Certified Flight Instructor

Earning a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certificate is a pivotal step in your aviation career, allowing you to share your passion for flying while building valuable flight hours. As a CFI, you'll refine your skills, mentor aspiring pilots, and gain hands-on teaching experience that strengthens your own proficiency. Whether you're looking to advance toward airline opportunities or simply enjoy the rewarding experience of instructing, becoming a flight instructor is a dynamic and fulfilling path in aviation. CFI training can be done as an accelerated course or at your own pace.

Requirements

To earn a Certified Flight Instructor Certificate (CFI) you must meet several Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. Here’s a breakdown of the key criteria:

Eligibility

  1. Be at least 18 years old.

  2. Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English.

  3. Hold either a commercial pilot certificate or airline transport pilot certificate with an aircraft category and class rating that is appropriate to the flight instructor rating sought; and

  4. Applicants finishing up commercial can combine commercial with cfi training

  5. An instrument rating, or privileges on that person's pilot certificate that are appropriate to the flight instructor rating sought

Training & Experience

  1. Receive a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor for the fundamentals of instruction knowledge test.

  2. Ground training from an authorized instructor.

  3. Stall/spin awareness training.

  4. 5-10 hours of flight training from the right seat.

  5. Log at least 15 hours as pilot in command in the category and class of aircraft that is appropriate to the flight instructor rating sought

Exams and Certification

  1. Pass the Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI) and Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) knowledge exams.

  2. Pass the FAA practical test (checkride), which includes flight maneuvers and instructional demonstrations