CFI

When are pilots the most dangerous? This is a topic of discussion at many flight schools and anytime you get a group of seasoned CFIs together. Based on anecdotal evidence, there appear to be a few times in their aviation careers where pilots might get a little too complacent, or too cocky and overconfident, resulting […]

There is a honeymoon phase after the check ride. You have that new certificate or rating in your pocket and it is natural to want to relax and do some fun just-for-you flying, like buying $100 hamburgers, make fly-out camping trips, attend fly-ins, and take trips to visit friends and family. The fun flying continues […]

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on FLYING. Skyborne Airline Academy is raising the bar—and pay—for its certificated flight instructors (CFIs), it announced this week during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Vero Beach, Florida-based flight school said it is now offering pay from $37,000 to $43,600 per year, in addition to “premium pay,” which […]

One of the most polarizing discussions among CFI candidates is the topic of lesson plans. Specifically, should you make your own? Or is it OK to purchase premade lesson plans from a third-party provider? Aeronautical Knowledge for CFIs FAR 61.185 lists the aeronautical knowledge required for flight instructors. There you will find it written that […]

The flight instructor is the first gatekeeper when it comes to aviation safety. It is incumbent on the CFI to teach and model good habits for mitigating risk—and you can’t do that without understanding where the risk is coming from, and when and where during the flight training process we are at a higher risk […]

Spring is the most fickle season when it comes to weather in the Pacific Northwest. One day it is unseasonably warm, with temps in the 80s, ,and people are wearing short pants and polo shirts. The next day the temperature is in the 30s, and light snow is falling or there is a hail shower. […]