Certified Flight Instructor

[Archer]

After having had a talk with my parents about how much I'm paying for my PPL training...CFI certificate interests me more and more, and my hopes of getting Instrument and Commercial certificates soon (as in doing continuous training) have diminished.

My bill, after a typical 1.3 or 1.5 hour training flight comes out to be around 150 bucks. When I told my parents that, they were very surprised. I have told them that the total cost is going to be around 4 or 4 and a half grand. They know that, and have accepted it, yet when I tell them that "this week I spend some 300+ dollars on my two flight lessons" they get worried and tell me to spread my training.

But my goal is to arrange my checkride before Chrismast, and I've convinced them that in the next month and a half I'll be training to meet that goal.

Now, once I get my PPL I'll either be flying an Archer with four people at 70 bucks/hour or a Warrior with four people at either 62 or 66 bucks/hour.

That, or a Cessna 152 at some 60 bucks an hour for two people. So that's roughly 17 to 30 bucks for me, depending on which of my friends are willing to come along. I doubt I'll ever fly by myself, as the costs are too great.

I'll be flying this way for some 20 or 30 x/c hours before starting my IR training. Now, this period of flight will give my parent's wallet a breath of air...but then I hear IR will costs around 5 grand total. That's a lot...and I do intend to fly basically ALL of the 40 hours...with minimal simulator time...to be a better Instrument pilot...that is my philosophy, similar to my student pilot one, where I believe being student pilot for a little while longer now, will make me a safer/better Private pilot later on...

Well, basically, the CFI rating has never really crossed my mind...

for those of you who are CFIs (almost 95% of the members of this board! ) if ou could give me an insight on what it takes to be a CFI.

The scariest thought for me, is the first solo of a student...how do you guys deal with it emotionally? What if they have a problem and crash-land or something...or worse...are the CFIs responsible in such a case? I know you don't let a student pilot fly solo unless both the CFI and the student are comfortable...but "what if"?

I wouldn't mind teaching student pilots, especially if I get a CFII or MEI someday...to vary the teaching a little...and the FBO I train at now if a very friendly environment...but I still need some word of advice, or someone telling me what it takes to be a CFI...

I know there are CFIs ou thtere that don' twant to teach and do it for the hours and that that's very bad...what does it take to be a "good CFI"

and what is involved in the training once you have your Commercial...is it mainly aeronautical/FAR knowledge along with flight lesson planning?

Thank u in advance...and just out of curiosity...how little is a CFIs pay?

Archer

 

[Joe Jet Pilot]

My $.02 Worth

Archer,

First of all, don't be so quick to discredit the value of simulator based instruction for the instrument rating. You can do so much more in a given amount of time in a simulator then in the airplane. With the sim, you can stop & discuss things, back up and start over, depending on the sim you can slew to different altitudes, airports, etc. Plus most of the sims that I have flown while doing my instrument, CFII, and multi are harder to fly then the real airplane with respect to the important things like maintaining a heading, altitude, airspeed, vertical speed, etc.

Now the million dollar question on what it takes to be a good CFI. Well the Aviation Instructor's Handbook identifies the traits. It is called Flight Instructor Characteristics & Responsibilites. Some of them include: sincerity, acceptance of the student (their faults and problems), good personal appearance and habits, good demeanor, good safety practices, use proper language, desire for self-improvement.

I always found that those CFI's that had those traits did well, and were sucessful instructors. In addition you must learn to be how to be a good communicator. No two people will learn the same way, so you must be able to adapt. Knowing what makes the students tick takes time and experience.

Knowing when a student was ready to solo was always very easy for me. Some did it at 10 hours others took longer, but I always applied the same standard. My standard was, show me a stall series, forced landing procedure, get me back to the airport from the practice area, and 3 landings without me saying a word and they were ready. Some may say that it a tough standard, but it is my name in their logbook.

The CFI rating is probably the toughest checkride you will ever take. But in the end you will learn so much.

 

[katanabob]

Not trying to be technical, (I just think it's an important distinction) but a CFI is a certificate, not a rating. I'd venture to say that for most of us, earning it took far more effort than either the instrument or the commercial.
Sorry to burst your bubble, Archer, but you'll need both a commercial certificate and and instrument rating before you can think about instructing.
Am I the only airport bum on this board? I mean, I really find it hard to believe that *everyone* (or many, for that matter) can afford to shell out the ungodly amount of money it would take to rent airplanes through your CFI.
Another note.. as most airport bums know, washing and waxing airplanes pays MUCH, MUCH more than instructing. It doesn't require any special certificates or ratings either.

