Lesson plans - CFI

Arob16

Arob16

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Arob16
Hey folks - Do any of you CFIs have experience with the Backseat Pilot pre-authored lesson plans? (www.thebackseatpilot.com). If so, thoughts/opinions/reviews? I am starting CFI training soon...I am likely going to use a pre-made syllabus or lesson plans, and modify as I go to fit my needs. I'm looking for something that others have found useful.

Adam
 
I mostly used the FAA publications for my lesson plans. I referenced a few of the Backseat Pilot lesson plans but I wanted to create my own because I felt it would help me learn and study the material better.
 
bobmrg said:
"Lesson Plans to Train Like You Fly" by Arlynn McMahon, published by ASA. www.asa2fly.com

Bob
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I don't want to sound *too* critical of that pub, but I wasn't impressed with it.

Another local CFI was a bit more critical, "It has nice examples of drawings..."

I'm with Jordan here, the FAA pubs are clearer and more to the point. This book is also a secondary reference for me. I wouldn't use it as a primary source syllabus.

Some of this is also from the general feeling that most of the ASA stuff is dead on. It makes this book feel "off" a bit.

I felt that Kershner's stuff expanded on the FAA material better than this book did. Especially how it discusses sight picture from the aircraft, something one will have to relate in clean concise language to a student.

It's subtle. I wouldn't kick this book out of my library of reference material, but I'd read and spend money on Kerschner first before this one.
 
Build your own lesson plans. That way you will not only understand the material far better, but will be better equipped when a client asks you if you can train them on some non-standard item that you don't already have a lesson plan for. You will know how to construct one for maximum effectiveness and therefore know exactly what needs to be modified or expanded when it isn't working right. It's by far the best way to learn to be an effective CFI.
 
RussR said:
Build your own lesson plans. That way you will not only understand the material far better, but will be better equipped when a client asks you if you can train them on some non-standard item that you don't already have a lesson plan for. You will know how to construct one for maximum effectiveness and therefore know exactly what needs to be modified or expanded when it isn't working right. It's by far the best way to learn to be an effective CFI.
Click to expand...

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
 
Adam,
I used the lesson plans from the www.thebackseatpilot.com for both the CFI and CFII flight tests. They are very detailed and are supplied in PDF and Microsoft Word formats so you can edit them to your liking. Essentially they are an outline of the Flight Instructor PTS, and the information is from the FAA Handbooks (FAA-H-8083-9A, 3A, 25A, etc.) and Advisory Circulars. I used them as a guide and went through each page and added and/or changed things as necessary to fit my style.

Going through each lesson this way was a great review without having to start completely from scratch and I knew the material very well after putting together the binders. I tabbed each lesson using Avery 16283 binder tabs. I also tabbed all of the chapters in the FAA handbooks and FAR/AIM. See attached photo. The key to doing well on the CFI is being over prepared and knowing where to find information. My examiner was impressed and commented on how well the information was prepared and organized.

Remember that the FAA is planning on migrating the CFI PTS to the CFI ACS in the near future so the outline will likely change when this goes into place.

Good luck with your CFI certificates. Teaching flying is a very rewarding experience.

Kenny

IMG_0088.JPG
 
I bought the lesson plans but never got my CFI. While I agree with others saying that building your own plans will set you up better for the future, I found that the purchased plans were worth every penny.

I just never got any ROI. :)
 
BrianNC said:
Man, my head hurts just thinking about getting my CFI and looking at those books. :confused:
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It looks a lot worse than it is. At least the backseat pilot thing. Its 500 pages, its just really in depth with everything from the AFH and other FAA pubs. So like on a landing instead of just saying something like turn final with a shallow below a 30 degree bank. It will then give a bunch of info on like bank angle and stall speed, times to go around, speeds, altitudes and Lord knows what else. Next thing you know a normal landing lesson plan is like 15 pages long lol. Lesson plans are about 200 of 500 pages each lesson plan has 2-3 pages of copy pasta IE title how long lesson takes, completion standards (when student gets it). The other 300 pages is just "stuff" you don't need to bring to a cfi ride but you should know, almost like an ASA oral exam guide.
 
