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 and essential tool for CFIs, required by FAR 61.185, providing a structured approach for logical instruction, comprehensive topic coverage, and a reliable reference during ground instruction or checkrides.
While purchasing premade lesson plans saves time, creating or extensively modifying them enhances an instructor's understanding and teaching proficiency; any plans used must be current, aligned with Airman Certification Standards, and thoroughly understood by the instructor.
Effective lesson plans should clearly outline objectives, required equipment, instructor/learner actions, common errors, and completion standards; digital formats are recommended for easier updates, though a hard copy backup is also advisable.

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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.