Originally Posted by
afterburn81
This may get moved but I wanted exposure in the regional section since most guys that would be able to comment on this would be here.
I was so busy back in Nov. 09 that I totally forgot to renew my CFI. Who knows if I'll have have to use it again but it's a valuable thing to have to put on resumes and use if you want to train the wife, GF or kids.
My question is has anybody been in this situation where they were flying for an airline for 3-4 years, had an ATP and wanted to go back and get their CFI again? We all know the online renewal is a piece of cake but if you had to go out and make all your lesson plans, re-master the VFR world and part 91, and memorize the FOI it would be a lot more time consuming. Especially if it has been almost 4 years since I instructed.
Who knows, maybe it's alot easier than I think. How are the examiners? Do they treat you like they did in that 8 hour exam the first time around? Did anyone have any creative ideas and keeping the cost down? After flying jets you get a little bit rusty smaller aircraft so I would image you would have to spend a significant amount of time getting yourself back to testing standards.
Anything else I haven't thought of?
You will, of course, be held to the same standards you were your first time around. As sad as it is to say, it is realistic and not unexpected that many airline pilots, though previously experienced CFIs, have no current ability to instruct in GA due to their lack of recency. It takes a lot of hard work to get back up to speed, but it can be done, and luckily for the cost aspect, it is mainly book-studying.
Ask yourself if you could without any doubt successfully take a student from 0 hours to a no-doubt pass on their checkride, or do the same for a multi student, or a new CFI, ... until you can say yes to those... don't go in for your new checkride.
Best to do is to go find a really good CFI and sit down with them and talk about it all. They'll be able to feel out pretty quickly where you're at and what will be required to get your certificates active again.