What is the cheapest and cheapest path to obtaining my CFI cerrtificate from ground zero?

Chris Yohn said:
Sorry for so many different questions, I just want to know what my options are and have a clear view of exactly what i'm doing.

What are your thoughts on the ATP Flight School Airline Career Pilot program? It says it's full immersions and you can be graduated in 180 days and be hired as a flight instructor for them at $42,000 annually, 180 days is something i have enough saved up to handle. It's quite expensive, but is it worth it?
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At the end of the day, you'll have the same certificates no matter where you train for them. I have no experience with ATP directly. Anyone with a CFI certificate can get hired right now pretty much anywhere. Both a plus and minus of ATP is that they operate a very standardized fleet of airplanes. The rest of the general aviation world operates a very non-standardized fleet of airplanes. So, you won't get experience flying tailwheels, high performance singles, and other aircraft you might come across at local schools. Experience in those is attractive to many employers, and insurance companies. That isn't a huge thing, but something to consider. If your goal is to be working for an airline as soon as possible, and money is no object, ATP could be a reasonable choice.

On the cost side, you are paying about $300/hour for dual instruction primarily in a 172. That's pretty steep. You do get a multi rating and a fair bit of multi time baked into that, but keep in mind, a multi add-on can be done for about 3 grand elsewhere. And it is not necessary for being a CFI immediately. You could teach for 1,500 hours, and then get the multi. Or if you plan to be a career CFI, you don't really need the multi rating at all.

As for full immersion -250 hours over 6 months is 1.5 hours per day. That isn't a lot of flying. The immersion is studying for the other 7 hours per day. Which you can do by yourself, now, for free.

EDIT: I still recommend starting at a glider club.
 
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drunkenbeagle said:
At the end of the day, you'll have the same certificates no matter where you train for them. I have no experience with ATP directly. Anyone with a CFI certificate can get hired right now pretty much anywhere. Both a plus and minus of ATP is that they operate a very standardized fleet of airplanes. The rest of the general aviation world operates a very non-standardized fleet of airplanes. So, you won't get experience flying tailwheels, high performance singles, and other aircraft you might come across at local schools. Experience in those is attractive to many employers, and insurance companies. That isn't a huge thing, but something to consider. If your goal is to be working for an airline as soon as possible, and money is no object, ATP could be a reasonable choice.

On the cost side, you are paying about $300/hour for dual instruction primarily in a 172. That's pretty steep. You do get a multi rating and a fair bit of multi time baked into that, but keep in mind, a multi add-on can be done for about 3 grand elsewhere. And it is not necessary for being a CFI immediately. You could teach for 1,500 hours, and then get the multi. Or if you plan to be a career CFI, you don't really need the multi rating at all.

As for full immersion -250 hours over 6 months is 1.5 hours per day. That isn't a lot of flying. The immersion is studying for the other 7 hours per day. Which you can do by yourself, now, for free.

EDIT: I still recommend starting at a glider club.
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That isn't much, you're right! What reading materials would you recommend I get to start my studies and get all the knowledge needed and more?
 
Chris Yohn said:
That isn't much, you're right! What reading materials would you recommend I get to start my studies and get all the knowledge needed and more?
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From the FAA's website, you can get all of these in PDF:

Airplane Flying Handbook -- https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/
Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge -- https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/
Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) -- https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/aim.pdf

There are plenty of others, but that should keep you busy for a while :)
 
Maybe I'm a bit biased here since my experience was good...American Flyers to me is still the best deal around for CFI training. Great training, lots of other CFI candidates to work with and study with. Examiners are reasonable also.

45 days, CFI and CFI-I completed, no checkride failures (most in my class passed first try with various examiners) and after it was all said and done $7000. Included an extra flight or two before the checkride to break off the rust and food/gas/etc. I still suggest it to anyone I can. My experience was great and I learned A LOT in those 45 days. Most of the CFI studying is free though and all you need is 1 or 2 more CFIs and you guys can teach eachother for hours.

Obviously that route won't work for everyone. Just make sure you get a first hand review from a fast paced location. Some don't teach jack diddly squat and just go over how to pass x-ride
 
Chris Yohn said:
I'm off tomorrow! I will make a trip over there tomorrow! Should I call first?
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Just shoot an email over to the EAA chapter president and ask when the next meeting is. Tell them you are interested in aviation and and want to dive headfirst into it. Same thing with your local flight school. Go take an intro lesson and meet some instructors. You may find that your goals and ideas change once you start actually flying. Some will take a few lessons and realize its not for them, others will get hooked and realize they want to make it a careers, but I think its much better to do this before taking the plunge at a place like ATP, especially if you have current financial obligations. Also, if you find a good instructor, he will be able to help guide you through becoming a commercial pilot. Most of them will know at least a few people in various facets of the industry and can help to put you in contact with the right people to help you move forward.
 
tcco94 said:
Maybe I'm a bit biased here since my experience was good...American Flyers to me is still the best deal around for CFI training. Great training, lots of other CFI candidates to work with and study with. Examiners are reasonable also.

45 days, CFI and CFI-I completed, no checkride failures (most in my class passed first try with various examiners) and after it was all said and done $7000. Included an extra flight or two before the checkride to break off the rust and food/gas/etc. I still suggest it to anyone I can. My experience was great and I learned A LOT in those 45 days. Most of the CFI studying is free though and all you need is 1 or 2 more CFIs and you guys can teach eachother for hours.

Obviously that route won't work for everyone. Just make sure you get a first hand review from a fast paced location. Some don't teach jack diddly squat and just go over how to pass x-ride
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I couldn't agree more on American Flyers CFI program, I learned more in a little over a month than I did 3 years prior. I have had several friends do their program after I did and all were impressed. For the CFI it's the best way to go.
 