 

[El Cid Av8or]

Archer,

I'm kind of going through the same thing. I have private single and multi-engine ratings and I am trying to cope with my current IT job long enough to pay off a couple bills so I can go full-time flight training to finish up the rest of the ratings. I'm going for everything but the ATP right now just because the ATP requires 1500 hours of flight time and I'm not even half way there yet.

At any rate, don't give up. Do something to help offset the costs. Wash cars or planes, mow grass, sweep hangars (doctors like to keep their hangar clean so their 6-digit plane looks good ) or whatever. I washed my trainer C150 twice for a free hour of instruction, plane and instructor included (this was back in 1990 and the CFI owned the plane).

No matter what the laws of physics say, there's only one thing that makes an airplane fly... money !

 

[ILS JNKY]

flying money

Try to find a flight school that is teamed up with a college, that is close to you, and see if they have an aviation program.

This way you can attened college and still fly, you will need that 4 year degree just to say you are a trainable person.

For my self i chose the KeyBank school loan, after the other money ran out, they "key" have some very competive rates , when it comes to paying the loan back, all ways figure in some extra for more hours and some living expences.

Wait till you get to the multi and your bill are running around 450.00 a trip, or $235.00 a lesson.

The above post said some thing about the sim for the insturment training, that would be a good choice since this is raiting that takes work, sime time runs around $60.00 dollars an hour that includes the instructor, depends where you go.

All in All look to put as much into this as going to a regular college, if i had it to do over again i would trade my degree from the university of central florida for flight time.

 

[Pilotadjuster]

Lessons

Just a thought on what your parents said about "spreading" your lessons out; DONT DO IT! Spreading them out to 1/week or 2-3/month will make your PPL take forever and cost twice as much. Due to weather, flight school going out of business, etc, my PPL took me almost 18 months!

If you had started today, Christmas might be hard to do for a checkride. Where you apparently are now, that should be no problem at all if you keep at it. The estimates you get from most schools are for students doing the training at 2-3 flights per week, minimum. Some of the cheaper ones are 141 programs and require full time attendence.

Just try and impress upon them that the more time between lessons, the more you have to repeat and less new material can be covered.

Fly safe and good luck!

ps--guess i have to find a new quote for my profile!

 

[na265]

I agree with everyone who has said to keep at it at lest 2Xwk. You will retain more and advance at a faster rate. It is not easy, or cheap. Of course, the best thing can do as a student is to come prepared for your lessons. Review your manuevers book and your text before you even see the AC. As a CFI/I and MEI, with 1300hrs of dual given, it is hard to answer what it takes to be a good instructor. It can be exciting and frustrating when working with a student. As a CFI, you wear so many hats. You are the teacher, psycho-analyst, friend and mentor. You have to know when to lean on a student, (and how much they can take), let them go, and when to take over.
To answer what it is like to solo a student, I can say that it is very rewarding and a great thrill. When your student is ready, you will know. There should not be a question of their abilities. Any way, I can ramble on and on. Maybe I should say to enjoy yourself, have fun and always err on the side of safety. Good luck!

 

[RockyMnt1]

CFI

On the financial front, I offer this suggestion. Go work for a company that will help pay for your ratings via tuition refund. Mine paid for instrument, comm, ME, CFI and will pay for the ATP written. I had to pay for the private pilot, CFII, and MEI portion of the training.

 

[Archer]

There are companies that will do that?

What's their condistions...that you work there for at least some amount of time...like 5 years, or 3 years or something? what's the deal with that...it sounds great!

 

[RockyMnt1]

CFI

No strings. It is just a portion of the tuition refund program. I don't know if the rules have changed in that the ratings must be related to your job now or related to a degree program. I am in the computer systems side of the house, but they paid anyway. I guess you could look at the situation of a systems analyst getting an art history degree. Not really related to the job, but makes for a well rounded/educated/happy/loyal employee.

Go check out the express package companies (especially the one that started the overnight business). Just get your foot in the door moving boxes or whatever. Even part time employees get tuition refund benefits, although at a reduced amount.