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Houston (or any) FSDO experiences for CFI initial

Old 12-11-2008, 04:20 PM
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Default Houston (or any) FSDO experiences for CFI initial

Hey guys,

Just trying to gouge some experiences you guys had with your local FSDO when you were taking your CFI initial. I live in Houston and would like to take my test with this FSDO if I had a decent shot of passing.. if anyone has any experiences with the Houston FSDO that would be great!

Do you get to pick your examiner? Anybody have a recommendation?

The DE I've used for my checkrides said his CFI oral was 8 hours long, which to me seems pretty ridiculous. Seems more like a test of endurance..

Thanks in advance.

Chris
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Old 12-11-2008, 06:48 PM
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I had a wonderful experience with the Houston FSDO. I was lucky enough to get to know my examiner by going into the FSDO and turning my ground instructor written exams into certificates. Don't do it at the same time (AGI & IGI). Spread them out so you can meet two different people. Ask them what you should do in order to study. They will easily tell you what they studied to make it through themselves. Mine quizzed me exactly on the materials that he told me he would. We did however talk about his experiences with his own students. Also talked about how he had a Co-Pilot that flew with my dad. It was a serious fun time even though mine was 10 hours. I kept driving the points home with knowing the Aviation Instructors Handbook, good examples of each point (that I had written in the book and was basically reading out of), and kept driving home the point that I was going to make flight training fun!!! My examiner isn't there anymore since he went back to corporate but there is one really bad examiner at the FSDO. I don't know his name but if you PM me, I can get it for you.

You do not get to choose your examiner. I'd also have to get you to PM me for any recommendations though. Hope this helps some
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Old 12-15-2008, 11:27 AM
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Chris, contact the Houston FSDO and ask if the Flight Instructor initial must be taken with an FAA examiner. Some FSDO's have DPE's that are qualified to give the exam. However, the examiner's fee is free if taken with a FAA inspector. The DPE would charge a fee. Also ask how they assign the examiner. Most FSDO's will generate a list of several DPE's, usually three, once your instructor has signed you off for the check ride. If you must take the ride with a FAA inspector usually he or she is just assigned and you have no choice. Your CFI should know the normal routine.

Expect it to be a long day. Mine took seven hours. We spent most of the morning with me giving a complete lesson on Airspace. We also started three other lessons which he stopped once he was satisfied. We spent the afternoon going through a question and answer on most of the other subject areas listed in part II of the PTS. Lastly I had to give preflight lesson on a maneuver to be performed in flight (part IV of the PTS).

The flight occurred the next morning and my logbook shows 1.3 hours total. I was with a senior DPE. I've heard of orals with the FAA lasting as much as two days, although a full day (8 hours) is pretty normal. The national failure rate for first attempts at the Flight Instructor initial is about 50%. Try to be as prepared as possible and do your best, but no one will hold it against you if you aren't successful the first time. The FAA is careful about who they had a Flight Instructor certificate to. Remember, by design in part 61, the regulations covering Flight Instructors come after the regulations covering Airline Transport Pilots.

Good Luck!
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Old 12-15-2008, 04:07 PM
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Thanks dimondan, PM sent.

Weaclrs,

Wow, I wasn't aware that DPE's could give a CFI initial checkride. I know that some part 141 schools have their own DE's that may be able to administer the CFI initial ride; however, the FAA, like any other ride, can have an inspector oversee the whole thing if they want. The examiner I've used is only able to do the double-I and MEI rides..

Even then, I might just use the FSDO because of the $0 price tag! Even if it is hard, checkride costs are ridiculous now, and like you said failing a CFI initial ride isn't anything new..

If the national average for pass/fail is 50/50, that's a lot better than what I've expected.. Atlanta's FSDO for instance, I've heard 17% pass rate. It'd be interesting to see a list of the pass:fail ration by FSDO.

If your oral was 7 hours, I'm guessing a lot of that time is spent with you talking and not much of a Q&A session.. I guess it's easy for time to go by if the examiner is a "zero time student."

