WOULD YOU like to be a flight instructor? It’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding work. As I write this, I’ve trained four initial CFIs and am working with four more. Very little of this is original to me, but I’ve tried to pull lots of good ideas together in one place.
Where to start? You probably already know you need to be a Commercial Pilot with an instrument rating (to be an airplane instructor). You’ll need to build the famous “CFI Binder” but these days much of it can be digital rather than paper. Just be smart about which is which. More later.
In some random sequence of pages we need to talk about:
- Documents – digital and paper
- Fundamentals of Instruction
- The appropriate syllabus
- Lesson Plans
- Knowledge test(s)
Smart instructors teach from a good syllabus. Smart CFI Candidates use a good syllabus for their own learning, too. Look at King, Sporty’s, ASA or others. Good prep leads to good results. And looking good helps you start off with a good first impression.
You’ll need to take the airman practical tests for Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI) and, assuming airplane, Flight Instructor Airplane FIA). Glider pilots use the same FOI and will take the Flight Instructor Glider (FIG) test. As of September 2024, FOI requires an endorsement from your CFI.
People disparage FOI, but there’s really a lot of good information in the FAA’s Aviation Instructor Handbook. Information that can help you be a better instructor. There’s a lot to learn and the best way to start is to dive right in. But before we take that dive, buy a few things from Amazon and take them to your local print shop.
Order:
- Aviation Instructor’s Handbook (AIH)
- Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK)
- Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH)
Have a print shop cut the spine off and put a spiral binding on. This will make the books far, far easier to use. And they look cool. Also get a FAR/AIM, but it’s too thick to spiral bind easily. Leave it.
Have the print shop print and spiral bind (consolidate as you see fit):
- Flight Instructor ACS (Airplane, glider, helicopter, etc. as appropriate)
- Private Pilot ACS
- Commercial Pilot ACS
- CFI Syllabus
- Private Pilot Syllabus
- Commercial Pilot Syllabus
The CFI syllabus is the guide your learning. The Private Pilot- and Commercial Pilot Syllabus are to guide you in developing or mastering lesson plans; this is what you’ll be teaching as an instructor.
This sets you up to start learning. Learning like you never have before.
Fundamentals of Instructing
Let’s start with FOI, but don’t do this at bedtime. It’s valuable, but I’ll admit it’s not always an exciting read.
Watching a video is not learning. Reading the PHAK is not learning. Learning requires action. Action on your part. The action on your part is going to be turning these documents into efficient, cross-referenced training guides that you master and understand. And will use!
Todd Shellnut has a great YouTube playlist called Eight Weeks to CFI. This is how we are going to get started. The AIH is divided into chapters and sections. When Todd discusses something, have the book opened to the corresponding section. The ACS is divided into Areas of Operation and subordinate Tasks. Have your Instructor ACS open to the appropriate Task. (Todd’s videos are based on the now-deprecated CFI PTS, so sometimes the Task is under a different Area of Operations, but an instructor candidate – that’s you – is smart enough to figure it out!)
Here’s the magic. In the ACS, write what page in the AIH you found the topic. In the AIH list what AoA/Task it is. Write the applicable “FOI mnemonic” and what the letters mean. Highlight the contents Todd mentions. When he gives useful tips, write them in the AIH and ACS. Likewise, write the page number cross references in the syllabus.
Writing is action. Action is learning. Learning is success. Your success here is that you’ve built a great cross-referenced study guide one Task at a time.
Depressing motivational tip – this is going to be a lot of work. More work than you’ve probably done in a while, but remember almost 10,000 people a year do this and most of them are not as smart as you!
Sorry to hit you with another disappointing thing but the Instructor ACS has X Areas of Operation and Z Tasks. The zillion pages of the AIH comprise just the first AoA! That’s OK, you already know much of the rest. And that’s a different post.
Your notes in the various documents need to include which Tasks are mandatory. You know they’re coming. There’s no excuse not to have them nailed on your practical test!
Superstar Tip – after you’ve done your studying, learning, note taking, and mastering, try to teach this lesson to someone. If “learning is action” then trying to teach it to someone is just an additional form of “action.” Be active in your learning. It pays off.
Student Pilots working on Private and Private Pilots working on Commercial may use their respective ACS, PHAK, AFH, etc to build similar cross-referenced study materials. So…
Superstar Tip – If your clients build cross-referenced study materials while working on Private and Commercial then that work is already done when they get to CFI. Works smart once and win twice!