Teaching CFI applicants

CamYZ125

CamYZ125

Well-Known Member
Hey guys,

I'll be a '2-year' CFI next month, and think I'm going to be teaching some CFI applicants. Obviously, I've never taught any CFI applicants and only have my own CFI training to look back on (which isn't too fresh in memory!), so I was hoping to get some advice, pointers, tips, etc. from those of you who have taught CFI and CFII applicants!
 
have fun with them :D go outside of the box and teach them creatively, that is what i do
 
CamYZ125 said:
Hey guys,

I'll be a '2-year' CFI next month, and think I'm going to be teaching some CFI applicants. Obviously, I've never taught any CFI applicants and only have my own CFI training to look back on (which isn't too fresh in memory!), so I was hoping to get some advice, pointers, tips, etc. from those of you who have taught CFI and CFII applicants!
Click to expand...

You can practice on me! i already started studying by myself. Start giving me ideas about what to study well and what not to pay too much attention. :)
 
CamYZ125 said:
from those of you who have taught CFI and CFII applicants
Click to expand...

I've done four and probably won't do another. It's not nearly as rewarding as I thought it would be. :rolleyes: Sometimes you spend a lot of time teaching them things they should have known as a private pilots, rather than super duper instructor stuff. I had one candidate who, on his checkride, didn't know how to tell if a sectional was out of date. Amazingly, he passed.

Sometimes their flying proficiency isn't up to PPL standards, either, and that makes it tough when they're anticipating only 10-15 hours in the airplane.
 
personally speaking, an initial cfi applicant is perhaps my favorite. as a senior, as well as 'career cfi', i like the opportunity to get someone on a great start. because i hold the cfi certificate in high regard, i do take pride in signing of these applicants. it's even more enjoyable once their 'tension' has passed and they have their certificate and one has the opportunity to mentor the new cfi. interestingly, because a fresh cfi has been so busy studying all the minutia, they refresh my own knowledge in a particular area in which i may have grown rusty from lack of use in teaching. that's a great give and take in my opinion.
 
The instructor I had for my CFI was great, and I guess I just want to do as well as he did for my students. Honestly though, what I was taught during my CFI training, and what the checkride was like have very few similarities to the 'real world' experiences that I've had actually instructing students. Maybe I'm over simplifying it a bit much, but I feel like teaching a CFI applicant is really just transitioning them to the right seat and ensuring they can perform to commercial standards from that seat, as well as ensuring that they are knowledgeable enough and can explain their way through maneuvers and ground lessons.

I'm not personally too excited to take on the task of CFI applicants, especially since the program requires students to get their CFI, even though most probably never have any desire or intention to actually instruct.
 
i never thought of it that way, but you are correct. I am personally not a fan of "simulated instruction" which is where i think you are going. but you can make it somewhat real life for them
 
if i can see that they have no real desire to teach, at least for a little while with some degree of professionalism, i let them know i'm not the instructor for them. if all they want is a sign-off for another certificate..move along..
 
exleardriver said:
if i can see that they have no real desire to teach, at least for a little while with some degree of professionalism, i let them know i'm not the instructor for them. if all they want is a sign-off for another certificate..move along..
Click to expand...
i have a student like that now i think, at least that is the attitude i get from him
 
Sadly, I think it has become a dog and pony show with the FAA, and the luck of the draw. I think the best way to go about it is to try to get a gouge on the examiner and teach to HIS test.
 
One big thing that helped me is that I would give them a copy of my "bag 'o tricks" on the first day and ask them to make it into a binder so that when they go out into the real world they have something to reference to and add to as they go along... (with articles, things they find, other instructors tims, tricks, etc.)

Here a link to my "Bag 'O Tricks" - (which anyone is welcome to use... it's how to teach maneuvers, a syllibus, and a whole bunch of stuff ot help with the checkride so you as the applicant can teach your examiner)

Rich's CFI Folder - RAW PDF's... click on this link and right click on each to download

also... give them this to give to primary students on the first day - after a demo flight or somesuch: (a good primary on radio communication)

Just right click on me to download... Capt. Midnight's Guide to Talking on the Radio

