How to Become a Certified Flight Instructor

Certified Flight Instructors, or CFIs, teach students how to fly an airplane. CFIs offer instruction on private piloting, instrument and commercial training and ground instruction. They also perform FAA-regulated flight check outs and proficiency checks. Depending upon the level of training, a CFI can teach either single- or multi-engine courses as well.

Instructions

1. Complete private pilot training and obtain your private pilot license. To complete this training, you must be at least 17 years old at the time of your FAA check ride for this license. You must also pass a medical exam, knowledge exam, practical flight and oral exam and meet the flight requirements demonstrating your ground course experience, solo flight capabilities and cross-country flying, all under visual flight rules (VFR).

2. Obtain your instrument rating. For this rating, you learn to fly using instrument flight rules (IFR) so that you may fly in less then favorable weather such as rain showers, low visibility and foggy conditions. You learn how to conduct an IFR approach into an airport for landing the airplane.

3. Become a commercial pilot. This license allows you to fly for hire, unlike a private pilot who may only fly for leisure purposes. In addition to having your private pilot license with instrument rating, you must pass a second-class medical exam and be at least 18 years old with 250 hours of total flight time. Of that time, you must meet the 10-hour multi-engine flight time if you plan to fly multi-engine aircraft for hire, meet the requirements for cross-country time and pilot in command (PIC) time. Like the private license, you must also pass a practical flight and oral exam, as well as a knowledge exam.

4. Take a CFI course, which includes a curriculum on how to fly the airplane from the right, or instructor's seat, while teaching the fundamentals of piloting to a student. CFI courses include extensive training on the responsibility of teaching a student while maintaining safety at all times. This course also explains flight techniques, calmly correcting errors and encouraging students' learning.

5. Maintain CFI performance and medical status in accordance to FAA regulations.

Tips & Warnings

• Above all, CFIs are intended to be a professional resource for up and coming pilots. CFIs should make learning fun while molding students to become safe and knowledgeable pilots.