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Checkride or Bust

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The Road to Becoming CFI

November 27, 2014 By Jonas Leave a Comment

“Great job — I really like how you talked through everything. You should think about becoming a CFI!”

That’s the first thing the designated examiner said when we got out of the airplane after my instrument checkride. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. After all, becoming a certificated flight instructor is a lot of work. The CFI checkride is regularly considered the hardest of any flight test — in no small part because the oral portion of the test can stretch up to 8 hours frequently, and national failure rates for first time CFI applicants hover around 80%.

For freshly-minted commercial pilots looking for ways to build time, becoming an instructor makes sense. But not for me.

I’ve got an established career outside of aviation that I love. And, frankly, CFI jobs don’t pay quite like the investment world does.

Still, that conversation with my examiner kept popping up in my head.

Let’s face it — I enjoy flight training. I enjoy studying for a new rating. And I like having a “mission” when I fly.

And the more I thought about it, the more pursuing a CFI certificate started to make sense. After all, it gives me a good excuse to hang out around the airport, get paid to fly, and subsidize my own flying. It’ll also add a lot of value to this nascent blog.

So, yup, I’m starting on the road to earning my CFI.

No, I’m not planning a change to my day job. I’ll set my sights on instructing part-time or independently. I’ll be documenting the process in these pages from here on out. First things first, I need to build time and earn my commercial pilot certificate. Stay tuned.

[Edit – in the years since posting this, I have indeed become an active CFI. For more information on flight training, click the Training link at the top of this page.]

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Disclaimer: While I am a flight instructor, I am not your flight instructor (probably) -- the content on this blog doesn't constitute flight or ground instruction. Instead, it's made up of my thoughts, opinions, and wild guesses. Always be sure to check with your CFI before applying anything you see here in an airplane. Fly safe!