Doing the CFII as my initial.....
 

the training center who is giving me a job after i complete my CFI ratings is getting the complex aircraft that they do their CFI training in painted. this is exactly when i was projected to start my CFI training. He explained to me that i could do my CFII as my initial which is fine and dandy with me, but what happens next?? I guess i always thought getting your CFI first was the norm so i need advice as far as regulations go on what to do so i may get my plain old CFI after my CFII initial....

Doing your CFII initial is the way to go. A lot of guys, myself included, went that route. Your initial ride is done with the FSDO and doing a double eye with them is much easier and less stressful. All your doing is another IRA checkride but from the right seat. They won't test on any of the regular CFI stuff and complex stuff....it's just a straight forward instrument ride. That being said, your checkride could still consist of a 6 hour oral and 3 hour flight, but that depends on the location and inspector. Good luck.

Or,
If your FSDO is a good group of guys, which most are when you get to know them on a first name basis, just do both ratings on the same ride. Knock them both out on the same checkride. It's been done before. If you're ready for it, why not?

as I'm doing multi private, then multi commercial I'm planning on doing MEI as my initial, then doing single commercial add-on and taking the other two.

Its the EASY way that all those pilot factories do it like ATP, American Flyers etc.... Do the CFII with the FAA then the CFI with the DE.... I know many 2 week wonders at my old university who did it this way.

(Paok) Are you implying that it is better to do your initial flight instructor cert with a DE by doing double-i first, and come back for the private/commercial stuff with an FAA person, because the latter will then be a lot easier on you? I have heard this before but wondered if it is true.

All I know is that the 2 week commercial to MEI schools do it this way....... they say its easier that way because your oral is on instrument stuff and procedures with the FAA guy. Generally in a CFI initial the FAA gets really in depth on aerodynamics bla bla bla all that stuff and its like an 8 hour oral... do you really think you could do an 8 hour oral on instrument flying? I dont think so...... hence your FAA ride=easier and shorter.... then you bang out the CFI initial with some DE

I did it the old fashion way....

yeh, agree with what paok said it will make it easier. Because it's not an initial rating when you get ur CFI, and you can do it with a DE (who are historically more "forgiving" than the feds) Should make things much easier, i did it the opposite way CFI/CFII, but did both with DE's (thankfully) and was simply glad to get them done....haha, good luck in your choice.

Paok - I did my three CFI's with three different DE's at one of those Pilot-factories. I actually took the CFII last, as most in my class did. Initial was MEI, followed by Commercial-Single, CFI, then CFII in 5 days. I invite anybody to give it a shot - there is nothing easy about a two-week wonder program! Many of the guys in my class also double-busted at least one ride.

Looking back, I think I would have rather flown with the FAA. Don't think those DE's don't like money! I busted my MEI over something very questionable. I didn't whine about it, I just pulled out the Checkbook again and sent the guy on an all-inclusive vacation to the Caribbean with 800 big ones the following week. All that after a 5-hour Oral and two rides.

DE's and Inspectors are really the same - they're all just bullies with plastic badges. One is just motivated by greed and money while the other is motivated by an inferiority-complex and deep hatred of Pilots.

Check the PTS for what subject areas are on the initial CFI. Whether you get it as an Instrument or Airplane Single Engine, you are still responsible for the bulk of FOI and teaching stuff on the first CFI rating you get. CFII and MEI are misnomers. You get a Flight Instructor certificate, then you add the Instrument, Single, and Multi Airplane ratings to it based on the tasks required for that rating. Just like you get a Commercial Pilot certifiate with an Airplane Multi Engine Land rating.