Value of AGI rating?

Vince R

Vince R

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Vince R
I'm a private pilot that's considering going for an AGI rating, and I'm curious what people think about the value of being a ground instructor.

I'm not really interested in being a full-blown CFI - I don't have a commercial certificate, and I don't think I'd be able to keep up with the CFI currency requirements if I were to go this way. On the other hand, teaching the occasional ground school class would force me to keep my knowledge up to date, and it would be a way that I could feel like I was giving something back to the aviation community.

What do you guys think?
 
If you are a PPL it's probably worth it. You could make some extra money doing ground school. Since I'm an instructor, it's pretty useless.
 
It's an easy certificate to get, but I don't think you'll make money with it. If I owned a flight school I would not hire a PP to teach a ground school. I would give the job to a struggling CFI.

Currency. I can't remember exactly, but there are currency requirements to exercise the AGI.
I remember the day I got the certificate I wasn't current. I was never current. Crazy it works like that, but it does.
 
jordane93 said:
If you are a PPL it's probably worth it. You could make some extra money doing ground school. Since I'm an instructor, it's pretty useless.
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Wait, you can make money as a ground instructor? LOL.

In all honesty to the OP, there's not a ton of work for someone with an AGI certificate (it's not a rating!). In my experience, most ground schools are taught by someone holding a CFI certificate. But you probably know your market best, and as an AGI, you may be able to help with a CFI leading a ground school. If there's a need, go for it: it's not terribly expensive, time consuming or hard to obtain.

As far as value: is it worth $300 to add a piece of plastic and keep your head in game, so to speak? FWIW, I did, a couple years before doing my CFI. That said, I think I signed one logbook entry as a ground instructor to a fellow flying club member. Of course YMMV.
 
Kritchlow said:
It's an easy certificate to get, but I don't think you'll make money with it. If I owned a flight school I would not hire a PP to teach a ground school. I would give the job to a struggling CFI.

Currency. I can't remember exactly, but there are currency requirements to exercise the AGI.
I remember the day I got the certificate I wasn't current. I was never current. Crazy it works like that, but it does.
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§61.217 Recent experience requirements.
The holder of a ground instructor certificate may not perform the duties of a ground instructor unless the person can show that one of the following occurred during the preceding 12 calendar months:
(a) Employment or activity as a ground instructor giving pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor training;
(b) Employment or activity as a flight instructor giving pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor ground or flight training;
(c) Completion of an approved flight instructor refresher course and receipt of a graduation certificate for that course; or
(d) An endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that the person has demonstrated knowledge in the subject areas prescribed under §61.213(a)(3) and (a)(4), as appropriate.​
 
Brad Z said:
§61.217 Recent experience requirements.
The holder of a ground instructor certificate may not perform the duties of a ground instructor unless the person can show that one of the following occurred during the preceding 12 calendar months:
(a) Employment or activity as a ground instructor giving pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor training;
(b) Employment or activity as a flight instructor giving pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor ground or flight training;
(c) Completion of an approved flight instructor refresher course and receipt of a graduation certificate for that course; or
(d) An endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that the person has demonstrated knowledge in the subject areas prescribed under §61.213(a)(3) and (a)(4), as appropriate.​
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Thanks. My point exactly. When I got my AGI I hadn't instructed in 20+ years. It's odd the privlidges of the certificate can be out of currency the instant you get it.
 
You can make some money in ground instruction. Just ask the Kings.
And different from a CFI, you are not weather dependent. If you fill a class, you'll make your money for however many sessions you set your course up. For the flight school it makes more sense to have a steady ppl ground instructor than to scramble for a new CFI every 8 months when the current one is off to the airlines. My ground school was taught by a baptist preacher (with a ground instructor certificate).

Talk to your local flight schools on whether they would be interested in you setting this up. You'll need a classroom, a whiteboard and some PowerPoint skills.
 
James, or one of the other Gold Seal advocates will be along soon to tell you how valuable it is. I never understood the ground instructor certificate requirement for the Gold Seal if you had the required pass rate. I can see it being worth it if you plan on making a career in education, but as a working pilot and instructor, It never seemed that important to me.
 
Dave Theisen said:
James, or one of the other Gold Seal advocates will be along soon to tell you how valuable it is. I never understood the ground instructor certificate requirement for the Gold Seal if you had the required pass rate. I can see it being worth it if you plan on making a career in education, but as a working pilot and instructor, It never seemed that important to me.
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I wasn't worth anything to me either. I got it because at one point I was considering working for Flight Safety.
 
Don't see too many formal ground schools anymore. I never got a GI but I have a CFI anyway. Some community colleges have ground schools so that could work.
 
Thanks for all the replies...

To be clear, I'm not looking to make a career out of ground instructing - just feel like it's a good way to give something back to the aviation community, so the money isn't important to me. I've already had a career - I just like to teach.

Still, the local flight school I know best employs about a dozen CFIs, but not a single AGI, so I guess the opportunities are limited.
 
