CFI pass rate

How many attempts did it take you to pass?

  • First try!

    Votes: 80 80.0%

  • Failed once, passed the second try.

    Votes: 17 17.0%

  • Failed two times then passed.

    Votes: 2 2.0%

  • Failed three or more times then passed.

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Total voters
    100
Passed first try at the FSDO, inspector had a trainee with him too, interesting but good ride, 7ish hr oral, 1.2ish flight time.

I did my training part 61, spent a few hours in the air, already was proficient in spins so that was a quickie signoff, most everything was home study, probably had less then 1k into it all in.
 
ChitDisturber said:
Passed first try at the FSDO, inspector had a trainee with him too, interesting but good ride, 7ish hr oral, 1.2ish flight time.

I did my training part 61, spent a few hours in the air, already was proficient in spins so that was a quickie signoff, most everything was home study, probably had less then 1k into it all in.
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7 hours seems too long in my opinion. As a matter of fact the guy who wrote the PTS stated that a CFI oral should be able to be completed in 2.5 hours. That seems too short to me. My orals lasted around 4.0, give or take.

I did my initial CFI ride (with a first time pass) with June Bonesteel out of Scottsdale. She had the reputation of having orals last in excess of 8 hours.
 
152SIC said:
7 hours seems too long in my opinion. As a matter of fact the guy who wrote the PTS stated that a CFI oral should be able to be completed in 2.5 hours. That seems too short to me. My orals lasted around 4.0, give or take.

I did my initial CFI ride (with a first time pass) with June Bonesteel out of Scottsdale. She had the reputation of having orals last in excess of 8 hours.
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2.5 LMAO!

7 hours is about average for FSDO CFI initials, I'm sure the DPE and in-house guys are only a couple hours, but that's a diffrent ride IMO
 
ChitDisturber said:
2.5 LMAO!

7 hours is about average for FSDO CFI initials, I'm sure the DPE and in-house guys are only a couple hours, but that's a diffrent ride IMO
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A lot of us inspectors said exactly the same thing!

Although, when it comes from the person who actually wrote the PTS it's validity is a bit higher.
 
152SIC said:
7 hours seems too long in my opinion. As a matter of fact the guy who wrote the PTS stated that a CFI oral should be able to be completed in 2.5 hours. That seems too short to me. My orals lasted around 4.0, give or take.

I did my initial CFI ride (with a first time pass) with June Bonesteel out of Scottsdale. She had the reputation of having orals last in excess of 8 hours.
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Mine was 2.5 and we covered everything required in the PTS and one or two "additional" areas. I went in prepared on every topic in the PTS and knew what I was going to talk about for every topic. There were only a handful of times the inspector asked for "more". Passed first try August 16th with the Rapid City FSDO. I was the first CFI applicant they'd seen in a few years.
 
denverpilot said:
That's sad. :(
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Eh, I don't know about "sad". It's a smallish city, around 75,000 with no real flight school and no aviation programs at the colleges. The other side of the state gives significantly more, or so I'm told. But it's hard to create interest when there is only a 172, a 152 and a 177 available to rent. And again, only independent CFI's.
 
Bump. I figured it's about time to get this updated for the new(er) CFI's here :)
 
RAL FSDO and Inspector. First time pass, went in fully expecting to fail based in what I heard. One of the smoothest rides I've had.

It was a all day affair, 1.3ish flight, LONG oral, subject to subject
 
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I think they publish these numbers, probably more accurate than posting here
 
Scottsdale FSDO. First time. DPE was $1k for the exam.
 
$1k for a ride is stupid, I did mine at the FSDO.. But the most expensive 1/2 day ride around here is $350. I would expect a CFI ride to be double that, given that it will likely take most of the day.

I passed 1st time, home on my couch by 3pm.
 
Passed first attempt. Took all day. Like most other posts the oral was forever and the flight was a non event that passed quickly. Only snag was the aircraft I was flying didn't have shoulder harnesses. The inspector was trying to red tag the airplane because he was convinced it wasn't legal to fly. I suggested we have an airworthiness guy join us and then I stayed out of it. We flew the plane and finished up the ride.

FSDO ride Greensboro, NC 1999
 
ja_user said:
$1k for a ride is stupid, I did mine at the FSDO.. But the most expensive 1/2 day ride around here is $350. I would expect a CFI ride to be double that, given that it will likely take most of the day.

