Thread: CFI Costs...
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Old 11-04-2008, 07:54 AM
  #2  
Pilotpip
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Joined APC: Jun 2005
Position: Retired
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The CFI is totally on you. The more you prepare, the faster it's going to be and along with that, lower costs.

Most of the work with the CFI is on the ground. Lesson plans, practicing these, studying until your eyes bleed.

You already know how to do the maneuvers. It will take a couple flights to get comfortable doing them from the right seat and teaching while doing them.

Some suggestions that helped me:

1) Tab your FAR/AIM. Then spend 30 minutes every night reading them. You'll learn the FAR, and you'll cure insomnia.

2) "Teach" some of your instructor's other students during ground school with them supervising. You'll get comfortable with speaking about the topics. We held study sessions for primary students. They like them because they were free. I liked them because when their instructors moved on, they started working with me after I got my CFI.

3) Observe as much as you can. Recite the PTS (and common errors) word for word.

4) Make your own binder with lesson plans for maneuvers. I also included "cheat sheets" for airplanes I was flying with vital data. This comes in handy when you're a new instructor.

5) Realize that there's no way to know everything possible for the CFI. Know where to find it and you'll be in much better shape.

One last thing. There were about four of us working on the CFI at the same time. We all met at the same time and our instructor split the bill four ways for ground sessions. See if there are some others that are in the same place and work out a similiar agreement. That alone probably saved me a grand.

Good luck.
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