CFI Certificate Motivation

W

willflyfourfood

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 23, 2013
Messages
16
Location
North Carolina
Display Name
Display name:
Michael V
Hey everyone,

I am having a really difficult time motivating myself to continue my training for my CFI. I am not sure why, but I am. I have flown for 2 companies have around 500 TT and 140 ME and I know I need more time, but I am finding it really hard to get myself moving on the CFI. I start and then I fade off.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the motivation to continue? Tips? Stories? Anything will help.

Thanks,

Mike
 
Well. I decided I wanted it. So I got it. From the start of my CFI training to certificate in hand was about two weeks.
 
The money and the prestige would seem to be enough.

willflyfourfood said:
Hey everyone,

I am having a really difficult time motivating myself to continue my training for my CFI. I am not sure why, but I am. I have flown for 2 companies have around 500 TT and 140 ME and I know I need more time, but I am finding it really hard to get myself moving on the CFI. I start and then I fade off.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the motivation to continue? Tips? Stories? Anything will help.

Thanks,

Mike
Click to expand...
 
I have the same problem. Finally got the Comanche updated IFR but I just can't seem to muster the motivation to get the IR.
 
willflyfourfood said:
I start and then I fade off.
Click to expand...

Are we talking self-study or are you working with another instructor? Have you taken the written test(s) yet?

I got the writtens out of the way I've been self-studying for quite awhile now but there is kind of an ebb and flow. More ebb than flow, unfortunately. I think once I get with another instructor and get a rhythm going, it will go faster.

Oh, I also got the spin endorsement last month in a Decathlon. It was my favorite part so far :D

jesse said:
Well. I decided I wanted it. So I got it. From the start of my CFI training to certificate in hand was about two weeks.
Click to expand...

Cool, how many hours ground/flight time did you spend in those two weeks?
 
dmspilot said:
Cool, how many hours ground/flight time did you spend in those two weeks?
Click to expand...
I'd have to look. I think I did three training flights then one ground review with the CFI that signed me off.

I took a couple days off work before the checkride and studied like mad.
 
Yeah I have completed the FOI written but I have not done the FIA. I have been told to just do it, but I find a lot more difficult then just doing it for some reason. I guess, I was spoiled with a little time flying for a Part 135 company.
 
willflyfourfood said:
Yeah I have completed the FOI written but I have not done the FIA. I have been told to just do it, but I find a lot more difficult then just doing it for some reason. I guess, I was spoiled with a little time flying for a Part 135 company.
Click to expand...

You either want it or you don't. If you want it -- get it. If you don't then don't. If you don't have a passion for instructing then don't bother.
 
I know what you mean Mike, I am in the same boat. I have been studying for 4 months for my CFI, and for the past 2 months the arrow I have been meaning to take my CFI exam in broke down, and it is coming up this week, but in the northeast all this week upcoming is crappy weather, and I have lost the opportunity for a job at my flight school when two people left for the airlines, and now another person is leaving in a week, which is too early for me to be able to fill the slot before I can schedule my ride...

My recommendation is just to take a break, find some idling activity like sitting outside or watching TV and while you are doing that just have one of the books or your CFI binder with you and just browse through all the stuff you have been studying and working on, after a few days or a week, then get back into the main groove again.

I have 32 lesson plans in my binder, and the first 20 took me a month to do and the last 12 took me 3 months... You can see how over time my motivation and my goals start to become bleaker and bleaker because it seems like I will never get done with everything, and even when I do you will never be "ready", but for you... just stick with it... Do your best, forget the rest man!
 
The damn plane's broke, the clouds are full of ice and/or granite... yada yada yada.

I spent ten years only doing initial CFI's. You need to look to the inside. Some folks are (legitimately) anxious about being responsible for someone else's safety. And it is a huge responsibility. And not everyone's piece of cake.

Further, it is a very tough checkride. Performance anxiety is common.

Mx and Wx are very small parts of "checkridus delayus"

All that being said, go for it!
 
