There are many challenges for certificated flight instructors: You must keep lessons organized, track learner progress, stay updated on the latest regulations, and know where to find pertinent reference material—all while keeping your costs down.
Sporty’s Pilot Shop is providing the means to do all these things with its new CFI portal. It’s part of Sporty’s 2022 pilot training platform and is free to active flight instructors.
The portal includes:
- Lesson plans
- A flight instructor refresher course
- A completed FAA library
- Access to Sporty’s pilot training courses
The program builds on the popularity of the company’s home-study courses while simultaneously helping instructors and students stay engaged in the learning process.
According to Sporty’s Academy chief instructor Eric Radtke, “We designed the CFI portal as a platform to manage and organize learners, monitor progress, and give instructors access to the tools and resources to help in their teaching activity.”
The Way it Works
After signing up, flight instructors are able to monitor the progress of their learners in Sporty’s pilot training courses, including video segments and test prep sessions. The program is designed to make it easy to review questions that were missed during a ground lesson. The CFI can also watch the entire course to stay in sync with the learners on key topics.
There is also an option for flight schools to create classrooms, send out bulk invites to potential learners and export a roster to a .csv file.
The program includes a syllabus providing structure to help keep the learners on track, while ground lesson guides and maneuver guides make each lesson more productive.
Also included is Sporty’s guide to FAA endorsements, with templates for the most common endorsements, including first solo, check rides, and proficiency endorsements.
The Needs of the CFI
The Sporty’s CFI portal comes with special offers for CFIs and includes a complete flight instructor refresher course. This eFIRC meets the requirements to renew a CFI certificate while simultaneously offering practical tips for improving teaching skills. The eFIRC contains 17 lessons divided into learning modules.
Flight instructors also have electronic access to the latest editions of the Airplane Flying Handbook, Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Aeronautical Information Manual, and other FAA produced essential materials.
Each document is indexed and includes search and annotation options to make it easier to find reference materials. Instructors also upload their own documents, such as operating procedures for the school or FBO, or aircraft checklists.
