Decisions Regarding Training

[cookmg]

I posted these questions before but they were imbedded in another thread. I was hoping some people who might care to comment did not have a chance to read them. Thanks!

1) Do you folks think that the initial CFI should be done by a 141 academy that does this training all the time? What about doing it with a freelance instructor out of a club?

2) How important is it that your CFI has taught the inital before? Specifically, should I consider learning from an experienced CFI who has NOT trained an inital candidate before? I flew with a great guy for my instrument. He emphasises safety and he is very patient. However, I learned most of the knowledge through my own studies. Will this situation translate well into the CFI training enviornment? Or, will I need to rely on having a VERY knowledgable CFI for the inital training? Are there some charactersics of an instructor for CFI training that I should look for?

Mike

 

[Deftone45075]

For the first question, you could train at either. A 141 school will have a great program that is very established and professional. However you could also do it from a 61 school and be with a very reputable instructor. If you are familiar with the particular "freelance instructor" you culd very well get top notch instruction. If you don't have anyone in mind, check out the 141 schools. Shebbles is pretty good from what I heard. Bobbysamd can give you more info on them.

An instructor who has been teaching for some time will be one of your best assets. If they are strong with the FOI stuff, you need not worry if your their first CFI applicant. If at all possible, do try and find someone who frequently trains CFI's. When I was working on mine, I as flying with an instructor who was in his early eighties, and now soley instructs CFI applicants. His past expeience as a CFI, and training CFI's showed tremendoussly.

 

[bobbysamd]

You rang??

Thanks for the intro, Mr. Tone.

Everyone was new at one time. As long as your instructor takes an interest and is enthusiastic about the notion of training instructors, he/she will be fine. I believe that I did right by my first two CFI students. In all I had about twenty CFI signoffs at two big 141 schools.

On that subject, if you've been training at a 141 school I would probably stay there for your CFI. You know the aircraft, procedures, philosophy and culture. In addition, some 141 schools have self-examining authority for CFI. But staying at your 141 school for CFI is not an absolute. I recall some our Riddlers going across the field for their CFI. Some tried to come back for jobs, but received little consideration because they didn't get their CFIs at Riddle. From a training standpoint, though, go where you're comfortable and where you feel you will receive the best training for your money.

As far as Sheble's goes for CFI, to avoid wasting bandwidth (and being redundant), here's a link to a current discussion.

Good luck with your training.