Commercial to CFI

[DesertNomad]

I earned my Commercial a few weeks ago and would like to move towards my CFI. For various reasons, a Class 2 medical will be a pain for me to hold (and very expensive) so I plan to stay 3rd Class and get my CFI.

How long did it take folks here for the step to CFI? Any recommendations as to training materials, steps, etc?

 

[labbadabba]

I earned my Commercial a few weeks ago and would like to move towards my CFI. For various reasons, a Class 2 medical will be a pain for me to hold (and very expensive) so I plan to stay 3rd Class and get my CFI.

How long did it take folks here for the step to CFI? Any recommendations as to training materials, steps, etc?

You can CFI under BasicMed if that's a worry. My AME charges the same rate for 2nd and 3rd class medicals.

 

[jordane93]

Took me a couple of months. The majority of that was creating lesson plans. Most of the rating is self study. I think I only did about 5 hours in the actual plane. Know the FAA publications and where to find information. Try teaching ground lessons on a non aviation friend or family member. Good luck!

 

[mondtster]

I think I worked at training for my initial flight instructor certificate for about a month, part time. I wrote all my own lesson plans, which I felt was beneficial but also very time consuming and took the majority of that time. I think I had 6 or 7 hours of dual in the airplane practicing as well.

After I got my flight instructor certificate most of the instruction I gave was teaching commercial and flight instructor applicants. We generally could have a knowledgeable applicant ready for a flight instructor checkride with a solid week of full time training/study. The applicants that were a bit weaker took longer. Trying to do it part time took the longest. If it were me I'd find an instructor who has done flight instructor prep before and see if you can get a game plan together to get the training needed knocked out fairly quickly instead of dragging it out.

 

[Clip4]

I earned my Commercial a few weeks ago and would like to move towards my CFI. For various reasons, a Class 2 medical will be a pain for me to hold (and very expensive) so I plan to stay 3rd Class and get my CFI.

How long did it take folks here for the step to CFI? Any recommendations as to training materials, steps, etc?

Start with the FAA pilot/airplane training handbooks, advisory circulars, FAR/AIM,ACS for the private and commercial and PTS Flight Instructor.

Then get an experienced CFI to direct your study, formulating lesson plans, and constructing a notebook. You have a lot of reading with detailed comprehension to complete.

 

[Dave Theisen]

Well, it was 31 years ago, but I got my CFI six weeks after my commercial.

 

[Kritchlow]

I did very little prep for my CFI, other than learning how to do a lesson plan with the FAA format (that was the hot point at the time).
Did it several years after my CP. Prayed they didn’t ask me to teach a commercial maneuver. Was never very good at those. All went well. It was when only the feds could do the ride.

 

[AggieMike88]

Prayed they didn’t ask me to teach a commercial maneuver

No such luck with my ride thus past December... I demo'd and "taught" Chandelles, and Eights on Cylons Pylons along with typical PPL maneuvers. The short field landing was to commercial standards.

 

[schmookeeg]

A really intense month at ATP. My CFI rides were 2 years after my Comm rides.

 

[kgruber]

I got my CFII about a week after my instrument rating, from the FAA. I think the FAA was a lot easier on a candidate than the present DEs. At the time I only had a private certificate and had never even heard the term "designated examiner."

 

[Fracpilot]

I just did my CFI 1.5 weeks ago. I did my commercial over 20 years ago. My advice is to purchase the ASA Oral Exam Guide and know that. Everything on the oral is there. The CFI is 80% oral, 20% flying. The DPE should tell you what to teach him for the actual checkride.

When doing lessons for the CFI, try to get as much experience teaching your own lesson, especially commercial maneuvers since they’re fresh to you.

Personally, I wouldn’t spend much time creating lesson plans. There are a lot of these on the internet already made. I would focus knowing your FOI’s, scenario based training, and that oral guide. The oral guide covered everything in my oral.

You’re going to need the following books:

Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK)
Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH)
Aviation Instructors Handbook (for your FOI)
Current paper FAR/AIM. Easier to reference.

Tab your AFH and PHAK. This makes it much easier to reference it in the oral. It also showed you’re prepared. I made myself a notebook that it took to the oral. You can look up and reference info in the oral but make sure you have a good understanding of it.

You have to take the FOI and CFI Airplane written exams. When you take your CFI Airplane, also request to take the Ground Instructor exam. It’s the same exam as the CFI-A. You can then take your CFI-G and FOI written exams to the FAA and get a Ground Instructor Certificate. This also applies for the CFII and Instrument Ground Instructor certificate.

Good luck. It’s a lot of ground work and lots of studying.


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