Best place for initial CFI
 

What are everyone's thoughts on where to go to get my initial CFI. Are there schools out there that have examiners on staff or does everyone go to the FSDO? Not sure if he is right but an instructor told me the other day that the FSDO that I would go to if I followed on and got my CFI here where I live has a pass rate of about 60%. So I am wondering if it would be worth going somewhere else.

The first time pass rate of initial CFIs is very low. It is just a plain fact. Study hard for the oral, spend some time on the AIM and the FAA books, and go over the oral guides. The hardest part of my initial CFI was the oral without a doubt. I thought the flying part was a piece of cake. The examiner said he knew I knew how to fly, he wanted to see if I could teach him. Overall it was a very long, stressful day, but I learned a lot. Good luck. Hit the books, go over some mock oral exams with your favorite CFI and you should be just fine. In my opinion, there is really no need to go elsewhere to get the rating. Just stay at home.

The passing rate for the first time CFI candidates is around 20%, tends to be the toughest check-ride in your aviation career. The bar is set high, so prepare yourself with proper lesson plans and a solid knowledge.
good luck.

Crystal Aero Group. Crystal River, Florida

Crystal Aero Group - Full Service Aviation Company Offering Pilot Training, Charter Flights, Air Tours and Maintenance Services


Crystal Aero Group - Airport - Crystal River | Facebook

Did my initial there. Owner's wife is the DPE.

couldn't have said it better myself. On the bright side my CFII checkride was the easiest thus far...

Please do us a favor: don't go to a flight school where training and the checkride is done in "cooperation" .. Remember as a CFI you will have the responsibility of training pilots; this should not be taken so lightly.. I hate people going to "10 day get your CFI/II/MEI" courses. The people that come from that kind of a back ground make really bad CFIs..
Take a lot of time.. Study (the skill that lacks in most of the gen X pilots these days) and study and study more.. Be proud of yourself because you increased the pass rate from 60 % to 65% at your local FSDO..

Where are you getting this number from?

Here's mine

Knowlege Test 79%

http://www.faa.gov/data_research/avi...ge%20Tests.pdf

Practical Test 71% by DPE and 72% by ASI's :D

Scroll down to table 19
US Civil Airmen Statistics

Thanks for posting those ACTUAL statistics yimke.
Sort of like military flight school washout rates, the CFI pass rates tend to grow more dire with every passing tale. ;)
I'll bet that a DPE or an ASI with a passing rate of less than 50% would be getting a hard look from the higher-ups; the same as would a DPE or ASI with a 99% pass rate I imagine.

USMCFLYR

Those are combined figures for the whole system, individual FSDOs are notorious for deviating from the norm. Rumors are definitely scary about some pass rates, but I hasten to add that info is not public and no one really knows. The rumors are probably not all that far off either and what makes me think so is every now and then you will meet someone who took a FSDO exam and they tell horror stories about how long and grueling the event was. I got lucky on this topic, my initial was with a DPE and not the FSDO, and my guy was pretty reasonable about the whole thing. Actually, considering how hard teaching actually is when you know a little about it, it is amazing anybody passes with no experience teaching.

I'd have to go next door to see if they have statistics for this (or guidance), but deviating by a few % points is quite different than a particular office having a 20% pass rate for instance!

USMCFLYR