New CFI
 

Hey everyone,

Quick question here and I hope I don't sound too stupid. I just passed my CFI checkride today and will be starting my first job very soon. So my temporary certificate states "PENDING" for the certificate number. My question is this - what exactly do I put now when I sign student's logbooks for flights and endorsements? Can I use the certificate number on my commerical certificate or do I just write Pending? Thanks all!

Should be the same number as your commercial certificate, mine was at least

Just take you commercail nubmer and add CFI at the end. I know, it seems almost too easy!

Alright cool thanks guys, that helps a lot. Any chance you have any tips for the brand new CFI? Haha

Well, from your training you should have taken what you know and be able to teach it as thoroughly as you know it to a brand new student. Even though you have to treat everyone different because of their abilities, create a plan that you can use every time to start a consistency that will get you in a good teaching groove. From there, you can alter your basic plan to meet the needs of different students. Be yourself, be honest and upfront to students. I have seen many new instuctors who know their stuff, but don't have the guts to give someone the constructive criticism they really need to succeed. Really it comes down to being relaxed and the rest will come over time. Good Luck!!!

Advice: Accept that you have been certificated by the FAA, meaning you can tell them the right info. However, getting it across to that one student who seems to never hear what you say is something you can't be tested on. There will be plenty of days where you wonder if you are talking to a brick wall, so be ready. The trick is to relax, focus on the real problem, and work on a solution. Also, talk to older instructors (friends or co-workers), you never know when they will have a useful technique or can see a problem you don't.

the best advice that i can give you is, you will learn more from your students then you will ever learn from any book you read. Ive been a CFI/CFII/MEI for just under a year, its very rewarding when you have a brand new student finally understand a concept for the first time. When you sign their logbooks, sign your name put your commercial certificate number add the cfi and then the expiration date next to that.

(mysignature 2223565cfi 04/10) thats what the endorsement should look like.

If it says pending, use pending for now. That was what the inspector I took my ride told me to do. Once you get your plastic cert. you'll know your number. Mine was the same as my commercial but my temporary had "pending" on it.

As some have already stated, you'll be amazed looking back after 200 hours how much you didn't know when you had your first student, then at 500 how much you didn't know at 200 and so on.

If you don't know, don't BS. Learn something yourself and find the right answer.

And last, but not least, remember that every time you sign somebody's logbook you're putting your certificate and your career on the line. Make sure your students are adequately prepared before they venture out on their own. Make them learn how to look outside, find their way without the GPS, etc.

Yeah, we always used "pending". Since that is what it actually says on the temp, you cannot go wrong with it. But I doubt anyone would really care either way.

I'm (finally) coming up on 200 dual given, and I think you put a similar post on my "I'm a CFI now!" thread I had after passing. You really couldnt have been more right. Coming up on 200, I realize I didnt really know how to put pilot talk into common language for new primary students when I first started. Now I've settled into a groove, and dont clutter their heads like I did in the beginning talking 100 miles an hour and trying to teach them everything in one lesson. You really will learn a lot from your students, I know I have already with plenty of work to go.

Now if I could only kick myself in the butt to get my CFI/MEI already and instruct something besides private. :D