Flight Instructor Rating

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Found
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Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Found »

I am thinking of tackling the Flight Instructor Rating. How long does it usually take to complete? How hard is it compared to the Instrument Rating or CPL? What did it cost? How hard is the written and practical exam? If you could add anything else that would help it would be appreciated.
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robshelle
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by robshelle »

It will be the hardest rating you will get. There is a lot of working in prepping lesson plans, and then revising them, and then practicing teaching them to a mirror, and then finally to your Class 1 instructor. It is also very intimidating as you realize that you don't know as much as you thought that you know. The plus side is that it will make you a much better and more conscientious pilot, and honestly the work is very rewarding (not necessarily financially rewarding, but emotionally as you see students come back from first solo's for example).

I took 3 months to do mine while I was in Flight College, and it cost around 7000$, about 35 hours flight time plus lots of ground time, but that was in the mid 90's. The exams aren't really that hard as you should be really prepared for them by the time you've done all the lesson plans.

Robbie Benusic
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Tuza
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Tuza »

I'm doing mine now but have been put on hold because TC is not doing any Instructor flight exams.

So...just a word to the wise. But everything you can easily do.

Def a good option and as robshelle said, about 9ish k (I'm in Alberta) and def humbling! And I'm only through the ground portion due to no point in flying because of .... lol

So good luck!
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Aviatard
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Aviatard »

Tuza wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 8:18 pm I'm doing mine now but have been put on hold because TC is not doing any Instructor flight exams.

In Ontario at least, independent Pilot Examiners are conducting flight tests for instructor ratings. I don't know about the rest of the country. It's business as usual here except for the long wait times for written exams at Transport. However, there is an exemption that allows the flight test to proceed without first having completed the written exam. You just can't get the rating signed off until the written exam is completed.
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Bede
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Bede »

Robshelle is pretty much right. You can complete it in the minimum hours but will likely take a lot more ground time. There is also a lot of prep work for lesson plans. You can get some from other but will likely find that they don’t work for you and will make your own.

The big thing that I have found is your flying skills. As a CPL you can likely fly well because all of your attention is on flying. As an instructor though, the flying has to be second nature and your attention is now directed to instructing. Your flying skills for the first half of the instructor rating will likely be below the PPL level. It returns quickly though as you get more used to instructing and flying at the same time. By the time you have your recommend you’ll hopefully be back where you were at your CPL flight test.
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photofly
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by photofly »

What are you going to do after you get the rating? As a Class IV instructor, you're pretty much useless: you can't do anything on your own, you have to be supervised by and work for a Flight Training Unit. Is that your plan? You don't have to discuss it here, but you should know what it is.
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DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Tuza
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Tuza »

Also, as already posted and I should have mentioned this yesterday, there is an enormous amount of lesson planning prep! I started mine before May which was when I was supposed to start. Then it got pushed to June, then July, and here we are.

I had lessons with a different Class 1 late last yr but had to stop because of personal reasons.

I have 2 3" binders full of lesson plans including a 3rd with the guides. I am doing the Sharper Edge Instructor exam prep book and I have 3 kids whom I'm also now online homeschooling. So.... it's busy and there is still lots to do, but as for @Aviatard - I didn't know there were independent examiners - mine is a Class 1 and also examiner but he said TC is closed for just Instructor Flight exams so super interesting that that is not a Canada wide thing. I do know they are taking written examers and that's only just recent.

Too bad as I'm from Ontario originally! Haha

Anyway @Found - just prep and go for it and you will know in the first 2 weeks if this is for you or not. I mean I have no idea, neither does anyone else here but it IS a tremendous amt of work!

Having said that, I'm pretty sure that's why most pilots stay pilots. But who knows. Haha. Maybe it's just the moola.

Cheers!
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Tuza
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Tuza »

photofly wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 5:38 am What are you going to do after you get the rating? As a Class IV instructor, you're pretty much useless: you can't do anything on your own, you have to be supervised by and work for a Flight Training Unit. Is that your plan? You don't have to discuss it here, but you should know what it is.
:lol: And last thing @found - you're not useless. At least in Alberta and Ontario - as aviatard said - there is plenty of work. Although obviously Covid has put a dent in that.

Cheers
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praveen4143
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by praveen4143 »

Tuza wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 8:18 pm I'm doing mine now but have been put on hold because TC is not doing any Instructor flight exams.
I would suggest you contact the nearest TC inspector about this. I can think of a few examiners who can do initial instructor rating flight tests. Harv Penner at Harv's Air in MB, Lenora Crane at the Club here at Springbank among others who can do all the way up to Class 1 flight tests.

TC used to have a splendid page on their website where you could search for Pilot Examiners based on what tests they could do. Too bad it got taken down in the midst of the move to Canada.ca and the CARs moving to Justice.gc.ca
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Tuza
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Tuza »

praveen4143 wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 8:04 am
Tuza wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 8:18 pm I'm doing mine now but have been put on hold because TC is not doing any Instructor flight exams.
I would suggest you contact the nearest TC inspector about this. I can think of a few examiners who can do initial instructor rating flight tests. Harv Penner at Harv's Air in MB, Lenora Crane at the Club here at Springbank among others who can do all the way up to Class 1 flight tests.

