CFI ticket
 

what are the FAA minimums for becoming a CFI.. i know you need the commercial ticket and the instrument rating, but are there particulars as far as dual hours specifically geared towards a CFI ticket? secondly, can a CFI and CFII course be done cocurrently? lastly, approximate cost of all this, assuming the aircraft is 75/ hr and instruction is 35/hr?

deciding whether to go the CFI route, just need a litttle more information, looking for experienced input here.. thanks..
PM if you want to discuss this further with me

Well, you need the Commercial Certificate because it allows you too get paid for instructing. Almost everyone goes "the CFI" route nowadays because it is a straight-forward way to build flight hours. It is also an excellent learning experience, and many believe that everyone should teach others to fly at some point in their flying career.

As far as doing the CFI and CFII at the same time, not really, I guess you could, but you must become a CFI before becoming a CFII of course. You do not have to have been a CFI or given any dual instruction to get your CFII though, its just a addon to the CFI certificate, saying instrument airplane.

If you have your Private SEL w/ instrument airplane, you just need the rather exspensive Commercial License then you can begin your Certified Flight Instructor training. Part 61 outlines the flight experience required for the Commercial Certificate, and varies depending on if its done under Part 61 or 141.

I will be starting my CFI training in two months, so take my knowledge for what its worth. Hope this helps.

You are GUARANTEED to have to teach during your flying career. Any airline captain flying with a new FO (or new to that airplane) is teaching. Actually the reverse can be true when an experienced jet FO flys with a captain who just upgraded from a turboprop...BTDT!

You can get a CFII without a CFI. That would allow you to do instruction towards an instrument rating or IPC, but not towards private, commercial, etc. There are a few such folks out there. Normally you get the CFI first.

O wow, didn't know that!

I remember my current instrument instructor implying that you can learn your CFI stuff while time building towards your commerical certificate. He said some people will do their Commercial checkride one week and then their CFI checkride the next.

Other than spin training, there are no actual flight time or dual received requirements to take the CFI (or CFII or MEI) checkride, so you can simply train to profiency.

We would try to talk our students into doing their commercial training from the right seat; that way they would be 90% ready for their CFI upon completion of the commercial. Since there's a lot of dead space academically speaking while doing commercial time building, that's a good time to work on CFI lesson plans...you will rock your commercial checkride if you're into the CFI stuff at that point.

Agree. Do as much of the work as you can while working on your Commercial. It will prepare you very well for the Commercial SE and ME checkrides. You can get any of the flight instructor certificates first - MEI, CFII, or CFI. While it's most common to do the CFI work first, some schools will have you start with the CFII because there are less tasks to accomplish initially. They will then have you add on the CFI. The FAA (at least in FSDO-15, Orlando) takes a dim view to doing the MEI first because of lack of teaching experience (read: if you do the MEI first you WILL do it with a FAA Inspector and it will be a doosie).

However it will generally take at least 10 to 15 hours of dual and a large number of hours (40ish or more) of ground to complete the lesson plans and review them with an instructor.

The CFII usually can be done in about 10 hours of dual and 20 hours of ground and the MEI in about 5 hours of dual and 10 hours or so of ground. At least that's what I found worked when I taught it.

The only specific time requirements apply to the MEI. Those are 15 hours multi PIC, and 5 hours in make and model to teach. You can do the CFI really fast. But to feel ready, it will take a ton of time.

Personally, I don't think I could have done the studying at the same time. To be a good instructor, you have to re-teach yourself a lot of stuff that's been forgotten, or simply become automatic. I passed my initial a couple weeks ago and I elected to just focus on getting some time with students before starting to work on the II and the MEI. I'll probably do most of the work in a twin because I've only got 2 hours multi and in the long run it will save me some cash.

OK you wanted cost and time....here you go. The CFI depends on a few things:
-Your motivation
-Your ability to self study and work/practice independently
-You need a instrument rating and commercial in type (single/mulit)
If are highly motivated and can do most of the work on your own it wont cost you over 3,000.00 at the most (I think mine cost about 2200, with 20 hours of ground and 12 hours of 172 RG time) Plan on 20-30 hours brief and about 10-15 hours of flying. The II is an add on, I do not know if you can take the ride the same day (I honestly dont know why you would, the CFI is a full day or two on its own). You can do a MEI first and add on single enging priv (u must be multi commerical rated). Before you do your CFI take both the FOI and FIA, and put together your binder of lesson plans, and then go to start. But heres my advice, get your CFI, find a job, teach for a couple months, and then get your II. Dont worry about your MEI, only high time instructors teach multi, and you might be off flying frieght or have a twin job by then, so take that when it comes.

Hope this helps

I love teaching multi... Thats the best. I got my ticket with around 500hrs and did the MEI before the CFII. That way I could start teaching Muti ASAP. The only thing with multi is lack of students... I have done two so far and will be starting a third soon. Just have to be aggressive and get lucky.