Improving CFI Training Remains a Never-Ending Goal

Remember that becoming a good flight instructor is a journey, not a destination.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, August 06, 2024 at 09:00 AM ET

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Becoming a good flight instructor is a journey, not a destination. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The article advocates for quality flight instruction, emphasizing that new CFIs should aspire to be effective teachers rather than just accumulating flight hours.
It criticizes accelerated CFI training programs for often failing to develop genuine teaching skills, leading to instructors who can pass a checkride but lack the ability to organize lessons or provide effective critiques.
Improving CFI quality faces challenges such as low pay leading to high turnover; the article stresses the CFI's ethical responsibility as a dedicated teacher and the necessity of a committed partnership between instructor and student for successful training.

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I have just returned from EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where part of my experience involved communicating with other flight instructors. We exchanged ideas about better ways to teach in order to create safer pilots with knowledge and skill above the bare minimum required for certification as outlined in the Airman Certification Standards (ACS).

This year I met several newly minted flight instructors and flight instructors in training who wish to do more than build their hours from the right seat. They want to be good teachers of flight. I really hope they meant what they said.