Best study tools for initial CFI?

[lilrkt]

I intend on buying a copy of Jeppesen's CFI manual, but I am looking to get whatever will be best for me to learn what is necessary very well. I am a better learner through visual and auditory presentation, so if there is something that wll augment the manual well like a DVD or CD-ROM that would probably do me best.

[kellwolf]

I think (dare I say it) John and Martha King have a CFI DVD kit out. Sporty's might as well. I thought about getting the Jepp, but they've gotten a lot of my money already, so I think I'll be a cheap skate and just get the FAA books.

[Foxcow]

I outlined the entire CFI PTS. I learned a lot of stuff by doing it. Lesson plans help too.

[Josh]

A few books you should have for sure for reference:

Airplane Flying Handbook
Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
CFI PTS
Private Pilot PTS
Commercial Pilot PTS
Aviation Instructors Handbook
FAR/AIM

If you want the Jepp for the pretty pictures, I guess that is ok.

An additional source I think is pretty good is the instructor book by Kershner. As much a practical guide on how to do things, as a manual on how.

[Dazzler]

Yep I've got all those books listed above, and they seem to be doing me fine for now. No need for any expensive "kits" IMHO. Never have bought a "kit" for any part of my training, and I'm not about to start now!

[CaptChris]

The King DVD course was amazing. Despite the fact that I spent a couple Saturday afternoons sitting there with John King, it was a very informative DVD course. I was somewhat skeptical, but bought it on Ebay for $30. I'd look there for sure. Chances are you'll get suicidal after watching the DVD course (3 discs), but it helped me out a lot. Many people know how thorough John King is... I literally watched him ramble on for 15 mins. about Bernoulli's (sp?) principle. In any event... I gave the same pitch on my checkride, the the DE was very impressed. The Jepp. manual is just "The Aviation Instructors Handbook" with more pictures, and four times as expensive. Just sit there with John King, your FAR/AIM, and PTS and you'll be in good shape!

Enjoy---and best of luck to you!

[stultus]

[ QUOTE ]
A few books you should have for sure for reference:

Airplane Flying Handbook
Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
CFI PTS
Private Pilot PTS
Commercial Pilot PTS
Aviation Instructors Handbook
FAR/AIM


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not a CFI (until next week) but I'll play one on JC....

I've just with stuck with these. Sadly, studying for the CFI test was the first time I've seriously looked at some of these books, and I was somewhat surprised they are very good explaining a number of things--substantially better than the Jepp books in some areas. Not that I'm an authority on aeronautical knowledge or anything.

As a added bonus, you are allowed to use FAA publications as reference materials on your CFI oral, so you should be intimately familiar with them in the unfortunate event that you forget something or even worse, don't know something . Plus if you are going doing your ride with someone from the local FSDO I'd bet they'll be a lot more satified with definitions and explainations that mirror what the FAA says about things.

[E_Dawg]

Don't buy the jepp book, it's a crappy waste of space and more importantly $$$. I can't believe the jepp book is more expensive than every other book out there yet totally wortheless. You can buy mine if you want it.

Anyway just keep it simple, buy the cfi pts and practice teaching things out of it. Maybe get some oral exam guides by June Bonesteel and practice teaching out of them. Also making lesson plans is not required but it helps, especially if you practice with a whiteboard.