What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating you r

Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

I was talking to my unit standardization instructor pilot the other day and he mentioned he got an FAA CFI-H and it was the easiest ride he's ever done. I was flabbergasted and told him that through all my Army check rides and civ 135 rides, my initial CFI-A was the most difficult. Turns out he was able to do his ride with a DE who happened to be a fellow Army IP who he had worked with for years. Said the ride was under an hour with no oral. I explained to him how I had a 6 hour oral and 3 hour ride with the FSDO and how those times were certainly not the highest of CFI applicants I talked too.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

I went with PPL. My CFI was over in under an hour -- pass! I don't think I actually had to answer any questions or teach a lesson. Did I get off easy?
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

I was talking to a DE recently and asked about his experiences and where most applicants failed. He said CFI. He said his concern was not only that those who failed couldn't instruct, they were marginal (or worse) just in their flying skills. A few he had to wonder how they had gotten their initial licenses.

Another time he had a beefy guy come to him for a private ride. The guy was from New Jersey and Jimmy (not his real name) asked what he did. The guy was in 'waste management' (garbage? New Jersey?) The DE went up and after about :30-40 he told the guy the ride was over and to head back to the airport. Mr. Beefy asked if there was anything he could do to pass the ride. Jimmy said, ".. a few more hours of instruction and you should be fine." Mr. Beefy said, "No. I mean NOW. What will it take NOW for me to pass this ride?" Jimmy gulped and said there was nothing. Jimmy said he reluctantly started his own car for the next few days and never saw Mr. Beefy again.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

ATN_Pilot said:
You can use DPEs in Florida instead of actual feds at the FSDO
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You can do that anywhere if the FSDO is busy enough that they can't fit you into their schedule in a reasonable amount of time.

-mini
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

I thought the CFI was pretty easy. Primarily because I went with the idea that everyone fails their initial so I was going to get as many things checked off so my re-test would be fairly quick.

But all and all, the checkride was thorough, but not all that difficult and I passed.

I think it's a matter of preparation for the most part.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

Doug Taylor said:
I think it's a matter of preparation for the most part.
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Sorry, but I don't care who you are, how you fly, how well you prepared, how professional you look, how well your lesson plan was prepared or how you taught it...

If you jump into an oral with an examiner who has been fighting with his wife over the new wallpaper....it's going to be a loooooooooooooooooong day. Pass or not.

-mini
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

minitour said:
Sorry, but I don't care who you are, how you fly, how well you prepared, how professional you look, how well your lesson plan was prepared or how you taught it...

If you jump into an oral with an examiner who has been fighting with his wife over the new wallpaper....it's going to be a loooooooooooooooooong day. Pass or not.

-mini
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On the flip side, when you show up on Easter Sunday to take your initial CFI, and the examiner says "Well, its Easter Sunday, we'll try to make this fairly short," you know it might be a good day.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

KSCessnaDriver said:
On the flip side, when you show up on Easter Sunday to take your initial CFI, and the examiner says "Well, its Easter Sunday, we'll try to make this fairly short," you know it might be a good day.
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Well said. Many variables. Applicant preparation is probably the least important behind the sexual activity of the examiner and the amount and method of payment for examining services (if any).:D

-mini
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

minitour said:
Well said. Many variables. Applicant preparation is probably the least important behind the sexual activity of the examiner and the amount and method of payment for examining services (if any).:D

-mini
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Cash, in a spendable denomination ($20 bills), sure seems to help out these days. :D
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

KSCessnaDriver said:
On the flip side, when you show up on Easter Sunday to take your initial CFI, and the examiner says "Well, its Easter Sunday, we'll try to make this fairly short," you know it might be a good day.
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Or a quick bust.

CFI seemed like the easiest, or maybe tied for easiest with CMEL add-on. CSEL was the most troublesome- took me 3 trys (although I never did get to know the reason for bust #1)
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

Initial CFI was the hardest for me. The flight portion was a breeze, but getting through the oral was a nightmare! I busted the first time on the oral. The second was still very challenging but I made it through, and the flight seemed so easy in comparison to the oral.

The CFI-I was probably the easiest checkride for me. It was really just an instrument checkride from the right seat.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

As far as checkrides go, CFI was the worst. But instrument was the one I had the hardest time with as far as learning and getting proficient enough to take the checkride, but the ride itself turned out to not be all that bad.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

There is so much more information to know and perfect in the initial CFI. It, for me, by far was the most difficult, but most rewarding.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

Roger said:
You had Foulk! Your A&P wasn't hard!

Initial CFI (MEI) certainly was the most work, but I prepared well and well in advance so the actual ride was one of my easier ones.
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I had Foulk, so my Os&Ps were easy. If we are only talking about checkrides, then the only one that I have had be easier than my Os&Ps would be the CSEL addon. Other than the checkrides though I put way more time into my A&P than any of my other certificates. Well except for maybe my AGI.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

None were really all that tough, but I guess CFI.

My next checkride coming up is aerial refueling; let's see how I do on that :eek:
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

CFI A&P said:
Where's the selection for Mechanic Airframe & Powerplant?

You can't earn that overnight through some weekend ground school or just by practicing the manuevers for a few weeks either! My flight oral and practicals have been a few hours each. The oral and practical was two days long! That by far was the hardest I have earned so far.
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Yeah, that! The process for getting my A&P was brutal. The "checkrides" themselves were pretty easy.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

So no one else has a write in for Initial at their airline? I still think that was the most stressful.
 
Re: What was the most difficult license/certificate/rating y

greaper007 said:
So no one else has a write in for Initial at their airline? I still think that was the most stressful.
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It was stressful, but not difficult.

The most difficult part was trying to learn how to read NOS charts in 2 weeks and keep the book from flipping closed while doing stalls in a hold in turbulence before turning inbound and flying the approach.

Other than the book flipping closed on me, it wasn't really that difficult...just stressful.

-mini
 
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