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Ken said:
Adam,
I used the lesson plans from the www.thebackseatpilot.com for both the CFI and CFII flight tests. They are very detailed and are supplied in PDF and Microsoft Word formats so you can edit them to your liking. Essentially they are an outline of the Flight Instructor PTS, and the information is from the FAA Handbooks (FAA-H-8083-9A, 3A, 25A, etc.) and Advisory Circulars. I used them as a guide and went through each page and added and/or changed things as necessary to fit my style.

Going through each lesson this way was a great review without having to start completely from scratch and I knew the material very well after putting together the binders. I tabbed each lesson using Avery 16283 binder tabs. I also tabbed all of the chapters in the FAA handbooks and FAR/AIM. See attached photo. The key to doing well on the CFI is being over prepared and knowing where to find information. My examiner was impressed and commented on how well the information was prepared and organized.

Remember that the FAA is planning on migrating the CFI PTS to the CFI ACS in the near future so the outline will likely change when this goes into place.

Good luck with your CFI certificates. Teaching flying is a very rewarding experience.

Kenny

View attachment 53370
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Those tabs are awesome! Thanks for the suggestion. I am starting the CFI stuff and there is so much it is almost overwhelming. I think I am going to go the same route and get the backseat pilot lesson plans as a jumping off point for each lesson.
 
Ken said:
Adam,
I used the lesson plans from the www.thebackseatpilot.com for both the CFI and CFII flight tests. They are very detailed and are supplied in PDF and Microsoft Word formats so you can edit them to your liking. Essentially they are an outline of the Flight Instructor PTS, and the information is from the FAA Handbooks (FAA-H-8083-9A, 3A, 25A, etc.) and Advisory Circulars. I used them as a guide and went through each page and added and/or changed things as necessary to fit my style.

Going through each lesson this way was a great review without having to start completely from scratch and I knew the material very well after putting together the binders. I tabbed each lesson using Avery 16283 binder tabs. I also tabbed all of the chapters in the FAA handbooks and FAR/AIM. See attached photo. The key to doing well on the CFI is being over prepared and knowing where to find information. My examiner was impressed and commented on how well the information was prepared and organized.

Remember that the FAA is planning on migrating the CFI PTS to the CFI ACS in the near future so the outline will likely change when this goes into place.

Good luck with your CFI certificates. Teaching flying is a very rewarding experience.

Kenny

View attachment 53370
Click to expand...

Wow I love how you did that. Might have to get some of those tabs myself.

Which handbooks are on the right?
 
BrianNC said:
Man, my head hurts just thinking about getting my CFI and looking at those books. :confused:
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Wellllll been a CFII since ‘78,Nevada had anything like that, or that much material. Still don’t. But I do alright. Oh, and I have tabs too.

4BDA73B1-B2FE-4D0F-9EDA-DFE3B3EDE3C4.jpeg
 
I agree it seems a little overboard, but these reports of 12 hour practicals are scaring me...LOL
 
I prepared for myself:
-- about 50 pages worth of lesson plans (which were more like "outlines", with bullet points of things to talk about so nothing gets forgotten, not so much the things to say themselves)
-- a cute little "maneuver book", with *one page* per maneuver with the most important talking points and common errors for each.
-- a bunch of little color-sticky tabs for the FAR/AIM, so I could find things in there quickly.

...So very little paper, compared to what I see in that photo! And I needed very little of it for my oral, even though it was eight hours. A lot of the oral time was spent with the FAR's, so of all the stuff I had prepared, the little tabs in the FAR/AIM had the biggest payoff. Tab the ***** outta that thing!

Everything else is very much a matter of individual style. I'm the "keep it simple, keep it small" type. Most of a lesson plan's content needs to live in your brain, the lesson plan just organizes how it comes out. :)
 
I wrote a lesson plan on my checkride, and maybe five practice ones so my instructor was satisfied that I could do it.
 
I'm also mostly intimidated by the lesson plans... Those binders don't help. : )

I would love to buy some just to see some good examples. I think it's one of those things, once I figure out how I want to write them, I'm can pump out quite a few. The first step for me in this process is the hardest it would seem.
 
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