Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Initial Course

"RIGHT RUDDER!!!!!!!" -CFI candidate practicing their screams

Welcome to the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) course. CFI training is a lot different than your previous training. From this point on, you will focus on how others fly, and not just yourself. Teaching is an art, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. And if I may be so bold, true teaching is more of a vocation, rather than just a profession.

As my motto goes,

"it's not about me, it's about the student"

That's very important to understand, because as you teach others, you will influence them in multiple ways: you have the awesome power to influence positive change, as well as cause catastrophic destruction. Let's make sure it's the former, and not the latter. It's important. It matters.

Goals

The CFI course requires to do the following:

1. Complete Review of Ground Material (PPL+CPL+CFI)

2. Complete Review of airborne maneuvers (PPL+CPL+CFI)

3. Complete Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI)

4. Complete spin-awareness training

5. Emphasis on transfer of knowledge, not just knowledge

Needless to say, that is a lot of material. The key is to be organized and prepared, especially as it concerns to the lectures and lesson plans.

Scenario-Based Training & Lesson Plans

As a flight instructor, you will need to build lessons plans. Some are going to be traditional, like for a student "start to finish" while others will be specific to a given student's situation. Maybe someone starting half-way, or picking up from another instructor. In essence, you need to be flexible and ready to adapt.

You should focus on building lesson plans that focus on "scenario-based training" (SBT). It's pretty much a curriculum that implements scenarios to contextualize the lesson's material. For example, if you need to practice steep turns, you could implement a scenario where you're asked to fly to the coast and take a look at a specific object for a photo shoot. For that occasion, you will do steep turns.

My Private Pilot Certificate Lesson Plans are offered in the document, below.

PPL Lesson Plans Booklet PDF.pdf

Download PDF • 1.29MB

This document outlines how the course should progress subdividing it by lessons. Each lesson covers ground material and flight training. Take a look and see if it could align with your expectations. I also added a few warnings to lessons that should not be executed by brand new CFIs. Like all professions, experience helps.

Course Content

The course content is pretty large, think PPL+CPL+CFI-specifics. Below is a table that covers the entirety of the Airmen Certification Standards (ACS). A candidate should complete all activities and build content as described in the various columns.

GROUND PORTION

Area of Operation I. Fundamentals of Instructing

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Effects of Human Behavior and Communication on the Learning Process	Discussion
B	Learning Process	Discussion
C	Course Development, Lesson Plans, and Classroom Training Techniques	Lesson Plans (PPL) Lesson Plans (CPL)
D	Student Evaluation, Assessment, and Testing	Pre-solo Written Exam Pre-Solo Exam v1.1 PDF.pdf Download PDF • 288KB
E	Elements of Effective Teaching in a Professional Environment	Discussion
F	Elements of Effective Teaching that Include Risk Management and Accident Prevention	Dispatch Forms FAA FRAT Tool Tizi's Article on Readiness

Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Human Factors	Lecture (PPT) Tizi's Article on Mental Health
B	Visual Scanning and Collision Avoidance	Lecture (PPT)
C	Runway Incursion Avoidance	Lecture (PPT)
D	Principles of Flight	Lecture (PPT)
E	Aircraft Flight Controls and Operation of Systems	Lecture on Flight Controls (PPT) Lecture on Systems (PPT)
F	Performance and Limitations	Lecture (PPT)
G	National Airspace System	Lecture (PPT)
H	Navigation Systems and Radar Services	Lecture (PPT)
I	Navigation and Cross-Country Flight Planning	Lecture (PPT) NAVLOG Template Dispatch Form Tizi's Article on VOR Navigation Tizi's Article on Logging XC Time
J	14 CFR and Publications	Lecture (PPT) ACS for PPL and CPL Additional Category/Class List of Fundamental Regs and ACs
K	Endorsement and Logbook Entries	Endorsement Flow/Guide AC 61-65 Latest Revision
L	Seaplane Stuff	N/A
M	Night Operations	Lecture (PPT)
N	High Altitude Operations - Supplemental Oxygen	Lecture (PPT)
O	High Altitude Operations - Pressurization	Lecture (PPT)
P	Multi-engine stuff	N/A

