Agreed. Don't count on good deals to stick around forever (another take on "no good deed goes unpunished").

Just took the test after studying with Sheppard Air software (missed one question...darn, there goes that DG). Will turn in paperwork to FAA later this week and be a CFII !!

I'm gonna help a F-4 WSO buddy of mine get his PPL. Anyone got a favorite for good pre-fab courseware/lesson plans? The Sporty's stuff looked decent, but still open to suggestions.

BTW: Join AOPA and save $10 on the CATS testing fee.

Should get CFI Airplane Category and Class also for any airplanes you instructed in. Make sure u get all u are entitled to. Also, can u go to the FSDO and get it for free? What FSDO does that.

I'll be in ATL this week and am getting it free at the FSDO there.

I got mine done at the Philly FSDO. No charge if you do it at a FSDO. It's your tax dollars at work.

Take a look at the Jeppesen stuff too. It has a good reputation. You can sometimes find used books on Amazon at a pretty good discount to new.

I think they mean the certificate for the instructor ratings allowed, not the additional rating for category/class of aircraft not flown as a mil instructor.

Yes, my understanding is that if I went to the FSDO with my stack of supporting documentation (including my CATS MCI test results), they would process it and issue me the approporate certificate for free.

I'm here in SAT, and a bunch of IP's out at Randolph AFB have gone a slightly different route. A local DPE reviews the paperwork for a nominal fee ($40), issues the appropriate certificate on the spot, and gets all the paperwork where it needs to go.

Maybe the $40 is a waste of money for something I could handcarry myself, but I had heard some mixed reviews on some FSDO's being better/worse at the process. Guess I'm a lemming, but I'm just gonna cough up the $40 and go with the sure thing.


Thanks for lesson/syllabus inputs. I'm kinda leaning towards the asa "Complete Private Pilot" book & syllabus or the Sporty's products right now. Comments?

Yeah, the FSDO will do it for free. Took about 15 minutes. Most of the time was taken up by entering data on his computer and us chatting about flying stuff.

I took:

1. Copy of my IP checkride form 8 (I actually took my entire FEF and just tabbed that form 8. He spent about 3 seconds looking at it).
2. My LaserGrade test result.
3. My retired mil ID
4. My existing FAA license (plastic)
5. The FAA form 8710-1 already filled out per instructions on sheppardair.com
6. Copy of flight records summary (3 pages).

I called ahead (as suggested by SheppardAir) and verified required documentation. The FSDO office in Fargo was totally up to speed, including that the 12-month recency requirement had been dropped. Personally, if I were in SAT, I wouldn't spend the $40.

You know, after reading your post I figured what the heck, let me give it a shot. So I called the SAT FSDO and they said "We don't do those here, you have to use a local DPE" Brilliant!! Managed to keep myself from asking "what do you do there?"

Our tax dollars at work...

Unfrickinbelievable! ***? All they do is type in info on their computer, print out a form and have you sign it.

Is this the DPE?

Charles McDougal, (210) 315-7771

He must be making a small fortune. For $40, that's about $160/hr. Heck, maybe I should look into that scam, er.... enterprise