Question to anyone who has completed a Flight Instructor ride in the last few months: I'm getting set to renew an old Class 2 rating and I'm curious what the examiners are asking about these days. (i.e. one month they caught us off guard by asking for ADF and Night as the PGI; a couple years later, it was Forced Approach or Steep Turns.) I know to be prepared anything, and I plan to be... but have there been any items in particular cropping up that caught anyone by surprise? Anything special I should pay more attention to that might otherwise be a low priority?

.....

Your circumstance have a big impact on what kind of a flight test you are going to get. It could range from a pretty basic review to them giving you the full monty. So before commenting more detail is needed.

1) How long your has your Class 2 been expired ?

2) Have you ever done a Class 2 renewal or did you just get your class 2 and then let it expire ?

3) Has your Class 2 been expired for such along time that you have to rewrite the exam ?

4) How many recommends did you do as a class 2 and what percentage were a clean pass ?

5) Did you actively supervise a Class 4 when you were a Class 2

6) Did you ever perform the duties of Assistant CFI or were designated as the CFI to TC.

Every time I do a flight instructor renewal, the Inspector
shows up with a printout with the average flight test
marks of my recommends.

Guess what you're going to do? The exercises that
your students score lowest on.

Now, you're a special case - kind of an initial. You
have no recent flight test recommends. That shoots
that all to hell.

Sometimes in this situation, the PE is developmental
as hell and asks you to pick an exercise. If that's the
case, pick the simplest exercise there is.

This might be obvious, but by the time you're a class
2, you've recommended at least 10 flight tests, and
given at least 500 hrs dual. I know class 2 instructors
that have given 5000+ hrs dual. Hopefully by that point,
none of the PPL exercises should pose any particular
challenge for you to perform, or demonstrate

What the examiner wants to see is good PGI, taught
the TC way. It really doesn't matter what exercise you
are teaching. Like many flight instructors, you are
erroneously focusing too much on the technical side
of aviation, and not enough on instructional techniques.

If you apply all the learning factors, and deliver good
PGI at the whiteboard, you will pass the flight test. At
least, that's the case for everyone else I've ever met -
if you can get to the airplane, you've passed the test.

I mean, what the hell is the PE going to ask you to do
in a 172, that you haven't already done a thousand
times before? Hell, if the PE will push the paper, I am
happy to have him ride along and watch while I do a
surface level aerobatic routine in a 172, complete with
rolls, loops, 1/2 cuban 8's and hammerheads.

Remember, an instructor flight test is passed at the
whiteboard, with good PGI. If you don't know what
good PGI is - in excruciating detail - well, go back to
your recommending class 1 and review it. There are
an awful lot of pretty marginal class 1's out there, and
I hope yours isn't one of them.

Remember that for an initial class 2 ride, the examiner is also going to ask you a bunch of CFI related stuff as well. I was given a sample school that I was going to run, and come up with a way that I was going to maintain operational control over the motley crew. Part of that problem will usually be the presense of an unruly class one whom technically is under your said operational control, the other part will be how do you go about supervising your class fours. You need to know the minimum ammount of supervision that they need.

A class 2 renewal on the other hand is much like the colonel said. You're expected to be a master PGI presenter by this point. If you get past that, well then the flight test shouldn't be a problem. I think the last time I renewed my class 2 it was a whopping .6 of an hour in the air, one of the things I was asked to do was a one-wheel touch and go. Well not really, but they appreciated it.

I think my initial class 2 instructor test, all those years ago,
was probably the easiest, most relaxed flight test I have
ever done. Hell, I was already a CFI.

By the time you meet the experience requirements for a
class 2, you should be a reasonably seasoned instructor,
and no stranger to the operation of an FTU.

You're expected to be a master PGI presenter by this point

Well, for a class 2, I would settle for competent PGI presenter.

A class 1 ought to be a master of PGI - both presenting it,
and teaching how to create it. At least that's the way it ought
to be - not sure how often it really works out that way.

By the time you meet the experience requirements for a
class 2, you should be a reasonably seasoned instructor,
and no stranger to the operation of an FTU.

