How long to get a CFI

[Hobiehawker]

I am interested in knowing how long it took for you to earn your CFI. I am interested in how long (weeks, months) and how much ground and flight training. I am interested in those who did it on their own at a local flight school.

Any of this information would be helpful.

Thanks for any responses.

 

[SWAdude]

This likely is dated (thirty years ago) but,

Five weeks, 20 hours ground, 10 hours flight, all at a local flight school that hired me after a grueling six hour oral and 1.5 hours flying.

 

[adisk811]

2 weeks at allATP in atlanta. Got my CFI, CFI-I, and CFI-ME

 

[Hobiehawker]

Thanks for the replies. I am interested in those who went to an FBO type flight school, or maybe even a flying club.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

It all depends on the individual and the amount of time they have. Depending on how current they are and how deep their knowledge is, they can do it fairly quickly or not. Too many variables to reach a magical number. Not all CFI's are equal in skill and knowledge when certificated, as you might already know.

That said, if you're grooming someone to get their instructor certificate, they should start flying from the right seat as much as possible and talking out loud their actions each step of the way. The CFI is really just a culmination of knowledge through the certificates. If the student properly studied for each rating along the way, they should have a solid foundation from which to work from and be able to expand upon it during their CFI studies.

Anyway, if your student is up to par or at least average, 10 hours of flying and a few weeks of studying should be ample.

 

[CX880]

I agree, it depends on how current you are with the regulations and flying procedures. There is no magical number. The other part that matters is where you choose to get your CFI done. I think going the FBO route with the local instructor is a little too general, try to goe pt141 or some place that does a lot of CFI applicants.

 

[LearLove]

I did my CFI w/in 2 weeks of getting my comm/sel in 1996 at a military flying club using a T-34. After I took the comm checkride I hopped in the back seat and learned to talk thru and teach/fly the comm maneuvers, 4 fundamentals, stalls, t.o./landings ect. My logbook shows 5.5 hours flight trainging for CFI.

I used the king tapes for the written(s) and my CFI prepped me for the oral portion of the checkride by general far/aim and PTS review - say 3 hours ground w/ cfi and 5 hours self study over 2 weeks including the flying(I was a senior in college so I fit it in between classes)

Started instructing in the club the day I got my CFI.

 

[LearLove]

FWIW my logbook shows 8.5 hours of instruction for my comm/sel done over 30 days. Another 30 days to do my CFI and comm/multi. Comm/sel and CFI in a flying club and Comm/Multi at a local FBO.

 

[Wooly]

From what i remember i took about 3 weeks to prep for my CFI and about 3 days for the subsequent CFII and 2 days for MEI (did all mine pt 91). Not an ad plug for American Flyers but when I worked there I was the only CFI out of about 20 that met the reqs besides the chief pilot (2 years and 200 dual given i believe) for signing off initial canidates for CFI ride with local FSDO. I worked my ass off that spring and signed about 40 people off for their ride and got my gold seal (rah rah). AF program is a good value but only if you are prepared to hit the ground running. know the CFI PTS and FOI and the rest of the training/knowledge recall will come back to you. good luck.

 

[DUATS]

I wasted about 30 hours on groundschool (at $50/hr) at my local FBO before I went to ATP for the 14 day super-school (it worked.) I would caution against using a local FBO unless they have done a bunch of CFI candidates before. The CFI needs to know what the feds are looking for, and have a relationship with them to help get a checkride scheduled.

Be cautious about doing it with inexperienced schools.