Area of Operation III. Preflight Preparation

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Pilot Qualifications	Lecture (PPT) Tizi's Article on Commercial Pilot Privileges Tizi's Article on PIC
B	Airworthiness Requirements	Lecture (PPT) Tizi's Article
C	Weather Information	Lecture (PPT) Tizi's Article on FSS

Area of Operation IV. Preflight Lesson on a Maneuver to be Performed in Flight

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Maneuver Lesson	Maneuver Guide (PPL) Maneuver Checklist (PPL) Maneuver Guide (CPL) Maneuver Checklist (CPL) Lecture (PPT)

FLIGHT PORTION

Area of Operation V. Preflight Procedures

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Preflight Assessment	Checklist & Demo Tizi's Training Checklist Tizi's Article on Checklists
B	Flight Deck Management	AFM Supplements
C	Engine Starting	Demo
D	Taxiing, Airport Signs, and Lighting	Demo Runway Incursion Awareness!
E	Taxiing on Water	N/A
F	Before Takeoff Check	Demo Tizi's Article on Departure Briefings

Area of Operation VI. Airport & Seaplane Base Operations

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Communications, Light Signals, and Runway Lighting System	Demo and Visual Aids (A/C Sticker)
B	Traffic Patterns	Demo Best Practices AC Tizi's Article on Traffic Patterns

Area of Operation VII. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Normal Takeoff and Climb	Demo
B	Normal Approach and Landing	Demo Tizi's Article on Stabilized Approach
C	Soft-Field Takeoff and Climb	Demo
D	Soft-Field Approach and Landing	Demo
E	Short-Field Takeoff and Climb	Demo
F	Short-Field Approach and Landing	Demo
G	Seaplane Stuff	N/A
H	Seaplane Stuff	N/A
I	Seaplane Stuff	N/A
J	Seaplane Stuff	N/A
K	Seaplane Stuff	N/A
L	Seaplane Stuff	N/A
M	Slip to a Landing	Demo
N	Go-Around / Rejected Landing	Demo
O	Power-Off 180 Accuracy Approach and Landing	Demo

Area of Operation VIII. Fundamentals of Flight

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Straight-and-Level Flight	Demo
B	Level Turns	Demo
C	Straight Climbs and Climbing Turns	Demo
D	Straight Descents and Descending Turns	Demo

Area of Operation IX. Performance and Ground Reference Maneuvers

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Steep Turns	Demo
B	Steep Spiral	Demo
C	Chandelles	Demo
D	Lazy-Eights	Demo
E	Ground Reference Maneuvers (PPL)	Demo
F	Eights on Pylons	Demo

Area of Operation X. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Maneuvering during Slow Flight	Demo
B	Demo of Flight Characteristics at Various Configurations and Airspeeds	Demo Tizi's Article on Airspeeds
C	Power-Off Stalls	Demo
D	Power-On Stalls	Demo
E	Accelerated Stalls	Demo
F	Cross-Control Stall Demo	Demo
G	Elevator Trim Stall Demo	Demo
H	Secondary Stall Demo	Demo
I	Spin Awareness and Spins	Demo Spin Awareness Endorsement

Area of Operation XI. Basic Instrument Maneuvers

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Straight-and-Level Flight	Demo
B	Constant Airspeed Climbs	Demo
C	Constant Airspeed Descents	Demo
D	Turns to Headings	Demo
E	Recovery from Unusual Attitudes	Demo

Area of Operation XII. Emergency Operations

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Emergency Descent	Demo
B	Emergency Approach and Landing (Simulated)	Demo
C	Systems and Equipment Malfunctions	Demo
D	Emergency Equipment and Survival Gear	Demo
E	Multiengine stuff	N/A
F	Multiengine stuff	N/A
G	Multiengine stuff	N/A

Area of Operation XIII. Multiengine Operations

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	Multiengine stuff	N/A
B	Multiengine stuff	N/A
C	Multiengine stuff	N/A

Area of Operation XIV. Postflight Procedures

	TOPIC	DELIVERABLE
A	After Landing, Parking, and Securing	Demo
B	Seaplane stuff	N/A

Expectations

As you complete your training, note that you may need to build your own content. Often, you will update it to match the airplane you are teaching in or the student you are working with. Try to build more material to help you in this journey and this great profession.