Ask a Flight Instructor

Archive for the ‘CFI Training’ Category

Melody asks an (increasingly common!) question about Sport Pilot upgrades for instructors:

I was told by an examiner that I could get a CFI Sport Pilot rating, then add on a CFI-SE Airplane. Is this accurate?

Whenever you’re looking into adding on a rating – any rating, whether it’s adding multi-engine privileges to a private ticket, or seaplane privileges to your commercial – the first stop should be the appropriate Practical Test Standards guide. However, in this case, I pulled up the latest CFI Airplane PTS (FAA-S-8081-6C, 1.4 MB) from the FAA’s website and flipped to page 1-xi, the Additional Rating Task Table.

Of course, it says nothing about Sport Pilot, which I suppose is not that surprising; the last revision to the PTS was 2006, when Sport Pilot was still in its infancy. What’s most likely, then, is that even if you held a CFI-SP rating, you’d need to meet the aeronautical experience and certificate requirements (ie Commercial) for a normal CFI Airplane rating. At first glance, it seems like it makes more sense to just go the “standard” route and work directly on meeting the requirements to become a CFI.

Rather than spend all day trying to find the answer on Google, I called up the AOPA hotline (1-800-872-2672) to see what they knew. The person I spoke with had the same thoughts – the full CFI requirements are necessary as there is no PTS additional rating information – although he very wisely pointed out that as a CFI-SP you would be earning money and logging time, while if you were simply working towards the CFI requirements there would be no income aiding the process.

Hope you can decide on a good path, and fly safe!

Also, if any readers have first-hand information on the topic, please let us know!

Here is a question from a new CFI concerning practicing approaches with a student pilot:

I am a new CFI-A, and currently finishing up one of my first students. While just buzzing around with the student under the hood performing unusual attitudes, climbs/ descents and turns, I would like to introduce to my student a little bit of the instrument approach procedures. To me it seems a little bit better with “If you enter IMC while VFR, here is how you can get out…” Can I do this as just a CFI-A and not a CFII-A?

This is a great question, and one that I’m sure a lot of newly minted CFIs have wondered.  There are actually two different approaches to this question.  First is the legal answer (what can you do) and second is the prudent answer (what should you do…IMHO).

Legally

According to 61.109 (Aeronautical Experience) Private Pilot applicants are required to have 3 hours training of simulated instrument training.  Here is the current wording:

3 hours of flight training in a single-engine airplane on the control and maneuvering of an airplane solely by reference to instruments, including straight and level flight, constant airspeed climbs and descents, turns to a heading, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, radio communications, and the use of navigation systems/facilities and radar services appropriate to instrument flight;

While it doesn’t specifically say “instrument approaches”, I think most people would consider an instrument approach procedure to be practicing the use of a navigation system or facility.  Also, while you are receiving vectors for an approach, you would be reviewing “radar services” right?

The other regulation to consider is the flight instructor privileges and limitations.  For this, we look at 61.195 subparagraph (c) which specifies when a CFI must have a instrument rating (on the flight instructor certificate):

(c) Instrument Rating. A flight instructor who provides instrument flight training for the issuance of an instrument rating or a type rating not limited to VFR must hold an instrument rating on his or her flight instructor certificate and pilot certificate that is appropriate to the category and class of aircraft in which instrument training is being provided.

So as long as the instrument training you are providing is not for the issuance of instrument rating, then yes, I believe you could practice instrument approach procedures with your student pilot.  But should you?

Prudently

I would highly suggest that you not practice approaches with a student pilot.  And here is my reasoning:

Click to Enlarge

Inadvertent IFR or VFR into IMC accidents are still a huge problem area for General Aviation as the current AOPA Nall report indicates.  (see chart) The solution however isn’t found by introducing primary students to complicated approach procedures.  The solution is teaching students 1) how to avoid getting into this situation altogether and b) how to overcome disorientation, maintain aircraft control and get the assistance from ATC that they need to find VMC conditions.

Sudden fear and panic is the feeling that will grip your student if they accidentally encounter IMC during a flight.  It is imperative that your student know how to maintain positive control and how to request assistance from ATC.

And that’s the other thing, if ATC is contacted by a VFR only pilot who is stuck in accidental IMC, ATC is not going to entertain the thought of that student shooting an approach (unless absolutely necessary and even then probably a radar approach).  ATCs’  focus and task will be on getting that pilot back to VMC conditions so that the pilot can visually acquire a airport and land.

I would also be nervous about introducing this to my student for fear that they might use this knowledge to overestimate their own ability which could lead to a false sense of confidence.  I could just hear my student thinking, “Weather isn’t that great at my destination, but Ill be fine if does deteriorates because I know that if I really really had too, I could do an instrument approach.”