Newest bedside thriller is.. the action-packed FAR/AIM !

Thanks.
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Old 12-15-2008, 04:18 PM
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Yea, myself I got a LOA from the local FSDO to take the initial instructor checkride with a DPE. 3 hour oral and 1.6 flight
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Old 12-15-2008, 04:21 PM
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Wow a 3 hour oral..? What FSDO is this?

Unheard of as far as I know..
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Old 12-15-2008, 04:24 PM
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North Florida FSDO, but I guess it's up to the DPE. We just went through the PTS etc, it was a rather easy oral if you read any at all
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Old 12-15-2008, 04:32 PM
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Yeah, I suppose if you know your stuff it shouldn't be insanely difficult. Like other say, perhaps the real tests occur in the cockpit..

I've done some safety pilot time with new instrument students and I loved it and giving some instruction about what I did know felt pretty cool. Then again, SP time with an instrument student means that I flew with someone who halfway knew what the hell was going on.

What's it like to instruct a brand new student in flight? Seems pretty exhausting I would think..
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Old 12-15-2008, 09:26 PM
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I had a 4 hour oral and a 1.4 flight with an examiner from the Nashville FSDO, nice guy told me a few stories.

Biggest thing to remember going into the ride is just like any other ride, don't BS them, they do those things for a living. CFI ride is a breeze because if you forget something you can verify it with material.
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Old 12-16-2008, 06:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Chris View Post
...Wow, I wasn't aware that DPE's could give a CFI initial checkride. I know that some part 141 schools have their own DE's that may be able to administer the CFI initial ride; however, the FAA, like any other ride, can have an inspector oversee the whole thing if they want. The examiner I've used is only able to do the double-I and MEI rides..
Yes. In some FSDO's. It's up to the local DPE supervisor at the FSDO and the FSDO manager as whether or not to authorize DPE's to conduct FI initial's. It's usually based on the amount of activity in their area. For example, in the Orlando FSDO due to the extreme volume of flight training, many of the DPE's are authorized and the FSDO inspectors themselves do very few checkrides. Each DPE is authorized to various levels of checkrides depending on their experience.


Originally Posted by Chris View Post
If the national average for pass/fail is 50/50, that's a lot better than what I've expected.. Atlanta's FSDO for instance, I've heard 17% pass rate. It'd be interesting to see a list of the pass:fail ration by FSDO.
Yes, I've heard this too. The FSDO's are left with certain discretion regarding how they run their FI certification programs. For example, the Orlando FSDO has a "CFI Emphasis Program" that adds a level of difficulty and expectation to the process. But it also helps standardize the expectations and checkrides.

North Florida FSDO-Certificated Flight Instructor Special Emphasis Program

Originally Posted by Chris View Post
If your oral was 7 hours, I'm guessing a lot of that time is spent with you talking and not much of a Q&A session.. I guess it's easy for time to go by if the examiner is a "zero time student."
No. It was both. I gave lesson plans in the morning and was quizzed by the examiner playing the role of a student and also being an examiner. The afternoon was a wide ranging discussion within the framework of the PTS over many areas, reviewing most of my lesson plans, and lastly focusing back in on the maneuver lesson.

The flight instructor initial should be tough. It should take a lot of work and preparation. I used to hire a lot of CFI's. We knew who the "CFI mill schools" were. When I'd see one on a resume I would ask to see their prepared lesson plans. When I got the "blank stare" from the candidate the interview would only last a few more minutes. Take the time to do it right. It doesn't cost you any money to spend a month of evenings writing and preparing your lesson plans and driving your knowledge to the deep level required. It'll make you confident for the checkride, impress your examiner, show in your work as a CFI, and make you a much better instructor/pilot. It's a large step from Commercial to Flight Instructor. Don't take shortcuts.

Last edited by WEACLRS; 12-16-2008 at 06:58 AM.
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