Should be, but I'm not so sure most are anymore. The assembly line method of flight training that seems to be producing masses of new pilots doesn't seem to expose a lot of new instructors to a lot of "experience" I was a class three for quite a few years before I upgraded, and then the same before I became a one, this doesn't seem the norm anymore though. I get the idea that a lot of new instructors show up for work in their newly pressed shirts, do exactly what they're told and go home. Many don't seem to be directly involved in any of the logistics, customer management, paperwork and the rest of the fun. I've come across "PTR" from schools that run like extensive checklists for making cookie cutter students. Students are no longer "handcrafted" so to speak.

As such, said instructors getting into the class 2 and 1 level really haven't gained any experience per say in terms of over all operations, or the larger picture of flight training. It might allow them to qualify for the class 2, but it makes for poor CFIs.

I was a class three for quite a few years before I upgraded

As they say, Your Mileage May Vary. A friend of mine had
over 30 years in as a pilot and tailwheel aircraft owner,
before TC finally relented and upgraded him from a class
4 to a class 3.

That's 30% of the history of powered human flight that
he was flying, before he was finally upgraded to a class 3.

Big Pistons Forever wrote:Your circumstance have a big impact on what kind of a flight test you are going to get. It could range from a pretty basic review to them giving you the full monty. So before commenting more detail is needed.

1) How long your has your Class 2 been expired ?

2) Have you ever done a Class 2 renewal or did you just get your class 2 and then let it expire ?

3) Has your Class 2 been expired for such along time that you have to rewrite the exam ?

4) How many recommends did you do as a class 2 and what percentage were a clean pass ?

5) Did you actively supervise a Class 4 when you were a Class 2

6) Did you ever perform the duties of Assistant CFI or were designated as the CFI to TC.

All good questions!
- I've been expired for 5 years (yes, have to do the exam again)
- Every student I recommended for a ride passed. That was over 45 students. I taught for 5 years before it lapsed (because I moved on to another type of work).
- I used to be CFI of my school. Taught groundschool and supervised a Class 4 or 2. Went through more than a few TC audits.

Colonel Sanders wrote:If you apply all the learning factors, and deliver good
PGI at the whiteboard, you will pass the flight test. At
least, that's the case for everyone else I've ever met -
if you can get to the airplane, you've passed the test.

Remember, an instructor flight test is passed at the
whiteboard, with good PGI. If you don't know what
good PGI is - in excruciating detail - well, go back to
your recommending class 1 and review it. There are
an awful lot of pretty marginal class 1's out there, and
I hope yours isn't one of them.

Thanks Colonel!

Yes, I used to have some terrific PGI's, and I said above, I used to supervise a few junior instructors too. Sometimes delivered them to a classroom-full as well as one-on-one. Not too worried about that part... so hopefully, the rest should go okay!

Thanks to everyone for the great responses. Wish me luck!

Simply because no one else has mentioned it yet ...

You can considerably improve your luck by reading TP5537E.

Specifically, for PGI, it says:

Assessment will be based on the candidate's ability to apply the instructional techniques and learning factors set out in the Flight Instructor Guide, including the ability to:

(a) prepare the teaching area for effective student learning (readiness);
(b) prepare/check training aids;
(c) determine that the student is ready for learning;
(d) explain where the lesson fits into the overall picture (relationship, readiness);
(e) identify the main teaching points (readiness);
(f) relate the lesson to past and/or future experiences of the student (relationship);
(g) start presentation of new material at the student’s level of understanding (readiness, relationship, effect);
(h) proceed at the rate of student comprehension (relationship, exercise, primacy, effect);
(i) use developmental teaching (exercise, effect, relationship);
(j) introduce each stage of the lesson and provide a link between stages (relationship);
(k) obtain student feedback throughout the lesson (exercise, effect);
(l) respond to student feedback (effect);
(m) identify and emphasize major points for the student (exercise, effect);
(n) give clear explanations (primacy, effect, relationship);
(o) use visual aids effectively (effect, intensity);
(p) use voice effectively by varying rate, volume and pitch (intensity);
(q) appear enthusiastic about the subject being taught (intensity);
(r) use eye contact effectively (intensity);
(s) involve the student effectively;
(t) confirm student learning at the end of each stage.

