CFI Checkride

[ColoPilot]

What is the CFI checkride like? Does the applicant demonstrate maneuvers, landings, etc like in the private and commercial checkrides, or does the examiner do the flying while pretending to be a student and the applicant demonstrates teaching?

If it's the latter, does the examiner purposely botch things to see if the applicant catches it and responds properly?

 

[mscard88]

Yes, all of that, and more, could occur.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Yes, all of that, and more, could occur.

This. An example from mine. It was the last task of the checkride.

The examiner presented me with a scenario. He is a presolo student with about 12 hours and just about ready to solo. So he flies into the pattern and nails his downwind altitude and airspeed. He proceeds to fly the pattern with a level of skill and accuracy I only dreamt of...

...until final where he loses it. Can't find the centerline as he overcorrects left and right, getting worse and worse.

 

[jordane93]

The CFI ride is all about how you teach. The examiner already knows you can fly because you are a commercial pilot. It's a long day but worth it in the end.

 

[AggieMike88]

...until final where he loses it. Can't find the centerline as he overcorrects left and right, getting worse and worse.

So, Mr. Paul Harvey, what's the rest of the story?

 

[midlifeflyer]

So, Mr. Paul Harvey, what's the rest of the story?

oh. Sorry. I didn't think it mattered what I did.

Once I stopped laughing and rolling my eyes (you had to be there or at least hear other tidbits from that day), It became "my airplane" and told him to follow me on the controls. I restabilized the approach (there was enough time and altitude to do that) and we landed together.

 

[mondtster]

The CFI ride is mostly oral, and a little flying. What little flying there is, the applicant will likely do most of the flying and will have to talk their way through the maneuvers as if they were demonstrating them for a student. The examiner may do some of the flying and expect the applicant to critique their flying and where the maneuver went wrong as well. Ultimately, the CFI checkrides are not like any of the other checkrides. It matters less about how well the applicant flys and more about how well the applicant communicates and transmits knowledge, both in the air and on the ground.

As a point of reference, I had about a 5 hour oral and a 1.3 hour flight for my initial CFI checkride. If I was going to focus on anything it would be the depth of your knowledge and teaching ground lessons. I doubt it takes much more than 6 hours of flight time to get a reasonably proficient applicant ready for the checkride but a lot more ground study.

 

[AggieMike88]

For the oral exam, what areas were focused on? Was it a review of PTS items and then "Give me a ground lesson on _____" ?

And CFI exams are done by the FSDO inspectors, correct?

 

[mondtster]

For the oral exam, what areas were focused on? Was it a review of PTS items and then "Give me a ground lesson on _____" ?

And CFI exams are done by the FSDO inspectors, correct?

The oral covers pretty much everything, and in far more depth than the typical pilot checkride. Fundamentals of instruction, privileges and limitations of the certificate, endorsements, FARs, aircraft systems, aircraft documents and required inspections, aerodynamics, the special emphasis areas at the front of the PTS, etc. You'll have to teach a ground lesson or two as well.

Initial CFI checkrides MIGHT be done by a FSDO inspector, or farmed out to a DPE qualified to give initial CFI checkrides. It depends on the FSDO's workload. Basically you have to contact the FSDO first and they'll either assign an inspector to do the checkride or they'll say they're too busy and assign you to a DPE. You don't get the choice of who you're going to. My local FSDO sends most of the initial CFI applicants to one of two qualified DPEs in their territory. Mine was done by a DPE.

 

[jordane93]

For the oral exam, what areas were focused on? Was it a review of PTS items and then "Give me a ground lesson on _____" ?

And CFI exams are done by the FSDO inspectors, correct?

For my CFI ride, we pretty much covered everything in the PTS. I taught lessons on the Arrow's electrical, prop, and landing gear system, 8s on pylons, and traffic patterns. You can take a CFI ride with a DPE. I did mine with a DPE. The only downside was I had to pay $750.

 

[saddletramp]

On my initial CFI we spent about 3 hours in the oral exam. I felt everything went pretty well.

The flying part was a disaster. There was a 25 to 30 knt crosswinds & he asked me to teach him short & soft landings & take-offs.

I was in an Arrow. I like the Arrow just fine but if I had a short or soft field landing...give me a 182 instead.

My demonstration of the maneuvers didn't go too bad considering the conditions. We were the only airplane flying at a normally very busy GA airport. He felt the landings were horrible but considering the conditions...

When we taxied up to the FSDO office he kept mumbling how horrible the short/softs went. I knew I had failed the ride.

I sat in lobby forever it seemed before he motioned me into his office. He handed me a form to sign & I knew it was my failure.

When I signed it I realized it was my temp CFI license. I was shocked. As he handed it to me he said "now go home & learn how to fly the F-ing Arrow".

As I flew the hour home had called my CFI & said I did real well but the conditions sucked.

A few months later, he gave me a 135 check ride and was as pleasant as could be. It was a very easy check ride.

I should add that I was 18 years old at the time & figured that why he was so rough on me.

Like I tell my students: A check ride is easy if you're prepared.

 

[midlifeflyer]

And CFI exams are done by the FSDO inspectors, correct?

For more than a decade it has varied between inspectors and DPEs specially authorized to do initial CFI rides. Which choices were available to an applicant and even whether the FSDO or you chose the DPE depended on which FSDO district you were in. I'd guess, these days,with budget issues and manpower shortages, most FSDOs assign DPEs (their choice, not yours).

 

[NJP_MAN]

The only downside was I had to pay $750.

That's close to what a Private applicants fee is. If you're in Arizona expect to pay 1,000 if you're local to PHX area. You can add another 250 if the DPE has to travel.