Ground School Instructor

AggieMike88

AggieMike88

Touchdown! Greaser!
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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
Can someone outline the steps to obtaining certification for Ground School Instructor?
 
Take test. Get an endorsement from another instructor cause apparently passing the test doesn't let you teach yet until another instructor signs you off.

In order to become a ground instructor you have to take the FOI (fundamentals of instruction) written test and the appropriate knowledge test either BGI, IGI, or AGI. No oral exam is required!
Once you pass the test(s), you can walk into your local FSDO (with an appointment), present your completed FOI and knowledge tests and walk out with a temporary airmen certificate for either a BGI, IGI or AGI. That’s it!
 
AggieMike88 said:
Can someone outline the steps to obtaining certification for Ground School Instructor?
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I know you don't do facebook but you should check out the N Texas aviators group. There is a guy named Alex (Argyle area I believe) who has his ground cert. I don't know much about it but I was facebook stalking all of his flying photos and one of them was of his GI cert.
 
falconkidding said:
Take test. Get an endorsement from another instructor cause apparently passing the test doesn't let you teach yet until another instructor signs you off.

In order to become a ground instructor you have to take the FOI (fundamentals of instruction) written test and the appropriate knowledge test either BGI, IGI, or AGI. No oral exam is required!
Once you pass the test(s), you can walk into your local FSDO (with an appointment), present your completed FOI and knowledge tests and walk out with a temporary airmen certificate for either a BGI, IGI or AGI. That’s it!
Click to expand...

That's pretty much it. I'll add that if you have a teaching background - teaching certificate, college instructor, CFI - you may be able to skip the FOI exam. See 61.213 for details. Also, while you do need an endorsement to use the certificate, I don't think you need an endorsement to take the exams for the certificate.

Most people suggest not to bother with the Basic ground instructor (BGI) and just do the Advance (AGI) instead. Basic lets you teach private/recreation/sport. Advanced lets you teach anything but instrument.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Can someone outline the steps to obtaining certification for Ground School Instructor?
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The first step to becoming an instructor is to start acting like one - you will find all this and more in CFR 14 ;)
 
What the others said.

Few main reasons to get a GI

Don't need to have all the flight hours, basically anyone can do it.

Holds your FOI, if you start on your CFI but can't finish up, getting your GI will make it so you don't have to take the FOI test again.

You're getting your gold seal for your CFI, you have to hold a GI as well as meet the pass rates and volume, you end up with a gold seal and it counts as a reup for your CFI cert as well.

When I got my GI, I had already been a CFI, I just took the test for the flavor of GI I wanted, didn't have to take the FOI as I was already a CFI, brought in a breakdown of all the students I had recommended over the past couple years, filled out a 8710 for BOTH my initial GI and my gold seal add on / CFI renew, went to the FSDO where they verified everything, walked out with a GI, gold seal and fresh renew of my CFI, only thing I had to pay for was the GI written, quite a good deal as far as ratings and renewals are concerned!
 
JoeSelch said:
The first step to becoming an instructor is to start acting like one - you will find all this and more in CFR 14 ;)
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James331 said:
Holds your FOI, if you start on your CFI but can't finish up, getting your GI will make it so you don't have to take the FOI test again.
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This is a bit the main reason I am considering it. CFI is on the "Someday" wishlist. But not sure when.
 
The AGI and comm tests are very similar (you might get some lighter than air questions on the AGI). Study for both at the same time to start yourself on the road to commercial. The FOI is somewhat painful and is just about instructing -- so it doesn't build on any knowledge you already had. I used the ASA apps for all of them and they worked great.
 
Definitely get it done. One of the easiest ratings and you could get some extra cash in your pocket if schools need someone to teach ground school.
 
A ground instructor certificate is slightly more useful than a Single Engine ATP certificate, but a lot cheaper to do.
 
AggieMike88 said:
mscard88 said:
Harsh. :eek:
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Agree...
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Though that doesn't make it untrue. :p
I usually provide a similar answer. Though not in the very same wording. :D
What are you aiming for, Mike? I love teaching but am afraid that I would not have the patience with some of the dumb kids or know-it-all adults. You are in for a treat.
 
Skip the BGI and go directly for the AGI. You can use the AGI and/or IGI tests as "practice" for an Commercial/CFI test or IRA/CFII test (respectively). Once you have taken the tests, fill out an IACRA and make a FSDO appointment. It will take amount 30 minutes to do the paperwork. Most of the 30 minutes is waiting for the inspector to figure out how to use the computer.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Not totally sure at this time. But I am thinking of CFI eventually once I have more experience in the logbook.
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I see, you don't care to live anymore, huh. :D
J/K
I've had people tell me that I would make a good CFI. I keep thinking about it but cannot convince myself to let others try to kill me, especially unteachable boneheads. I love teaching but I don't envy teachers. You should hear some of my CFII's stories.
 
As others have said, you need to pass the FOI and the written for whatever GI cert you're interested in getting. I took the Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI) test at the same time as the Commercial and CFI tests, since they're all pretty much based off of the same question bank (I'm told the Basic Ground Instructor test is the same question bank as the PPL written, but can't say for certain). I also took the Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI) at the same time as the Instrument and CFII tests. Essentially, I studied for 2 tests and passed 6.

The FOI is another animal altogether. Best advice I can give for that one is to use one of the test prep apps to help you through this one. There may be some good information in there (debatable), but especially if you don't have plans to do anything with the new cert anytime soon... you'll forget most of it and need to brush up on your teaching style before you do start to use it. So I'd just pass the test while you're in "study for written tests" mode, lock in the ground instructor cert and don't worry about passing the FOI at a later date.
 
A friend who became a CFI did ground instructor first. She said if you fail the CFI checkride, the retest is a lot easier if you have a GI cert already.
 
BigBadLou said:
I see, you don't care to live anymore, huh. :D
J/K
I've had people tell me that I would make a good CFI. I keep thinking about it but cannot convince myself to let others try to kill me, especially unteachable boneheads. I love teaching but I don't envy teachers. You should hear some of my CFII's stories.
Click to expand...

Never really had anyone really try to kill me, screw ups, sure, but frankly I knew where they were going and how they were going to screw up before they even got that far into the screw up and preped and coached accordingly.

A good CFI should be able to easily recover a plane long past the ability of his student to salvage a maneuver, by its nature very little pucker factor, but quite a mental load projecting mentally where things are going to go without giving too much away (as folks learn best from their own mistakes not a CFIs flapping lips) yet still imprint how to preform the task.
 
I hold an AGI and IGI along with my other ratings.

IGI was an easy test. Just like the Instrument/CFII.
AGI was more challenging. More so than the ATP written IMO. Very varied questions.

FOI is what it is.

Also a DPE can issue the AGI/IGI as I recall. I did mine at the FSDO and it was easy and quite fun talking to them. Nice people once you get in the door.

I did it because I was in test mode and the AGI is required for gold seal. And it never expires.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have thought about getting the AGI certification. Might be neat to teach some of this stuff to people during some of my spare time.
 
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