CFI Costs...
11-04-2008, 07:43 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 31
CFI Costs...
Good Day,
I just received my initial CSEL and am now looking to move forward with my CFI/I ticket(s) and was wondering what an average cost and time frame may be for the training/flight time? I am not really interested in the ATP/American Flyers types of programs, so if anyone out there has recently accomplished this at the local FBO's I would greatly appreciate the information.
I just received my initial CSEL and am now looking to move forward with my CFI/I ticket(s) and was wondering what an average cost and time frame may be for the training/flight time? I am not really interested in the ATP/American Flyers types of programs, so if anyone out there has recently accomplished this at the local FBO's I would greatly appreciate the information.
11-04-2008, 07:54 AM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2005
Position: Retired
Posts: 2,934
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.
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.
11-04-2008, 08:13 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 31
Great advice and direction PIP. Thank you. Since acquiring the CSEL, I haven't even taken a break and have been burying myself in the FAR/AIM and CFI Oral. I still need to purchase the FOI which I assume is vital to accomplishing the ticket(s).
The idea of sharing ground time is awesome with other CFI students. I will have to find out if there is anyone in the area at the same point I am. As far as the right seat goes...shouldn't be too much of a problem as I asked my instructor during commercial ops if I could fly from the right seat periodically. So that transition should be fairly easy.
One of the major questions that I have always had though is whether or not I should go for my CMEL prior to getting into the CFI training? Outside of teaching and the very few and far between Part 135 Single-Engine Ops company (that is probably really difficult to get into), is the CMEL something I should be doing right now instead?
The idea of sharing ground time is awesome with other CFI students. I will have to find out if there is anyone in the area at the same point I am. As far as the right seat goes...shouldn't be too much of a problem as I asked my instructor during commercial ops if I could fly from the right seat periodically. So that transition should be fairly easy.
One of the major questions that I have always had though is whether or not I should go for my CMEL prior to getting into the CFI training? Outside of teaching and the very few and far between Part 135 Single-Engine Ops company (that is probably really difficult to get into), is the CMEL something I should be doing right now instead?
11-04-2008, 08:22 AM
#4
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,930
I did my CFI first because of the cost $2500. And which is more valuable a CFI or MER? The CFI of course! I got around 300 hours of dual then I went and got my MER around $2000 or so. Plus I think getting your CFI/I is more valuable now.
11-04-2008, 09:13 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 31
I am finally leaning toward agreeing 100% that the CFI route is the way to go. I suppose there may be a chance hiring in with the right school that the multi time may be discounted, which would definitely help.
One of the biggest problems I have at the moment is that there aren't that many CFI's qualified to teach a CFI student in the area.
One of the biggest problems I have at the moment is that there aren't that many CFI's qualified to teach a CFI student in the area.
11-04-2008, 05:37 PM
#6
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2005
Position: Retired
Posts: 2,934
Something else to consider. Doing your CFI first might save you some money on that commercial cert. Get a job somewhere and I'm sure the instructors you work with will be more than willing to help you out by not charging you for the dual. That's the way it works at most places I'm familiar with. You might even get an employee discount of some sort on aircraft rental.
11-10-2008, 07:17 PM
#10
New Hire
Joined APC: Oct 2008
Position: CFI
Posts: 8
You might consider checking into a community college with an aviation program that's in your state. A lot of the senior instructor's at those places have trained dozens of CFI's and know exactly what it'll take to get you through on the first try. My CFI instructor had 11,000 dual given.
Secondly, take the post from Pilotpip, print it, and post it on your wall. Everything he said there is excellent advice and will save you stress from having to cram after start with an instructor. Just to give you an idea, I have a CFI student right now and he should be ready for his checkride with about 15 hours dual in the airplane and about 40 hours of ground.
On the multi, I would definitely say to get your CFI first. I found with the extra flight experience from teaching that it made getting my multi a whole lot easier.
Secondly, take the post from Pilotpip, print it, and post it on your wall. Everything he said there is excellent advice and will save you stress from having to cram after start with an instructor. Just to give you an idea, I have a CFI student right now and he should be ready for his checkride with about 15 hours dual in the airplane and about 40 hours of ground.
On the multi, I would definitely say to get your CFI first. I found with the extra flight experience from teaching that it made getting my multi a whole lot easier.
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