The dreaded CFI binder.

Whatusername

Whatusername

Well THIS is awkward!
Ok this has been by far the most aggravating part in getting this rating. I feel like I can teach this stuff off the top of my head. But I'm struggling with writing it down. Any good sites to get good materials?
 
search for CFI Notebook.com. PHAK, AFH, FARAIM, and AC. The way I'm doing it is, by outlining the PTS and I ask myself "Do I know this well enough?" If I'm not really sure I dig deeper by reading more and reseraching the topic. I make sure in each section I can answer the "What, Why, and How".
 
Whatusername said:
Ok this has been by far the most aggravating part in getting this rating. I feel like I can teach this stuff off the top of my head. But I'm struggling with writing it down. Any good sites to get good materials?
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Open your logbook. Take one sheet of paper for each line on the first two pages. Write down what the objective of each line was. Refer to PTS as necessary for inspiration. :)
 
Whatusername said:
Ok this has been by far the most aggravating part in getting this rating. I feel like I can teach this stuff off the top of my head. But I'm struggling with writing it down. Any good sites to get good materials?
Click to expand...

As a CFI applicant, you're expected to possess the knowledge to teach the subject matter off the top of your head—just like as a pilot, you're expected to possess the prerequisite knowledge to accomplish a do-verify checklist.

Don't overcomplicate your lesson plans—write checklists, not do-lists. Notes to remind yourself of the talking points, not of the material.

Using someone else's material is like using one of those horrible gargantuan flight school do-list checklists.

Take your PTS, smurf it until it smurfs, then SMURF THE SMURFING SMURF RIGHT IN THE SMURF.

SMURFING SMUF THE SMURFING SMURFTASTIC SMURFING SMURFHOLES. Smurfming SMURF.
 
Thanks for the help everyone. I'm going to have to really sit down with Hacker's information. Same goes for Clearedforoption's stuff.

Looks like I have a long weekend of reading ahead :).
 
Assemble your references and use the technical subject areas and the maneuvers in the PTS to serve as a guide for your lesson outlines. Your own words is best, but don't forget the references.

Remember you'll be teaching Private, Commercial & CFI...
 
I did the lesson plans, about 50pp for all 3 ratings and still have them when I need to refresh my memory (if I do get to use the cert in the end) but some people did one binder each. It should be fresh in your mind enough to not need to refer to the binder except in preparation. Can you flip to the binder (or checklist) in the plane when the examiner wants you to walk him through securing the engine?
 
mshunter said:
Never understood why people stressed about the binder so much. To be totally honest, I never made one. I did lesson plans, but never a full binder.
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Have to have one place to store that pile of dog feces so it stays out of the way when I did real work.
 
mshunter said:
Never understood why people stressed about the binder so much. To be totally honest, I never made one. I did lesson plans, but never a full binder.
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At least where I'm located the Des Moines and I think Lincoln NE FSDO are huge on the binder concept. Even if the FSDOs go to a DPE they will want to see a binder. So that will drive the stress level for someone going for that rating.

My issue is that I've always been a better communicating my thoughts verbally then just typing something up (I get way to detailed when I write).

The good news is that I'm starting to get a fairly good-ish idea of what to write. I've been jotting down lesson plans on a paper notebook . Weekends I'll try to re-write them in my laptop or iPad.

Now the only other glaring issues are my illustrations. For someone who's brothers are skilled artists I really got the short end of the artistic talent stick. :D
 
Never made one. Never wished I had. Don't most flight schools usually recommend a text book these days? Why bother reinventing the wheel?
 
You should quote from the AIM, PHAK, IPH etc, but the lesson plans should still be produced, even if based on a school syllabus. Depends how your school runs it, but better to be ahead of the game that wait for them to drop in your lap.
 
Whatusername said:
At least where I'm located the Des Moines and I think Lincoln NE FSDO are huge on the binder concept. Even if the FSDOs go to a DPE they will want to see a binder. So that will drive the stress level for someone going for that rating.

My issue is that I've always been a better communicating my thoughts verbally then just typing something up (I get way to detailed when I write).

The good news is that I'm starting to get a fairly good-ish idea of what to write. I've been jotting down lesson plans on a paper notebook . Weekends I'll try to re-write them in my laptop or iPad.

Now the only other glaring issues are my illustrations. For someone who's brothers are skilled artists I really got the short end of the artistic talent stick. :D
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Funny. Looking through the PTS and I can't find where is says "thou shalt have a binder full of lesson plans." I'd love to have a CFI who really knows his stuff, that I was 100% confident he is going to pass, and send him to that FSDO with one of these.

http://www.actechbooks.com/products/act5007/

"Where is your lesson plans?"

"Oh those? Those are right over here."

*hands over pre canned lesson plan book*

"Which one of those would you like me to teach?"
 
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