Other than that... teach them to teach "by the book" - they are going to have to figure out what works for them in the end. I would try to teach them my own techniques for teaching something - but usually after I taught them how to do it "by the book." Usually a bunch of ground after the checkride where it's all about trying to show an applicant how to sucessfully keep a hobbiest interested in continuing to learn how to fly by making it fun and interesting while teaching them what they need to know - remember we all aren't going to become airline pilots - or space shuttle pilots - or whatever. Alot of my business was 25-70 year olds who getting their IFR ticket will be their highest achievement. Cash customers who showed thier appreciation for you in the form of the cold hard cash for your efforts. I would teach how to teach them how to teach safety - in a fun way so that people will keep coming back.
 
hi rich..haven't had a time to take a peek, but will. great to see a contribution like this from a member. very helpful when open-minded instructors exchange information and ideas..always made me do a better job to study with another cfi in the evenings over coffee long after the day's teaching ended. we had a blast and kept each other razor sharp. at any rate, looking forward to taking a look at what you've prepared.
 
outstanding document, rich..thanks for sharing your labor with this community. i haven't read it thoroughly for content, but am confident from initial scanning it that it's truly a fantastic training aid. great work! :)
 
Thanks for the responses so far guys.

Next question:
Is the '2-year' from the month of my checkride, or the exact date. For example, I had my initial CFI ride on 11/21/05, does that mean I'm a '2-year' on 11/1/07, or 11/21/07? The regs say: 61.195(H)(2)(iii) "Have held a flight instructor certificate for at least 24 months."

Also, 61.195(H)(1) says "The ground training provided to an initial applicant for a flight instructor certificate must be given by an authorized instructor who- (i) Holds a current ground of flight instructor certificate with the appropriate rating, has held that certificate for at least 24 months, and has given at least 40 hours of ground training"

I've been told by different people that only the signoff for the checkride has to be done by a '2-year' and that non-'2-year' CFI's can give ground and flight training to the applicant prior to the signoff. However, the above reg seems pretty clear to me that all of the training for the CFI applicant must be done by a '2-year'.

Thoughts?
 
CamYZ125 said:
Thanks for the responses so far guys.

Next question:
Is the '2-year' from the month of my checkride, or the exact date. For example, I had my initial CFI ride on 11/21/05, does that mean I'm a '2-year' on 11/1/07, or 11/21/07? The regs say: 61.195(H)(2)(iii) "Have held a flight instructor certificate for at least 24 months."

Also, 61.195(H)(1) says "The ground training provided to an initial applicant for a flight instructor certificate must be given by an authorized instructor who- (i) Holds a current ground of flight instructor certificate with the appropriate rating, has held that certificate for at least 24 months, and has given at least 40 hours of ground training"

I've been told by different people that only the signoff for the checkride has to be done by a '2-year' and that non-'2-year' CFI's can give ground and flight training to the applicant prior to the signoff. However, the above reg seems pretty clear to me that all of the training for the CFI applicant must be done by a '2-year'.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

there is an exception..it's spelled out in the "or". see below:


(i) Meet the requirements of paragraph (h)(2) of this section; or
(ii) Have trained and endorsed at least five applicants for a practical test for a pilot certificate, flight instructor certificate, ground instructor certificate, or an additional rating, and at least 80 percent of those applicants passed that test on their first attempt; and
(A) Given at least 400 hours of flight training as a flight instructor for training in an airplane, a rotorcraft, or for a powered-lift rating; or
(B) Given at least 100 hours of flight training as a flight instructor, for training in a glider rating.



:bandit:
 
as to the first question, i've always interpreted (watch out) it in this case as 11/21/07 in your case. 11/1/07 would be less than 24 months. some might even argue you may commence on 12/1/07. in any case, i'd go with your actual date or err to the conservative and wait until 12/1/07. if anyone can provide him with a more definitive definition of '24 months', please provide a reference.
 
Rich,

Thank you for sharing your work. I am a current CFI applicant and have been working on creating lesson plans and other teaching materials. It is great to finally get the opportunity to see a functional/working lesson plan. It will be a great help as I finish up my training. Thanks again.
 
Any CFI can give instruction to someone for the CFI checkride, but the applicant can't use that training as part of the requirement for the checkride. There is no minimum requirement for any amount of ground instruction for part 61, so you could receive ground training from any CFI and not log it, and then just receive and log a minimum amount of time from a 2 year CFI.

61.519(a) only requires the following to be logged:

(1) Training and aeronautical experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate, rating, or flight review of this part.
(2) The aeronautical experience required for meeting the recent flight experience requirements of this part.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top