

I think 250 hours is enough to get someone through a private, but beyond that, it starts getting rough, especially instrument instruction. If you want to give instrument instruction, you need to have some actual time, if for nothing else then knowing how to "work the system."
 
cmill said:
You never know when a rich guy will need a sign off in his bonanza, and then ask you to fly his king air.
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This x1000!

Great advice and excellent point. The reason for having a CFI isn't only to teach, but for opportunities later on in your career. Even if the rich guy doesn't need a sign off, but only asks for you to sit right seat, that's now all loggable time thanks to that CFI certificate.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
Hardly true. Not even a little bit.
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Agree. It's what one does with their CFI rating and while working as a CFI, that determines what experiences they gain and what they don't. One can be as limited or as wide-ranging as they like, in terms of expanding airmanship and knowledge.
 
I got hired on at a regional when I was still 19 and no CFI. In my free time I'm studying for the FOI. Take that for what it's worth.

Get your CFI. Even if you don't use it full time, it's a great asset to have.
 
Cessna310 said:
I've decided getting my CFI isn't the best for me. ( I've REALLY considered it, taken the knowledge tests, read the FOI's, taken some instruction etc) and I cannot see myself giving instruction. I know this is the best route for most people and I know I'm a GREAT pilot, but won't make a good CFI. ( Kinda reserved, shy etc). Maybe in a few years I will have a different mindset..
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As others have said, and as your post above gives great reasons for......don't get your CFI. If it's not something you want to do, then don't waste the time and money. Your lack of interest will translate to lack of effort, and IF you manage to pass and get your CFI, that lack of interest and effort will manifest itself on a poor student, if you happen to have the motivation and/or skill to acquire a student.

So don't waste your time, or anyone else's, by doing something you really don't want to do, and truthfully, have already made your mind up about not doing.

Again.....simple problem, simple solution.
 
MikeD said:
As others have said, and as your post above gives great reasons for......don't get your CFI. If it's not something you want to do, then don't waste the time and money. Your lack of interest will translate to lack of effort, and IF you manage to pass and get your CFI, that lack of interest and effort will manifest itself on a poor student, if you happen to have the motivation and/or skill to acquire a student.

So don't waste your time, or anyone else's, by doing something you really don't want to do, and truthfully, have already made your mind up about not doing.

Again.....simple problem, simple solution.
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Well, i think its apparent he didnt pass his CFI, and has a big attitude problem. I would say even if you dont want to teach, get the certificate, but dont act like you're eddie • richenbacher.
 
Cessna310 said:
k
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Im not smacking your way of thought on this; Im actually supporting the fact that you seem to know what you don't want to do, or at least don't want to do right now. Maybe later you'll want to get the rating, maybe not. Being a CFI is just one way of a number of ways of building hours or, in some cases, of doing career work in areas of aviation. Like anything else, being a CFI is what you make of it. If it's something you want to do, it'll benefit you greatly; however if it's something you're not motivated to do, it'll just cost you time and money, but not do too much for you. Both options are fine. They're simply options. I got my CFI/I, used it some, but worked my way up the ladder in non-instructing jobs, just doing CFI work on the side but not full time. I was fairly successful in life, so far.

Is a CFI nice to have? Of course. Any rating or certificate is. Just do it because you want to, not because you think you might have to.
 
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