When you took your CFII ride, how deep do they dive into lesson plans and FOI. I've been working my butt off on all these lesson plans and just typed up a real nice instrument training syllabus...putting together a binder with everything. Did you guys do something like this?

 

Yeah, mine was pretty in-depth, similar to the CFI-A. I taught several lessons, covering both theoretical and operational topics...IIRC you are required to demonstrate teaching ability on 2-3 subjects.

Look in the PTS, that should specify the requirements for what lessons you have to teach and might help you focus your preparation.

 

Yeah I did all kinds of work like that too. Whole TCO with lesson plans out the a**. On my checkride we did everything listed in the PTS during the oral. After the FOI I had to teach everything when he asked me about it. It wasn't too bad though.

 

Remember also that you are still responsible for CFI-A info as well...I got burned on that during my II oral. I studied instrument stuff really hard and had a memory lapse on some CFI stuff...recieved a nice pink slip for that. Good luck to you...you can never know too much at the CFI level.

 

I thought the CFI-I add-on was the easiest check-ride I had ever taken honestly. I think we BS'd 60% of the check-ride. Just remember in the end, don't rush anything, and that includes the flight also.

 

If I remember correctly, I don't think they're required to ask FOI since you already have a CFI certificate, assuming this is an add on. The II ride was the easiest checkride I ever took. The oral was literally 10 minutes and the flight only took 1.0.

 

Easiest checkride I've had. Oral lasted 45 minutes which included going through paperwork, aircraft logbooks, and a coffee break. Flight lasted 1.2 and was easy as well. However, my buddy got a different examiner and his oral lasted 3 hours and he still received a pink slip.

 

I'm doing my CFII as initial. Ride is with the FSDO next week.

 

You will definately need to know all the FOI stuff then. Make sure you know the Instrument and CFII PTSs really well. Study what is in them and you will be fine.

 

Well then in that case be prepared for FOI. From what a FAA examiner told me a few years ago, the CFII initial is likely going to be quite a bit more thorough than just a CFI or MEI initial.

My examiner for my CFI initial wasn't concerned with lesson plans all that much, even though I had a binder full of my own. He was just looking for a thorough knowledge of the maneuver that was to be taught.

FSDO practical tests are very subjective. Even though there are certain tasks they are required to test, every examiner has their own individual emphasis areas. The way one guy tests a task on a practical test may not necessarily mean that another examiner from the same FSDO will look at it the same way.

The best advice I have to offer is to relax and treat the oral as if you were carrying on a conversation with the examiner rather than an interrogation. Before we started the oral exam, I asked my examiner how he got to where he was as an FAA inspector/examiner. By now you should know that pilots like to talk about themselves. This helped me relax a little bit and get the conversation going.