TC used to have a splendid page on their website where you could search for Pilot Examiners based on what tests they could do. Too bad it got taken down in the midst of the move to Canada.ca and the CARs moving to Justice.gc.ca
So I just checked and you're right Lenora (whom I actually know from my CYXH days) is doing them! My bad. I had info from a few weeks ago so, I guess the tide is changing. I'm guessing just her though by the sounds of it. Besides Penner.

Anyway, I'll drop out now. 😂
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Shinyjetsyndrome
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Shinyjetsyndrome »

Is there even really a point in doing an FI rating right now? I haven’t seen an instructor posting in ages and there’s tons of laid off airline pilots who are returning to instructing, including where I trained. I’m getting the impression that I’d be wasting 10k if I did it, but maybe the schools just don’t post ads and simply hire their students. I’d be curious to hear the thoughts of other instructors on the hiring prospects.
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Aviatard
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Aviatard »

Schools typically hire their students.
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pul106
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by pul106 »

Are there any flight schools that could possibly need a class 4, with so many previous students/FIs returning ?
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Last edited by pul106 on Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Tuza
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Tuza »

Aviatard wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 4:01 am
Tuza wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 8:18 pm I'm doing mine now but have been put on hold because TC is not doing any Instructor flight exams.

In Ontario at least, independent Pilot Examiners are conducting flight tests for instructor ratings. I don't know about the rest of the country. It's business as usual here except for the long wait times for written exams at Transport. However, there is an exemption that allows the flight test to proceed without first having completed the written exam. You just can't get the rating signed off until the written exam is completed.
Hey super delayed response but I just found, ironically enough, through my GS that Examiners have to be TC approved. Here's the CARs ref:

Conduct of a Flight Test

401.15 No person shall conduct a flight test required for the issuance or renewal of a flight crew permit or licence or for the endorsement of a flight crew permit or licence with a rating unless

(a) the person

(i) is designated by the Minister to conduct the flight test, and

(ii) meets the requirements of section 425.21 of Standard 425 — Flight Training; and

(b) the flight test is conducted in accordance with

(i) Subpart 8, in the case of an aeroplane or helicopter, or

(ii) the personnel licensing standards, in any other case.

SOR/2001-49, s. 9 SOR/2005-319, s. 2 SOR/2011-284, s. 4SOR/2019-119, s. 47

I know other posters have mentioned independent examiners but they must be approved by TC then or it's super illegal.
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flyingcanuck
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by flyingcanuck »

I think youre misunderstanding what he meant, just that it doesnt need to be an official TX guy but a class 1 who is approved from TC. Which are all over the place in ontario
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Tuza
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Tuza »

flyingcanuck wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:04 pm I think youre misunderstanding what he meant, just that it doesnt need to be an official TX guy but a class 1 who is approved from TC. Which are all over the place in ontario
Yes I did misunderstand! Thanks!
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Hawk009
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by Hawk009 »

flyingcanuck wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:04 pm just that it doesnt need to be an official TX guy but a class 1 who is approved from TC. Which are all over the place in ontario
Do you personally know or have contacts for any in Ontario you could possibly share in PM?
I’m trying to find someone to do my FI flight test and the ones I reached out to said they’re not going to be doing it for a while.
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flyingcanuck
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by flyingcanuck »

Hawk009 wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:08 am
flyingcanuck wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:04 pm just that it doesnt need to be an official TX guy but a class 1 who is approved from TC. Which are all over the place in ontario
Do you personally know or have contacts for any in Ontario you could possibly share in PM?
I’m trying to find someone to do my FI flight test and the ones I reached out to said they’re not going to be doing it for a while.
Try calling Cornwall, I believe they have 2 Class 1's right now. They'll get you in and out pretty quick if you know your stuff. The guy who did mine years ago is at Spectrum Airways in Burlington, maybe call them if you havent. There is another guy at St. Catharines club but last I heard he was on leave dont know if hes back or not. Good luck!
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gtappl
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by gtappl »

flyingcanuck wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 10:38 am
Hawk009 wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:08 am
flyingcanuck wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:04 pm just that it doesnt need to be an official TX guy but a class 1 who is approved from TC. Which are all over the place in ontario
Do you personally know or have contacts for any in Ontario you could possibly share in PM?
I’m trying to find someone to do my FI flight test and the ones I reached out to said they’re not going to be doing it for a while.
Try calling Cornwall, I believe they have 2 Class 1's right now. They'll get you in and out pretty quick if you know your stuff. The guy who did mine years ago is at Spectrum Airways in Burlington, maybe call them if you havent. There is another guy at St. Catharines club but last I heard he was on leave dont know if hes back or not. Good luck!
spectrum is closed fyi
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flyingcanuck
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Re: Flight Instructor Rating

Post by flyingcanuck »

gtappl wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:36 pm
flyingcanuck wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 10:38 am
Hawk009 wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:08 am

Do you personally know or have contacts for any in Ontario you could possibly share in PM?
I’m trying to find someone to do my FI flight test and the ones I reached out to said they’re not going to be doing it for a while.
Try calling Cornwall, I believe they have 2 Class 1's right now. They'll get you in and out pretty quick if you know your stuff. The guy who did mine years ago is at Spectrum Airways in Burlington, maybe call them if you havent. There is another guy at St. Catharines club but last I heard he was on leave dont know if hes back or not. Good luck!
spectrum is closed fyi
Ah, didnt know. Some are open others are not :o
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