CFI Oral Material?

[weekendwarrior]

Ok, I know the Oral Exam guide and the PTS is all fair game for the oral. My question is, where was the emphasis placed on your oral exam? Is it evenly distributed across the board, or do some things not come up very often i.e. FOI topics, etc?

I understand as a flight instructor we need to be well versed in every subject testable, but I'm just trying to get an idea on what the oral might be like, from the average oral exam.

 

[wmuflyguy]

Im studying for the Oral right now to. I hate to say it but seems everyones oral is different. I'm struggling with what to focus on. I wish i could say one way or another, but i'm banking on FOI and part 61(mostly relating to endorsements and CFI privelages), then kinda a smattering of everything. I wish i knew how hard they are goin to hit manuevers, objectives, and standards. my guess would be it is goin to be a focus point. So in other words, i just guess it is luck of the draw and look at everything. My desk is such a mess with books. i'll be very happy when it is over

 

[FracCapt]

To really know what the examiner likes to focus on, you need to find out who your examiner will be, and question people that have taken CFI rides with him/her. They're all different. Somewhere on the FAA website there is a listing of "deficient areas noted on initial CFI checkrides". That's a great place to start - it details the weak points that have been noted by examiners and that the FAA wants them to focus more attention on. I'll see if I can dig it up tomorrow - don't have time now, have an early AM flight. When is your ride?

 

[FracCapt]

Well, I ended up doing a quick search...didn't find it on the FAA site, but found it on the Orlando FSDO site. This should help a bit, but you may find something like this on your local FSDO site. In any case, this will tell you about areas that that specific FSDO found deficient.

http://www.faa.gov/fsdo/orl/findings.cfm

 

[weekendwarrior]

Wow...seems some folks in Florida haven't been doing their homework! Thanks for the info.

 

[UGAflyer]

I took my CFI, CFII, and MEI all in the last week, so i am pretty fresh....and exhausted. But it was cool and I passed. I would know endorsements, that will definately show up. As for everything else, the test is open book so know where to look up stuff if you don't know it. Also, follow along in your PTS during the oral. Since you will be following along in the PTS, write in your PTS. You could write an answer to every question, or at least enough to cue your memory and then start talking from there, especially on items you can't seem to remember. This should help you out a lot, it did me. Good luck.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Open book? I would think if you had to look too many things up, that would qualify as a no-go.

 

[FracCapt]

Open book? I would think if you had to look too many things up, that would qualify as a no-go.

Having to look too many things up will certainly result in a bust....but who's to say what is too much? It's all up to the examiner. BTW, I talked to a friend that is a DPE today, and he said that the list on the ORL FSDO website is pretty much dead on for most of the country. Apparently a lot of those areas of operation are found deficient on CFI applicants everywhere. I think he said it was addressed in a recent DPE newsletter.

 

[350DRIVER]

As for everything else, the test is open book so know where to look up stuff if you don't know it.

The CFI oral is not "open book"... The above is very bad advice and surely will result in a bust if you need to refer to the books on more than a few occasions.


3 5 0

 

[Tired Soul]

My advice would be to work on everything on that FSDO list.
My FSDO inspector gave me scenario's in which I had to work out the best way of action.
Definitely Airspace and Aerodynamics.....
Had me go pretty deep in slow flight stall and spins.
Demonstrated a spin also..
Good luck.

 

[UGAflyer]

I guess "open book" was not the best terminology. You should know the majority of it, but as I was taught AND tested, if you are not sure of something and know where to find the right answer, it is acceptable. But if you go to the book for too much that is definately unsatisfactory.

 

[troy]

I looked up a couple of answers on my oral....

What impressed the FAA when I took mine, is that I had a sketch pad that I drew/taped/etc different ground lessons into. I had to "teach" shorts and softs to him. Really helped with pre-drawn material. Also, I did a W&B before (guessed his weight). Just showed him the paper and that was that.

 

[plunger]

i lke your avatar but you need a mathews.

 

[SkyGuyEd]

My advice: Go through the PTS step by step. Know the material in the PTS. Base your studying off the PTS. If you know the PTS, you won't fail.

 

[flyinlow67]

I know all the CFI students I send to our local examiners come back with the same thing. Our examiner will go chapter by chapter out of the Flight Instruction Handbook. It may be boring stuff, but alot of it is still relavent.

 

[wmuflyguy]

just took the CFI checkride yesterday. The FSDO called and canceled on me friday afternoon, saying they had conflict with the day i was cheduled and they sent me to a DE.

The oral was almost all FOI. He sat there with the PTS and went through the first section page by page. He Asked abuot professionalism, critique(ground rules and elements of), and evaluation alot. We briefly touched on almost all areas of the FOI. covered the FOI for about an hour and a half.

The next hour was spent on collision avoidance, visual illusions, and I taught him chandelle's. He asked me to show him how aircrafts fly (ie. lift). How to creat more lift wihtout increasing speed or attitude of airplane (flaps). Taught him the left turning tendencies, and he asked me a few V-speeds for the arrow and that was the oral.

I felt i was over prepared for the oral, since i was expecting to go with the FAA inspector. He liked how i was organized (I had a 3 inch binder that was oragnized in 12 sections starting with CFI responsibilites and covered all the areas of operation).

The flight was a non-event. It was 1.7 total between the 2 airplanes (172 and PA-28). oral was abuot 2.5 to 3. Started at 8am finished by 1pm. All in all a good experience. time to go study for the CFII and turn my resume in to the Chief flught instructor.