@Chris Yohn ATP has mixed reviews, but you get out of it what you put in. Regardless you need to start taking lessons and get a private first. A career in aviation is not one that you "just fall into" it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and a love for flying to make it work. Getting your Private locally will tell you if this is something you want or not want to do. If you find it's not something you want to do halfway through your private it's much easier to quit having spent a few thousand bucks, and not be committed to a program, and the $50k+ pricetag at a place like ATP.
 
Join the Navy or Air Force. Make mid to high 5 figures while you train. Go do a tour flying whatever they tell you to fly making high 5 to low 6 figures. Kill bad guys. Wear boots and coveralls to work. Then go be an instructor pilot in T-6s. Take the Mil-Comp Instructor exam.

Boom. Cost effective and very high quality. You'll probably also have loads of turbine PIC and leadership experience, etc. and you (probably) won't die doing it.
 
skypilot6 said:
@Chris Yohn ATP has mixed reviews, but you get out of it what you put in. Regardless you need to start taking lessons and get a private first. A career in aviation is not one that you "just fall into" it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and a love for flying to make it work. Getting your Private locally will tell you if this is something you want or not want to do. If you find it's not something you want to do halfway through your private it's much easier to quit having spent a few thousand bucks, and not be committed to a program, and the $50k+ pricetag at a place like ATP.
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As someone who attended ATP after first getting my PPL elsewhere, that's the way to go. Take it slower elsewhere and build a good foundation of the basics, then consider a fast-paced program for everything else if that's what you want.
 
Chris Yohn said:
I was finding that by typing "CFI salary in Virginia" and going to the salary site that shows up. 25-35 would only be worth a pass through for hours to me, i really don't want to drop over 40k a year without the end result. '
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Perhaps aviation isn't for you? The "end result" is poor in all sectors of aviation, and research on "salary sites" is dramatically wrong for this sector.

-Fox
 
Be cautious of ATP, their main goal is to graduate you in that specific time frame so they are going to really push you through it, even if you need more help and practice-too bad. and +1 for going the Military route, they need pilots, they pay for your training and it looks good on that resume.
 
Chris Yohn said:
That was a typo, I want the best quality for the best deal possible. Who wouldn't, right? On another note, the title was supposed to read "cheapest and fastest path." Either way you look at it, it was poor wording on my part, I apologize.
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Just jabbin'.......:biggrin:
I would want the cheapest and fastest too.
 
Flyinthrew said:
Join the Navy or Air Force. Make mid to high 5 figures while you train. Go do a tour flying whatever they tell you to fly making high 5 to low 6 figures. Kill bad guys. Wear boots and coveralls to work. Then go be an instructor pilot in T-6s. Take the Mil-Comp Instructor exam.

Boom. Cost effective and very high quality. You'll probably also have loads of turbine PIC and leadership experience, etc. and you (probably) won't die doing it.
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As much as I appreciate that idea, I don't really favor joining the military, again. On a second note, if I were to, I can't become an officer because you're not allowed to when you were diagnosed with ADHD by a physician. I can focus well and it doesn't hinder me, but it's how it is.

Thank you!
 
Flyinthrew said:
Join the Navy or Air Force. Make mid to high 5 figures while you train. Go do a tour flying whatever they tell you to fly making high 5 to low 6 figures. Kill bad guys. Wear boots and coveralls to work. Then go be an instructor pilot in T-6s. Take the Mil-Comp Instructor exam.

Boom. Cost effective and very high quality. You'll probably also have loads of turbine PIC and leadership experience, etc. and you (probably) won't die doing it.
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Most get stuck flying drones at a desk these days. I'd recommend the coast guard since they are the only branch to guarantee flight time in writing when you sign up last time I checked.
 
Lunchbox said:
Most get stuck flying drones at a desk these days. I'd recommend the coast guard since they are the only branch to guarantee flight time in writing when you sign up last time I checked.
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The Coast Guard aviators I know are an excellent group of people that do some incredible flying. That is certainly a viable route.

The Navy and Marine Corps offer flight contracts so they guarantee flight time (as long as you make in through the accession process). I can't talk for the Air Force. As for the "most get stuck flying drones", that's just false. The ones who DO get put there are understandably vocal. Only the Air Force is putting their flyers in UAS programs, and I'm pretty sure that's not a forever thing, both overall as a staffing tool and for each individual that gets put there.

Chris Yohn said:
As much as I appreciate that idea, I don't really favor joining the military, again. On a second note, if I were to, I can't become an officer because you're not allowed to when you were diagnosed with ADHD by a physician. I can focus well and it doesn't hinder me, but it's how it is.

Thank you!
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It was sort of tongue in cheek on my part, but figured I'd throw it out there. Almost nobody walks into military aviation as a means to some other end. For most guys, it's a happy by-product that one has valuable skills and experience once they come out the other side.
 
Lunchbox said:
Most get stuck flying drones at a desk these days. I'd recommend the coast guard since they are the only branch to guarantee flight time in writing when you sign up last time I checked.
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With it being a much smaller service and having comparatively fewer slots, it is much harder to get an OCS slot through the CG than through the other services. Then, if you do get an OCS slot, there are only a few flight school slots in every class.
 
Chris Yohn said:
As much as I appreciate that idea, I don't really favor joining the military, again. On a second note, if I were to, I can't become an officer because you're not allowed to when you were diagnosed with ADHD by a physician. I can focus well and it doesn't hinder me, but it's how it is.

Thank you!
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Before you do anything else, I would suggest that you make sure you can hold at least a 2nd Class FAA medical certificate. You can search for the requirements online.

Richman
 
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