My 14-day CFI experience

[#1FMS]

Some time this year, I did the 14-day CFI program. Here's what I (and most others in my class) thought:

1. The first-time pass rate was pathetic (4/6 busted).
2. At least one of us was signed off without being eligible for the
practical.
3. Your checkride is scheduled well before you're signed off
4. If you do the cheaper program, you will only receive 4hrs dual
in the Seminole prior to your MEI Initial practical. The one that's $1,000 more gives you 7 hrs.
5. We did not all see all of the maneuvers in the plane (which is a
requirement of the PTS...just read the intro to the MEI PTS...oops)
6. The cost of additional training is $275/hr dual. By the way, if they
short you a tenth or two, you don't get it back (that's $27.50 per tenth,
and they DO short people, and you don't get it back).
7. If you do choose this program, I do NOT recommend trying the shorter
program. I also don't recommend either one unless you have at least 5hrs in the right seat of a Seminole, and are already at least a little comfortable with Comm/multi maneuvers from the right seat. And bring lots of extra $$$ since the first time pass rate is not that good.

-R

[meritflyer]

What location did you do it at?

[FlyingNole]

Wow, thats pretty weak. Our class everyone passed all their rides expcept one whol failed his CFII. It is quick but you have to study and apply yourself. I do agree training is short if you never flown a seminole before, but they give you enough training to get it done.

WHere did you do it, and who was your instructor?

[Captain_Bob]

The national average for first time passes for an initial CFI, regardless of where trained is in the neighborhood of 50%. So... 4/6 in your class busted and no one in 'Nole's class busted... still ahead of the average. I believe only 2 out of 8 didn't pass in mine.

Sounds like it was a stressful time for all... What did you say or do when you didn't see all the manuevers prior to your practical? I'm also wondering why the person in your class allowed himself to be signed off prior to being eligible for the practical.

All in all, I do agree with your last recommendation. It is a fast program... so if you don't have previous time in the seminole... sign up for the longer program.

I'm looking at my old receipt... I had to initial and understand the following:

ATP allocates 1.5 - 2.0 hours for the flight check due to varying flight times. You will recieve flight training up to the program flight time less 1.5 - 2.0 hours. If additional training is required, the cost is $xxx.00 per training block hour.

That seems pretty cut and dry to me... how much did they short you?

Also... they don't make you pay for the use of the airplane for the re-check... only the additional instruction time... that seems reasonable to me as well.

In the unlikely event that you fail the flight check, you may obtain extra training at the block-hour rate for your training program. You do not pay for the use of the airplane for the re-check...

If neccessary, additional flight training must be pre-paid in 1.0 or 2.0 hour training blocks. Flight time may vary by 0.1 under or 0.3 over the block purchased. There will be no re-imbursements for the unused portion of the training block purchases.

Granted, this was on my receipt from 2003... has it changed? You did see this info prior to taking the course right? I had to initial each statement saying that I was aware of it and understood it. So if they "took" you in anyway... simply call them up and hold them to their policy.

Bob

[Timbuff10]

I think 8 of 10 passed their initial on their first try in my CFI class. I know one of the guys that busted didn't make it out of the oral and the other busted in the air. I think the common denominator on those two checkrides was the FAA guy observing the DE during the checkride.

Note to self, if you can help it, don't do a checkride if the FAA is observing the DE.

Walt was great and I was one of the eight! Woohoo!

[FlyingNole]

Walt is the man. You learn a lot from him...Quite a character, and a true stereotype of a Ok-City guy.

[FlyingNole]

Walt is the man. You learn a lot from him...Quite a character, and a true stereotype of a Ok-City guy.

[#1FMS]

Originally Posted by meritflyer

What location did you do it at?

Jaxsonville/CRG

[#1FMS]

Sounds like it was a stressful time for all... What did you say or do when you didn't see all the manuevers prior to your practical? I'm also wondering why the person in your class allowed himself to be signed off prior to being eligible for the practical.

The instructor simply said we didn't have time to see all of the maneuvers,
so we skipped some ground ref.


I'm looking at my old receipt... I had to initial and understand the following:

That seems pretty cut and dry to me... how much did they short you?

Shorted .3 (over $80 worth) .


Granted, this was on my receipt from 2003... has it changed? You did see this info prior to taking the course right? I had to initial each statement saying that I was aware of it and understood it. So if they "took" you in anyway... simply call them up and hold them to their policy.

Bob[/quote]

They told me on the phone, because I asked specifically about this, that
most finish in the advertised time, and that if additional time was required,
I would not have to pay for that time. It kind of felt like the old bait-n-switch when I saw the papers in Jax.

[#1FMS]

One last thing...

I see it as my responsibility as an instructor to see to it that I've trained
my students on every task in the PTS; it's not the students responsibility
to catch everything - they're just students. To sign someone off without
giving them any hood time is failing to provide adequate instruction. They
are definitely not as thorough as I hoped they were.

[CaptainChris87]

anybody have a better experience at LAS for the CFI program, do others who completed it feel more than competant enough to CFI a ppl student within PTS standards?

[FlyingNole]

Most of my students were ppl students...Granted I was a 700+hr instructor when I graduated, but it shouldnt matter much, it depends on how good of a teacher you are and how much you learned and continue to learn about flying