Again, I would suggest using the required 3 hours with your student to thoroughly cover the basics of instrument flight.  Make sure they know and understand that maintaining aircraft control is critical and that ATC is there to help steer the pilot back to VFR conditions.

From Mark, we have another question about Sport Pilot:

Does a current Private Pilot have to get a Sport Pilot rating as part of the requirements of being a CFI-SP Sport Pilot flight instructor?

Mark, the FAA has a table (pdf; it’s hard to track down!) that lists all the requirements for various SP certificates. CFI – Sport Pilot lines that are relevant to your question are here:

Training requirements:

• 150 Hours – Total
• Additional flight training requirements for each category and class.
• Sport Pilot certificate or higher
• Category and class privileges or rating

Testing requirements:

• CFI Recommendation - Knowledge test – Practical Test

So, you have to have at least 150 hours total time, and hold at least a sport pilot certificate with the appropriate category & class for the type of aircraft you will be teaching in. Aside from that, you’ll need to get a CFI endorsement and pass the knowledge & practical tests.

One of the great things I love about having an aviation website / blog  is the people I get to meet as a result of the site. One such individual is Edwin Quinlan.

I received a question about 6 months ago from a CFI candidate looking for a lesson plan template that he could use during his CFI training and subsequently with his student pilots once he became an instructor. As soon as I received his question, I reached for my copy of the ‘Flight Instructor Lesson Plan Handbook” by Ed Quinlan. I’ve been using this book for many years as a source for developing my lesson plans and training flights. The Flight Instructor Lesson Plan Handbook provides a detailed lesson plan for each FAA required maneuver and procedure. Besides the very thorough lesson plans, Mr. Quinlan also has an extensive reference section in the back of the book that covers sample CFI endorsements, BFR Flight Review Outline, Stall and Spin Awareness Training and a host of other supplements and training outlines. Simply put, it is the BEST reference and guide book that I have ever found for flight instructors.  The book is  currently sold out, but I’ll get back to that in a second.

So back to the question, I picked up my copy of the book to see if I could develop an Excel / Word flight instructor lesson plan template based on the lesson plans provided in this book. After I finished my lesson plan template, I thought I’d better be safe and email the author to ask his permission if I could distribute the template on askacfi.com. I found an email address for Mr. Quinlan and fired off that email.

To sum this up, I received a reply from Mr. Quinlan and not only did he give permission to distribute my digital lesson plan template, but we started a conversation that led to me being allowed to have other products from Aviators Publishing available for sale on the pilot shop page on askacfi.com.  Some of these products are aviation rugs, flight instructor hats, flight instructor glasses and flight instructor t-shirts.  Be sure to bookmark the pilot shop page, as I continue to add more fine products from Aviators Publishing.

I recently had breakfast with Ed and during our conversation I asked Ed for further permission to take 4 of his fully developed lesson plans from the Flight Instructor’s Lesson Plan Handbook and distribute them in PDF format for those who subscribe to the Aviators Publishing newsletter. I was very happy when he said “Yes”.

So now I present to you 4 completely developed lesson plans by Ed Quinlan:

1. Eights-On-Pylons Lesson Plan
2. Power-Off 180° Accuracy Approach and Landing Lesson Plan
3. Steep Spirals Lesson Plan
4. Turns Around a Point Lesson Plan

To really understand the amount of work that went into developing these lesson plans, you just have to download and print these off.  These lesson plans follow the format prescribed by that FAA.  Each of these lesson plans includes the following:

• Schedule – estimated time allocation
• Equipment – all instructional materials and training aids
• Objective – purpose or reason of the lesson
• Elements – the blocks of knowledge and skills which will be necessary for the fulfillment of the objectives
• Common Errors – a list, by task, of more than 500 common errors experienced by student pilots
• Instructor’s Actions – proposed instructor procedures utilizing the demonstration-performance method of teaching
• Pilot’s (student) Actions – the desired student’s responses to instruction
• Completion Standards – the basis for determining how well the applicant has learned the objective of the lesson
• References – additional information or explanation

The book that these lesson plans come from has received GLOWING reviews from just about everybody: AOPA, Sporty’s, Flying Magazine, countless flight instructors and even the FAA!  All you have to do to get your copy of these premium lesson plans is sign up for the Aviators Publishing newsletter.  And I’ll be honest, the purpose of the newsletter is pretty simple: to notify you when the much anticipated second revision of the Flight Instructor Lesson Plan Handbook is back in print! This new revision and it’s release are scheduled for the Fall of 2009.

I have provided a low-quality screenshot from one of the lesson plans, just so you can get a taste of the amount of staggering work and content that is contained within each lesson plan.  The amount of time that went into each lesson plan is truly mind-blowing.  The quality and thoroughness cannot be duplicated.

Visit Aviators Publishing.com today and sign up for the newsletter to get free Flight Instructor Lesson Plan Templates.

Eights on Pylon Lesson Plan