Last edited:
willflyfourfood said:
I am having a really difficult time motivating myself to continue my training for my CFI. I have around 500 TT and 140 ME and I know I need more time, but I am finding it really hard to get myself moving on the CFI.
Click to expand...

It sounds to me like you probably should not be a CFI. Listen to your intuition - it's already trying to advise you. Become a CFI only if you want to instruct. If it's nothing more than a time-building tool, you probably won't be very good at it.
 
If you need it to build hours and get a job then I'd say you better get on it. I instructed in the Army and all I'd have to do is take the written. Since I have no desire to instruct anymore and most jobs simply require a Com/IFR, there's no need for me to get it. I'm going to start work on my multi fixedwing soon because I might need that if I ever switch over from rotorywing. Get ratings you'll use, or ones that'll help you get a job down the road. If CFI is it, then get it done.
 
You could go to a flight school where they make you wear these as and instructor....

epaulet-4gold-metallic.JPG
 
If you are not motivated to do it, then just go find another job. Thats what I would do.
 
It's impossible to know what can or might happen if you're prepared. I got the rating and instructed for a while, mostly with people I knew. The only reason for doing it was that the local DPE was a friend with whom I spent quite a bit of time talking about flying, usually on a sailboat. He thought I would enjoy it, learn some stuff I didn't know and might even become somewhat adept at teaching.

When a part-time job at a training center became available, an instructor rating was required. I had the SE rating and I was able to qualify and obtain a class date within a short time, although I had to spend a few days obtaining the MEL add-on.

The type rating I obtained as a bonus for completing the part 142 IP training and teaching part-time was a big springboard to some very well-paid years of flying big Bizets around the world, as well as a nice credibility enhancer for the acquisition consulting business that has been a nice change of pace from those "real jobs" that expect you to show up every day.

I have no idea how many stories are similar, but having seen how this one played out I'd do it all again.

Velocity173 said:
If you need it to build hours and get a job then I'd say you better get on it. I instructed in the Army and all I'd have to do is take the written. Since I have no desire to instruct anymore and most jobs simply require a Com/IFR, there's no need for me to get it. I'm going to start work on my multi fixedwing soon because I might need that if I ever switch over from rotorywing. Get ratings you'll use, or ones that'll help you get a job down the road. If CFI is it, then get it done.
Click to expand...
 
willflyfourfood said:
I have flown for 2 companies have around 500 TT and 140 ME and I know I need more time, but I am finding it really hard to get myself moving on the CFI.
Click to expand...

My interpretation - forgive me if I'm wrong - is you want to build more time and see CFI as a venue.

For many that is exactly right. But, if you don't have your heart in it, how about looking like crazy for other ways to build time? You may say that if there were other easy ways to build time, many pilots would do it and I think you'd be right. Still, if time building is your desire and CFI is not in your heart, maybe everyone could toss out some ideas on how to do that?

I'll start, and hopefully others will add. As was said, this won't be easy or many others would have done it.

1. Volunteer as safety pilot if you can log it
2. Consider CAP flying
3. Tow gliders or banners
4. Get your friends to fly to neat places and split costs
5. Ferry planes if you can do it legally

While you're doing all this, if you have any particular ratings in mind, carefully check the FARs and try to punch your ticket on requirements on every possible flight (for example, maybe fly 10 miles more and log a required cross country).

Good lluck
 
I appreciate all the responses. I mean I would like to instruct to really give back to my parents who have spent the money to get me this far. My parents have always wanted to learn how to fly and get their certs. I think it is a very valuable thing to have. Once I get it, I am sure I am going to think back and say "why the hell did I take so long to do this." I have been looking around for jump pilot positions and I am looking to apply for those. But I am also a true believer on quality of flight experience, not just quantity. I have been ripped off a couple times just because someone had a little more TT than me, but no where near the experience in the aircraft I have flown. Some times I don't understand. I think in the long run, a CFI cert. is a better thing to have the 1000 hours of flying circles in the air. Thanks again for the all the comments, just have to suck it up and do it because in the end it is going to be worth every bit of it and I know I will learn more than I ever have doing it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top