> I strongly support the rule and the requirement to be a "full" CFI. It is
> ridiculous to think that a 150 hour private pilot who passes the FOI and
> CFI test be considered able to teach to the level of a 250+ hour
> instrument commercial pilot who goes on to become a CFI.
>
> Are there any "high school" graduates out there who you think are
> qualified to be a "college professor"? How about a First Aid first
> responder, can he/she now do heart surgery like a surgeon?
>
> As professional instructors we need to be raising the bar and increasing
> the quality and qualifications. Not dumbing down like the rest of society
> is doing.
>
> I hope those who agree with me will make the same call to those
> organizations and tell them there are two views to this issue.
>
> Respectfully,
> Scott Johnson, Chief Pilot
> LSA North, Stick-n-Rudder Flight Training
Well, I guess I know where not to apply for work as a CFI-SP.
When I took and passed my CFI-SP checkride, I had 331.7 hours total time,
159.8 of which was in my Zodiac. That was certainly enough for the examiner,
and for the FAA. No, I don't have any retract time, or an instrument rating.
Just how relevant are they to flight as a sport pilot? As for the rest of
it, I'm certain that my examiner didn't cut me one single bit of slack for
going for a CFI-SP rather than a CFI-A; I was tested to the same standards
(for those elements that are common), and expected to perform to the same
level. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten the ticket.
No, I'm not qualified to teach someone to fly IFR. I'm not qualified to
teach someone how to perform a chandelle. I am fully qualified to teach
someone how to fly at the sport pilot level, and to perform all of the tasks
and flight maneuvers required for that rating.
The difference between the 150 hour sport pilot and the 250-hour CP-ASEL-IA
as an instructor is not primarily defined by their ratings and experience.
It's defined, much more, by their ability and willingness to teach. I'd much
rather be taught by someone who's teaching because he wants to teach people
how to fly and is doing it for the pure joy of building aviators than
someone who's teaching because he's building hours toward a seat on an
airliner and is there to get his ticket punched. A CFI-SP is far, far more
likely to be the former.
You're right in that we need to raise the bar of competence and quality.
That, however, is a matter of the instructor's professionalism and approach
to instructing, not a matter of just requiring more hours and ratings before
taking the checkride. You can't regulate professionalism or desire to teach;
you can only encourage and nurture it, and you don't do that by running down
people who genuinely want to be there just because they don't ahve as many
ratings as you do.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to preparing to give my first
real lesson as a CFI...
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC, PP-ASEL, CFI-SP http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
Fairmont, MN (KFRM) (Yes, that's me!)
AMD Zodiac CH601XLi N55ZC http://www.tronguy.net/N55ZC.shtml
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