That's the "answer at the back of the book". Don't miss
any big chunks, like the TKT. Spend more time on the TKT.
I have never heard an examiner debrief a candidate for
spending too much time on the TKT. Why not be the first?

This is also worth reviewing:

Flight Instructor Rating Assessment
Class 2 - Aeroplane, Helicopter
(a) Teaching Competency:
(i) Demonstrates good communication skills
(ii) Applies learning factors and techniques of instruction with few minor errors;
(iii) Demonstrates a good application of the essential background knowledge required for the task or exercise being taught;
(iv) Presents technical information to the student accurately with few minor errors;
(v) Demonstrates good control of the lesson and efficient use of time
(vi) Demonstrates an effective instructional explanation while demonstrating a task or manoeuvre (explanation during the demonstration must be clear, concise, technically accurate and complete with no prompting from the examiner);
(vii) Obtains good student involvement;
(viii) Demonstrates an average ability to demonstrate, analyze and correct simulated common errors related to the task or manoeuvre being taught.
(b) Evaluation of Student Performance:
(i) Confirms student understanding;
(ii) Readily identifies errors in the performance of flight manoeuvres by the trainee and suggests effective strategies for improvement;
(c) Flight Proficiency:
(i) Performs flight manoeuvres with no major deviations from the level of competency required for the issuance of the Commercial Pilot Licence, while giving flight instruction;
(ii) Demonstrates good knowledge of training and testing standards.
(d) Supervisory Knowledge:
(i) Demonstrates an understanding of the responsibilities of a Chief Flight Instructor;
(ii) Demonstrates administrative knowledge appropriate for the supervision of a staff of instructors;
(iii) Demonstrates a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the regulatory requirements for direct supervision of Class 4 Flight Instructors.

If you can bother to spend a few minutes and read
the contents of this post, you will be very lucky.

SunbeamTiger wrote:

Big Pistons Forever wrote:Your circumstance have a big impact on what kind of a flight test you are going to get. It could range from a pretty basic review to them giving you the full monty. So before commenting more detail is needed.

1) How long your has your Class 2 been expired ?

2) Have you ever done a Class 2 renewal or did you just get your class 2 and then let it expire ?

3) Has your Class 2 been expired for such along time that you have to rewrite the exam ?

4) How many recommends did you do as a class 2 and what percentage were a clean pass ?

5) Did you actively supervise a Class 4 when you were a Class 2

6) Did you ever perform the duties of Assistant CFI or were designated as the CFI to TC.

All good questions!
- I've been expired for 5 years (yes, have to do the exam again)
- Every student I recommended for a ride passed. That was over 45 students. I taught for 5 years before it lapsed (because I moved on to another type of work).
- I used to be CFI of my school. Taught groundschool and supervised a Class 4 or 2. Went through more than a few TC audits.

Given your history I would expect the re-ride would not be that big a deal. They will look at your flight test record and the PGI you get will likely be one where you students have had consistent lower scores. Otherwise Forced Approach and slow flight are common asks. They will also discuss supervision of Class 4's so have a few good examples for them. Also make sure you have reviewed all the duties required of a CFI.

CFI supervision in general seems to be a priority with TC so you should be able to articulate the specifics of how you will also supervise your class 3 and any 2's working for you including how you will do your record keeping. As was mentioned above night flying seems to be on TC's radar so make sure you have a good night PGI and again be able to explain how you will keep good control of all night training ops.

One thing I would expect the examiner to grill you on,
is the changes in the flight test guides since you quit
instructing.

Be sure and get new copies of the rec, ppl, cpl, etc
flight test guides. Print them off if you're a luddite,
or keep online copies for your laptop or ipad.

As a class 2 instructor, you should have a very good
idea as to what the flight test guide standards are for
every exercise.

CFI supervision in general seems to be a priority with TC

Heh. Sure - the theoretical side. Practically speaking,
there is precious little.