Flight instructing with dog eared ATP?

5 Answers

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   jeff on Feb 22, 2016

   I would expect someone with an ATP and that amount of reported hours to know where to look. The requirements are laid out in FAR 61.181 through 61.187.

   In brief – you will need to pass 2 written exams for initial CFI. There is a written test on Fundementals of Instruction FOI (all about teaching, teaching styles, learning, etc) and after the FOI you will need to take the written exam for the CFI initial. After thats out of the way…..

   You will need to work with a CFI within 60 days of taking the practical test. There are several endorsesments you will need, including a stall/spin endorsement and a sign off to take the practical test a,oungst others (also see FAA AC 61-95, certainly fication of airmen and flight instructors) The initial CFI can be done either in a single or multi. (In order to instruct in both, you will need to take a second practical test once you hve your initial CFI. In order to teach instrument instruction, you will then need another written exam CFI instruction ment and a third practical test.) If you take the initial in a single, it must be a complex airplane (so will most likely have to rent a spin certified 152 or 172 in order to do the spin training and get the endorsement)

   The initial CFI practical is the grand daddy of them all. It can last a full day and is very comprehensive. (The ATP practical is simple by comparison IMHO, and yes, i am ATP in addition to CFI, MEI and CFII) You can not pick your examiner. It has to be assigned by the FSDO. For the add on ratings you can pick the examiner you want to use.

   There are many good books out there and online review courses. I happened to use the Kingschool CFI course and thought it was very good, but not everybody likes John and Martha. You definately want to download or purchase the FAA “flight instructors manual”, which has all the FOI and teaching stuff, and the FAA “Airplane flying handbook” and review them cover to cover and know them inside out. The exam is huge on the regulations and endorsements, so you will want to review the regs and know requirements/privileges and limitations for student pilot/private pilot and commercial. Know your airspaces and sectionals inside out and VFR minimums ( not necessarily all fresh in the mind if you have been flying jets for the airlines or other instrument flying)

   I would grab the PTS’s for CFI/private and commercial and make a lesson plan for each and every item in there. Ultimately, you have to show you not only know the material, but can teach it. Writing your own lesson plans is one of the best ways to review and prepare the material and will come in handy once you get your ticket and start to teach. Regardless of your experience, it takes alot of prep work to get through the initial CFI. Not something most people can do on a whim without preperation. You will need a CFI with more than 2 years experience to work with you and sign you off, so that should be the first thing I would do is get a good local CFI and review all the requirements, then come up with a game plan that fits your schedule to get through the 2 written exams (by the way, the FOI exam can be waived if you have state administered teaching credentials. Doubtful for most professional pilots) Good luck…..

   Jeff

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   JDBishop5 on Feb 22, 2016

   Thanks for the answer. I thought you wanted questions. I guess I was misled by the headline that states clearly, ‘Ask A Question.’

   I have state-administered teaching credentials and many years of teaching experience from primary through graduate school.

   It looks manageable.

   Someone else may want to comment on the prognosis for an old two and four round engine prop driver who swapped over to airline flying and management finding a job in the current market which is much changed since the props were made of wood and the men of steel.

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   Mark Kolber on Feb 23, 2016

   Thanks for the answer. I thought you wanted questions. I guess I was misled by the headline that states clearly, ‘Ask A Question.’

   Well, the Internet is not know for its civility. But aside from that, sometimes the best answer to a question is “why don’t you look it up instead of asking me to.” I can’t speak for anyone else but when I answer a regulator question, I don;t give the answer based on what I “think” or “recall” or “opine” the rule says. I look at the rule.

   Prognosis? Most of that depends on geography and what you want to do with that CFI. People with experience and decent credentials can, with a bit of business sense and, of course, luck, can find usually find their place.

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   JDBishop5 on Feb 23, 2016

   Thank you for your answer. I think people who are offended by a question in an ‘ask a question’ forum should realize their option to go on to the next page rather than venting their spleen before writing an extended and quite informative short essay in response to the inquiry.

   I apologized for asking what might be a well-answered question.

   Anyway, I love teaching and have done a lot of it giving type ratings in large airplanes for quite a while when I was working. It was all ATP stuff so the CFI wasn’t a consideration. I have often felt that we had the training ‘system’ upside down. To me, an instructor should properly be a very senior pilot who can teach as much from experience as from a book and syllabus. I wrote a much-praised, by the FAA, syllabus for a simulator program I directed and tried to include openings for the very experienced pilots I hired as instructors to tell stories illustrating a point.

   Snowbound here in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho for another few months, I will look into what I must acomplish to do some instruction when we are back on pavement.

   Thanks again for your help.

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   JimboG on Mar 26, 2016

   Quite honestly I am appalled! JDbishop5 asks a legitimate question on a forum titled “ASK a flight instructor” and he gets belittled and chastisized. What the heck??? 99.9% of the questions people raise in this forum could be slap handedly answered by admonishing them to go look it up in the FARs themselves so why does this forum even exist?

   JDbishop5 clearly has a ton of valuable experience to share with the pilot community, including you Jeff! There’s a whole lot more to flight instruction than a 350hr newbie teaching pattern work and I’ll bet you anything JD has the REAL and valuable experience to teach good judgement, aeronautical decision making and how to safely and strategically get from point A to B! JD’s a round engine guy with a ton of time which means he’s seen and been in the Wx, managed his fair share of engine/systems failures, worked with all types of personalities and now is willing to share that valuable experience and knowledge with others! For this he gets dissed?

   In all fairness, after his unecessary comments, Jeff did answer the question pretty well.

   JD, good luck obtaining your CFI! I’ll gladly fly with you!

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