How to find a suitable CFI?

[TwoKeys]

Hi!

I'm looking for advice on how to find a CFI, given certain contraints. I'll try to summarize the situation.

I did my first 22 hours of flight training in 2014 when I lived in the US (I'm Swiss), but had to move back unexpectedly and couldn't finish. I'm now in the position to give it another go and am trying to make it happen this summer. One possible approach is to just go to a flight school. However, to keep cost down a little, I could use a friends PA-28, located at KOBE airport, half-way between Orlando and Miami. To make this approach work, I think I'd need a CFI who:

• Lives in the area
• Is willing to train me in an airplane that's not his / the schools.
• Is able to spend much and very condensed time with me. I'm somewhat flexible in when I'd arrive, but given that I basically got a 100% job, I have rather limited time in one go (measured in weeks rather than months), so a schedule that's as packed as reasonably possible is important (the plan is to prepare everything that's possible beforehand).
• Is recognized by... whomever he'd have to be recognized in order for me to be able to get my M1 visa (I'm not sure how this works, but I understand that the visa application requires a flight schools backing).

I think those are the main things and... reading them now, I realize luck would really have to be on my side with this. Still, can you offer some insights into how to potentially find someone like this, if you deem trying it at all worthwhile?

Thank you!

 

[CaptainXap]

One issue you will have to sort out beforehand is the TSA Alien Flight Program stuff. You probably did some of this last time around, but you may need to get fingerprinted in order for your application to go through. I don't know if they have anywhere in Europe where you could get that done. If you had to get fingerprinted in in the US, you might find yourself having to hang around for that to go through before you start on your training.

Also, if you find partway through that you don't get along with this CFI, you would have to go through the TSA approvals process again in order to change flight instructors. If you go to a school, you are approved for the school rather than a specific instructor, which makes it easier to switch between instructors at the school.

 

[William Pete Hodges]

When I got my private in 2004 I used the airschool's airplane until I soloed. Then I bought my Cherokee and got checked out in that and finished my training in my own bird. I don't think a CFI will balk at training you in your own airplane. As long as the airplane is properly maintained, logs are in order, and the insurance is up to date. All your friend has to do is add you and your instructor to his insurance policy, and since you are a student you may have to kick in the added insurance cost.

 

[Kevin Conklin]

There are a number of CFIs in that area that recently have much more free time on their hands. But, that being said, the other stuff you need may be difficult for an independent/freelance CFI - TSA stuff, visa stuff.

 

[Ryan F.]

According to you, you're on a tight schedule to get your project done within X amount of weeks (wow!), have some manageable TSA issues to get sorted and so on. This is an achievable, but ambitious goal.

The challenge with your vision of accomplishing this with a freelance instructor and a "borrowed" aircraft is it will require the following:

1) the plane has no mechanical issues during this time. Odds are 50/50, perhaps.
2) the CFI is actually able to commit full-time and stick to it. Hard to pin odds on this, substantially less than 100% in my experience.
3) you and the flight instructor are on the same page with regard to style of instruction and ability to learn the material at a rapid pace. Again, maybe 50/50 or 60/40 or so if I had to hazard a guess. You're meeting up with a perfect stranger and working in somewhat of a pressure cooker training situation. That doesn't always work out.
4) no major weather challenges. Usually not a problem in south Florida, but I've seen a bad few weeks during summer here and there.

As was mentioned above, in any scenario in which the key components of the plan are a no-go, you'll have to start the TSA approval process again from scratch somewhere else, which basically means you're pinning your hopes on everything going perfectly. I've seen this story play out many times as a flight instructor. Even as a pilot examiner I've seen checkrides scheduled and canceled when it became clear to the flight instructor the applicant was not ready, and the applicant flew home without even attempting the practical test for the certificate or rating they were seeking.

It might be helpful to make a matrix of what's most important. I'd guess for you it would be the ability to complete the private pilot certificate in an accelerated training format within dates X and Y, but that's your call. If so, I'd remove as many of the other variables as possible.

- have more than one version of the same training airplane available so that if an airplane goes down, you keep training
- have more than one flight instructor available in case problems develop (training style mismatch, instructor personal/family emergency, etc.)
- have an "account manager" working with you to ensure all of these assets are lined up and available to you so that you can focus on one thing - training

This suggests a medium to large flight school with a standardized fleet and standardized instructors. It also suggests you may not have the luxury of considering alternatives which may (or... may not) be more affordable. If affordability plays a key role, maybe you need a bigger slice of time in which to get this done, or be willing to piecemeal this together over several visits (not ideal). Your 22 hours of flight time from 7 years ago isn't without value, but given the long amount time that has elapsed it would probably be more prudent to look at this as though you're starting from scratch. Anyway, my point is, something has to give. If you're dead set on accomplishing a private pilot certificate in a few weeks, I'd posit that the only realistic path involves building a training plan which features a lot of redundancy in the equipment and instructor departments. Otherwise, it'll take a fair amount of luck to make it come together. Luck which I've rarely seen hold out to the level you'd need for this to work.

Good luck!

 

[Half Fast]

Also consider examiner availability. I’m in Central Florida and I had to wait a couple of months for my DPE to have an opening.

 

[jsstevens]

Also consider examiner availability. I’m in Central Florida and I had to wait a couple of months for my DPE to have an opening.

Another advantage of working with a school: they usually have a relationship with a DPE and can coordinate schedules. I'm headed to CRAFT in North Charleston in a couple of weeks, and they've already scheduled the DPE for my IR check ride.

 

[Half Fast]

Another advantage of working with a school: they usually have a relationship with a DPE and can coordinate schedules. I'm headed to CRAFT in North Charleston in a couple of weeks, and they've already scheduled the DPE for my IR check ride.

I was working with a school (First Landings). They did have relationships with a couple of DPEs. Didn’t help. The examiners were very backlogged.

 

[jsstevens]

I was working with a school (First Landings). They did have relationships with a couple of DPEs. Didn’t help. The examiners were very backlogged.

Well to be fair, they scheduled me 4 weeks out so perhaps they back planned my training to fit.

 

[TwoKeys]

Wow! Thanks so much for all your valuable feedback! I think you're right. While it *might* work, all things considered, it seems more reasonable to (potentially) pay a little more and have a much higher chance of succeeding. I got enough constraints as it is and pushing my luck too far has a good chance to result in increased cost as well as frustration.

Thank you! I'll find a suitable flight school to work with.