Brad Z said:
Wait, you can make money as a ground instructor? LOL.

In all honesty to the OP, there's not a ton of work for someone with an AGI certificate (it's not a rating!). In my experience, most ground schools are taught by someone holding a CFI certificate. But you probably know your market best, and as an AGI, you may be able to help with a CFI leading a ground school. If there's a need, go for it: it's not terribly expensive, time consuming or hard to obtain.

As far as value: is it worth $300 to add a piece of plastic and keep your head in game, so to speak? FWIW, I did, a couple years before doing my CFI. That said, I think I signed one logbook entry as a ground instructor to a fellow flying club member. Of course YMMV.
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You ***could*** make money:)
 
Easier to post this link than to type it all up. Whether you find any of this valuable is another story. I did mine because they're easy to do while your brain is in written test mode, and the cost compared to the multi stuff was a drop in the bucket.

http://cfiacademy.com/why-should-i-get-ground-instructor-cert-along-with-cfi-certificate/

I find it cool and frightening both that you don't need ANY pilot cert to earn a ground instructor cert.

Not sure I buy their "liability" argument in that post either. If you're going to get sued, you're going to get sued. Won't matter which cert number you signed their logbook with.
 
denverpilot said:
Easier to post this link than to type it all up. Whether you find any of this valuable is another story. I did mine because they're easy to do while your brain is in written test mode, and the cost compared to the multi stuff was a drop in the bucket.

http://cfiacademy.com/why-should-i-get-ground-instructor-cert-along-with-cfi-certificate/

I find it cool and frightening both that you don't need ANY pilot cert to earn a ground instructor cert.

Not sure I buy their "liability" argument in that post either. If you're going to get sued, you're going to get sued. Won't matter which cert number you signed their logbook with.
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The article also seems to imply an IGI certificate allows you to sign off simulator training, which is incorrect unless it changed in the past couple of years. The FAA considers simulator instruction "flight" training and a ground instructor is limited to teaching only "aeronautical knowledge".
 
I agree with others that "it depends". I had considered getting it also and in my area there is a small amount of demand in that some of the local CFI's have steady gigs flying corporate and don't really like the ground instruction part of the job. It wouldn't be a huge money maker, and I had considered it for the same reasons you described, to keep my head in the game and stay engaged in the community. It the end I decided against it.
 
Sam D said:
It's a way to lock in the FOI test.
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That's the only value I see in it, other than to be a gold seal instructor.

I sign people off for the written test on my ground instructor certificate, just because I can. There's no advantage for the student or myself by doing this that I can see.
 
If you think you might enjoy it and have something to offer the students, go for it!

You'll find at many schools the younger CFIs don't like doing ground anyways since many of them are just there to build hours, you'd probably be welcome at many of these schools as their much needed "ground guy"

You could also run classes out of your garage or something for PPL,CPL,sUAS, get 10 or so people together a couple times a week, end of the class sign them off for their written.
 
FlyingJ said:
The article also seems to imply an IGI certificate allows you to sign off simulator training, which is incorrect unless it changed in the past couple of years. The FAA considers simulator instruction "flight" training and a ground instructor is limited to teaching only "aeronautical knowledge".
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Yeah I think that was "clarified" in notices from FAA. I grabbed the first article I remembered reading from a quick Google search but don't remember what year that one was written.
 
James331 said:
You could also run classes out of your garage or something for PPL,CPL,sUAS, get 10 or so people together a couple times a week, end of the class sign them off for their written.
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We had a guy who did just this. He would run classes at the airport occasionally. I got 4-5 students out of his first classes. Win win! :yes:
 
With an AGI, can you teach ground school at community colleges that offer it as an elective? Or does that require other educational credentials?
 
Ravioli said:
With an AGI, can you teach ground school at community colleges that offer it as an elective? Or does that require other educational credentials?
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Probably need a Doctorate lol. I think one can do that without a degree. Might need BS or Masters but for a community type course I don't think you would.
 
Oh I've got the BS. <-- heehee

Actually it's a BA in Economics. But sometimes it counts on a resume.
 
Well I have a BS and it shows doesn't it? What I meant was a college usually requires a masters or higher to teach an academic class. A pilot GS I would think is more of a technical/community type course and I wouldn't think one would have to possess those requirements as one isn't teaching a normal academic course. I could be wrong, dunno.
 
mscard88 said:
Well I have a BS and it shows doesn't it? What I meant was a college usually requires a masters or higher to teach an academic class. A pilot GS I would think is more of a technical/community type course and I wouldn't think one would have to possess those requirements as one isn't teaching a normal academic course. I could be wrong, dunno.
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I teach aviation classes at a community college. I do have a Masters (MAS--masters of aeronautical science) but all it does is bump up the fee the college pays me; if all I had was the certificate and a bachelors, I could still teach but I would get paid less. I'm not even sure a BA is a requirement--an Associates might be the minimum but since I had more, I never checked what were the minimums to teach at a 2 year college.
 
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