Any advice for starting CFI

[IrishFlyer]

Hi Guys,



I am starting my CFI tomorrow. I have already done the FOI exam so I only have one written to do. I hear the check ride is one of the more difficult ones and many have failed it. Have any of you guys got any advice or tips for making it a relatively painless process.



Thanks,



IF

 

[Flyingtoohigh]

Do you want to work at the school you're training at? If so, treat each lesson like a job interview. Show up early and get the plane preflighted before your instructor shows up. Dress professionally and be prepared to the hilt. Study, study, study and make short work of your FIA and FOI writtens quickly. While you're in written-test-mode, knock out the AGI and IGI writtens for your ground instructor certificates.

This is your time to shine and put your best foot forward for a potential employer. I didn't do that and I deeply regret it now. Have fun and enjoy the view from the right seat. Seek to learn everything you can and revisit the basics. You are becoming a professional aviator: look, act, and teach like one.

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

Don't do it

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

Don't do it

Werd!

 

[taxicabdriver]

The first cfi ride was a little tough, but only because there is so much info to cover. All the FSDO guys know this and they also know that you are't really going to start learning this until you put it all too use. I learned way more instructing than I ever did getting my cfi. Dont worry about it, you'll pick it up when you are out using the ticket.

 

[350DRIVER]

You should already have a strong foundation in place with regards to your knowledge areas, ability, flying skills, etc. Now it should just be a matter of "fine tuning" your flying and getting comfortable with the controls from the right side and being able to "teach" from that side. It should be a relatively easy and painless transition for you for the most part, I don't think this ride was anymore easier or difficult than my initial 135 captain ride with the feds. You either know your stuff at this point or you don't, hopefully you do. A "positive" attitude and hard work ethic will go a long way as you start your climb up the instructing ladder. I would spend as much time as you can reviewing the fars/aim, wx related material, faa handouts, signoffs, etc, etc, since the majority of the checkride will be spent on the ground doing the oral portion of the checkride. The FAA already knows that as a "commerical pilot" that you can safely handle the aircraft, they are mainly concerned that as a CFI that you can safely teach/instruct in a controlled environment without compromising the safety of the flight at any point. The flight portion of the checkride should be the easy part, most get pinked on the oral portion since this is where the FAA is really going to drill you on just about everything and anything and make sure that you know your stuff. You should see absolutely no surprises on the flight portion of the ride, you have (or should have) done everything that will be tested and expected of you during your training. I thought the CFI ride was enjoyable for the most part and I was asked to do nothing that I hadn't seen in the past. Know the CFI PTS well and be able to do all the manuevers and objectives to the best of your ability within tolerances. When you finally get the CFI sign off then you should pass since your instructor wouldn't have signed you off if he./she had any doubts in his/her mind on your ability/skills.

I suggest that you find a CFI that has trained other initial applicants in the past who knows the ropes on what your local fsdo may or may not be looking for. This should be the same all across the board since everything within the PTS is "fair game" but the MCO and OKC fsdo's (and others) have been known to try and throw CFI applicants a curve ball during the oral portion of the ride. I did mine with the OKC fsdo and had a career CFI who signed off many other CFI applicants tell me exactly what additional things would be thrown my way, passed on the first attempt without a problem. I found it quite helpful to have someone who had many applicants take the ride with this specific fsdo, he knew the inspectors well and knew exactly what they were going to be looking for. A few of the others in my ground school had a younger CFI who was out of the loop and the failure rate with them was relatively high is comparison to the guy that I ended up with. Pick your cfi wisely if at all possible. I think "good" instruction is the key on whether or not you will get the desired and positive outcome. Ask around and get a feel for the instructors at your local flight school, obviously you are the customer so you reserve the right to be "picky" and "choose".

I would not worry about the checkride at this point, spend as much time as you can in the books and score as high as possible on the CFI written. The higher the score you get the easier the oral portion of the flight should be. Also make absolutely sure that the aircraft that you show up at the FSDO with has no AW problems and it is in tip top shape. I have met many who showed up with a "questionable" aircraft (that applicant and flight school thought was fine) that the FAA grounded and refused to fly in. I would have the checkride aircraft checked over and over by an A&P prior to making the journey for your checkride. The FAA has been known to find little things that are not overly obvious to most while doing a pre-flight.



Relax, enjoy, and most of all don't allow your nerves to get the best of you, sometimes this is easier said than done...

good luck,

3 5 0

 

[IrishFlyer]

Thanks very much for all your informative replies. I am looking forward to starting. I had to cancel today due to low clouds bases in KSAT. It will be interesting to see what its like from the right seat.

Every CFI seems to comment that they learn the most when they are instructing. I can see how this may happen with your overall knowledge of regs, weather, and aerodynamics and so on, also maybe teaching to fly IFR. But does anyone have any good examples of situations in flight that they leaned from while instructing that they have not come across in their own training. I am sure they are numerous I just cannot think of any that I may stumble upon in the future.


Thanks again guys,



IF

 

[Flying Colors]

Hey Irishflyer,

I know you will do very well on your initial CFI. Ever one who posted on this thread gave good advice.
My CFI ride was 7 hours and 30 mins long. 5 hours of it was the oral, took an hour break, 1 hour in the plane and the rest was finishing paperwork and having the temporary ticket typed out. Believe me it get easier after this hurdle. I took my ride with a guy name Frank Einstein (I think I spell the last name right), dont know if he was related to Albert, had a formula in his office: E=MC2. Which meant in his words Examination = Means Cheackride twice. Scary thought but I got thur it. Just got to get your nerves under control and its all good.

I have 800 hours given and taught in a CE-152/172, one of many things I did differently and its a bit contraversary was introduce spin recovery techniques to my students. Its not part of normal training but I had two students put me in a spin while performing departure stalls. Since you are pretty much looking straight down their immediate reaction was to pull back on the yoke. Of course you all know this is not the right way. One of my student was such in a state of shock I had to chop his hands off the yoke in order to gain control. After a couple minutes of calming down the student and I talk about what happen. Although they read and study about recovery techniques, its nothing like being in an actual spin. So I'll take students up to do 2 rotations just so they can see it and not freak out when it happens.

 

[norskman2]

I have 800 hours given and taught in a CE-152/172, one of many things I did differently and its a bit contraversary was introduce spin recovery techniques to my students. I'll take students up to do 2 rotations just so they can see it and not freak out when it happens.

Is the 152 or 172 spin-rated???????

 

[JB74]

Is the 152 or 172 spin-rated???????

Yes. Both are certified in the utility catagory and spins are an approved maneuver, as long as you don't have any flaps out.