The Great CFI Lesson Plan Debate

Is it OK for flight instructors to buy lesson plans? Or should they come up with their own?

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 01:26 PM ET

Verified

An instructor and a student preflight a Cessna 152 before a lesson. [Credit: Richard Steiger]

Key Takeaways:

Lesson plans are a mandatory requirement for CFIs (FAR 61.185) and serve as essential tools for organizing instruction, providing reference during check rides, and ensuring comprehensive coverage of all required aeronautical knowledge and skills.
An effective lesson plan should include objectives, required equipment, schedule, instructor/learner actions, common errors, completion standards, and references, all aligned with the current Airman Certification Standards.
While premade lesson plans can save time, creating them from scratch aids in the instructor's learning and delivery; regardless of origin, lesson plans must be thoroughly reviewed, customized for accuracy and personal teaching style, and regularly updated in both digital and hard copy formats.

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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 person applying for a flight instructor certificate is to receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor, and that ground training will include the learning process, elements of effective teaching, student evaluation and testing course development, lesson planning, and classroom training techniques. It’s all there in black and white—lesson planning.