CFI Study Materials
 

I'm currently working on my Commercial cert. and will start preparing for my CFI quite soon. In everyone's expert opinion, what's the best study material you can buy for the CFI? I've been using the Jeppesen kits for the Private, Instrument, & Commercial and they've been working out great. I just need to know what the best material out there is to prepare for the written tests as well as the oral portion or "lesson plans" for the instructor. Thanks.

CFI requires a lot of books and materials, but for starters get an video set of some sort like ASA's CFI set and also get a Gleim pc-based or paperback testbank and work through the practice tests until you make 90+ on practice tests.

[EDIT] Here's a more complete list, in no particular order. I have most of these but find that most do not receive regular use. I read them and store them in the back of my head for future use as needed. By the way, Jedi Nein' s list (see her link) has some important items not mentioned here also.

FAA AC 61-98A Pilot Currency
FAA AC 90-66A Airport Traffic Patterns
FAA AC 61-67 and 61-67C Stall/Spin awareness

FAA AC 00-6 Aviation Weather
FAA AC 61-65E (replaces 61-65D) Endorsements
FAA AC 00-45 Aviation Weather Services

FAA-H-8083-1 Aircraft Weight & Balance Hbk
FAA-H-8083-9 Aviation Instructor’s Handbook
FAA-H-8083-25 Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

FAA-H-8083-3A Airplane Flying Handbook
FAA AC 61-21 Flight Training Handbook
FAA AC 61-91H Pilot Proficiency Award Wings

FAA AC 90-42F Radio Procedures
FAA-H-8083-27 Student Pilot Handbook
PTS for the Private, Commercial & CFI certificates (made by ASA)

AOPA Instructional Safety
local Airport Facility Directory (AFD)
ASA CFI Oral Exam Guide

ASA Visual Flight Maneuvers Handbook
FAR/AIM 2004
Jeppesen Private Pilot Manual

Get your hands on anything aviation related and read it. I would take the advice of the previous poster, it's good. But I would also get a CFI PTS, and study all of the material mentioned in it. AND TAB THE CRAP OUT OF IT (the FAA-8083, etc). Take it into the oral with you and refrence the crap out of it. The one thing about the CFI test is being able to teach it. So refrenceing it is allowed. They are not necessarily testing you flying skills, although it is important. Be able to explain your mistakes in flying, and why it happened. Start flying right seat as much as possible. Read the FOI book cover to cover, and know it. FOI was big on my initial CFI ride. And they usuallly don't allow you to refrence it too much.

Along with the the others mentioned, I would get these books also:

Aviation Instructor's Handbook
Airplane Flying Handbook
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.
Flight Instructor Flight Maneuvers.

These books are inexpensive and they helpled me during my CFI Rating. You need to be very thorough with the knowledge as that is the hardest part on the checkride

I put a study reference page up on my CFI lesson plan site, you have to click on Qref Quick Reference Media - Aviation :: Lesson Plans :: CFI Lesson Plans: PPSEL, then on "Contents/Free Lesson Plans"

All of the FAA references can be downloaded for free from the FAA's website. Those are the best references to use.

The list should keep you busy for a little while. :cool:

One book I'd add to those that have already been mentioned is The Flight Instructor's Manual by Bill Kershner. It's a great reference that goes into the "how" and "why" of teaching a particular maneuver or subject. It helped me out quite a bit during my first year of instructing.

- Jeff

I'm not flaming, but check the PTS, and check my post. My post was written to get posting party to look(part of being a CFI is knowing how to research). These are the books mentioned in the PTS, see this link from the faa website http://www.faa.gov/education_researc...-s-8081-6b.pdf pages 3 and 4.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You are not judged on your flying skills, you are allowed to make mistakes. But don't loose 200ft in a steep turn, and make excuses for it. Be honest with youself and the examiner.

Thanks for the help. I guess at this point I just need to start worrying about passing the written tests before anything else.

Get those out of the way, then start reading the ACs everybody suggested.

Make the FAR/AIM part of your daily regime as well.

Read, read and then read some more. As a CFI, you may not be expected to know and be able to recall everything out there in every FAA book, but you are expected to be able to find it and explain it when you find it.

In addition to reading all the material listed, memorize, understand and be able to correlate everything in here - ASA: Oral Exam Guide: Certified Flight Instructor