I passed 1st time, home on my couch by 3pm.
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FAA inspector was not an option. I am lucky that I didn't live outside the phx area. The very limited DPEs for cfi initials charge a $250 travel fee on top of the $1k. A good friend just took the PASEL and it was 550. So unfortunately a grand is the day rate. I also had to schedule over a month out.
 
Failed first attempt. Looking back, rightfully so: my knowledge of the airplane wasn't as high as it should have been. After almost five months of retraining, maintenance issues, and weather/scheduling problems, passed with flying colors the second time.
 
I failed on my first attempt during my first maneuver. The reason on the pink slip was "ineffective teaching methods".

The kicker was that the failure was after a 6 hour oral session. :mad2:
 
Figure I might as well join the club. Passed first try with a DPE. It was a long adventure but the ride was actually enjoyable.
 
my CFI failed on his first attempt, too. I've heard this test has the highest fail rate out of all the exams.
 
Busted in the oral on the first try, passed on the second. I know this is not a good excuse but my entire CFI flight training was under 4 hours of flight time (besides spins). My entire CFI training experience (flight and ground) from barely knowing what FOI even meant to passing was over a period of 11 days. I did my initial in a multi engine as well.
 
Passed first try with BDL FSDO in 1988. Can't remember how long the oral lasted.
 
NJP_MAN said:
FAA inspector was not an option. I am lucky that I didn't live outside the phx area. The very limited DPEs for cfi initials charge a $250 travel fee on top of the $1k. A good friend just took the PASEL and it was 550. So unfortunately a grand is the day rate. I also had to schedule over a month out.
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That's ridiculous. I have been told by the SDL FSDO that they are not adding additional DPEs because there are too many of them. As a former Ops Inspector at the SDL FSDO I've been told that I am in line to become a DPE once there is an opening.

However, the bureaucracy at the FAA is sometimes bewildering.
 
152SIC said:
That's ridiculous. I have been told by the SDL FSDO that they are not adding additional DPEs because there are too many of them. As a former Ops Inspector at the SDL FSDO I've been told that I am in line to become a DPE once there is an opening.

However, the bureaucracy at the FAA is sometimes bewildering.
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I would say there are plenty of DPEs, just not many who have been ordained as CFI initial worthy. At least not when I took the practical.
 
NJP_MAN said:
I would say there are plenty of DPEs, just not many who have been ordained as CFI initial worthy. At least not when I took the practical.
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$1000 for a CFI ride:eek:. I thought my $750 ride was steep.
 
Passed first try, may of 2015. 8.5hr oral with 1.6 in the plane. Orlando fsdo With the multi initial
 
Thanks for bumping this thread. My CFI ride is in two days (DPE assigned by DFW FSDO) and these stats are encouraging.
 
I failed the first time after an eleven and a half hour oral with a DPE in September 2015.
I passed the second time after an additional five hour oral in November of 2015 with the same DPE.
It was worth the trouble, I have been having a lot of fun as a CFI for Rotorcraft, Gyroplane.
 
Vance Breese said:
I failed the first time after an eleven and a half hour oral with a DPE in September 2015.
I passed the second time after an additional five hour oral in November of 2015 with the same DPE.
It was worth the trouble, I have been having a lot of fun as a CFI for Rotorcraft, Gyroplane.
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You rock, Vance!
If I lived closer, I'd take lessons from you.
 
I passed first try, with a DPE. The oral was about 5 hours long and about 1.3 hours in the air. The FSDO I'm in doesn't do too many Initial CFI rides, they typically get farmed out to one of a couple DPEs who are qualified.

I am told that the FSDO to the north of us has a 100% first time fail rate, but I'm not sure why. I suspect it is a way for the examiners to show the applicants who's in charge or something.

The place I instruct at part time does a lot of CFI ratings. We actually have a pretty good pass rate on initials, all things considered.
 
If you know your stuff, and can teach it, you'll be fine. it's a touch day (or a tough 3 day the worst i heard)
first time. DPE NYC.
 
BillTIZ said:
First time, Glider CFI, same DPE that did my Glider Commercial the month prior.
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Likewise...although at that time no DPEs were supposed to be doing initials. Unfortunately there were no Feds in the region who were qualified in gliders, so the DPES got a one-time authorization from Oke City.

After we trained up a couple of Feds, the next guy who took his ride was the first CFI applicant that Fed ever passed on the first attempt.
 
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