CFI Training Requirements

f you already hold your commercial pilot’s license, then you may know that the next step is CFI training. In this case, you may be wondering what the CFI training requirements are, where the best place to receive this training is, and whether it is really worth taking these lessons and gaining the certification at all. Sierra Charlie Aviation has the answers you need.

Realizing Your Dream

Your dream was likely to fly. And now you can do that—you can fly solo, with passengers, perhaps for sport, perhaps as a commercial pilot.

But, for some people, there is more to being a pilot than simply flying. Just as a person who receives an advanced degree in history wants to be able to teach history to others, a great pilot often wants to become a flight instructor.

CFI Requirements

Assuming that you want to become a certificated flight instructor (CFI), you will need to know the requirements. So, what do you have to do to get this certification?

You must, according to the FAA:

  • Be at least 18 years of age.
  • Read, speak, and understand English.
  • Hold a commercial or ATP (airline transportation pilot) certificate.
  • Hold at least a current third-class FAA medical certificate.
  • Achieve a score of 70% or better on the FAA Flight Instructor knowledge test.

Sierra Charlie Aviation can’t help you with some of these things. But we can prepare you to get the highest possible score on your Flight Instructor knowledge test. And we can do it while offering you some of the best training from some of the best educators around.

What Can A Flight Instructor Do?

According to the FAA, flight instructor privileges include the abilities, within the limits of that person’s particular ratings, to issue endorsements and provide training for:

  • student pilots
  • pilots
  • flight instructors
  • ground instructors
  • aircraft ratings
  • instrument ratings
  • practical and knowledge tests

In other words, this opens up a whole new area of your pilot career—now you can both fly and teach.

Our Instructors

Our high-caliber flight training program has been honored with AOPA Flight Training Experience Survey Awards for the past several years. Survey participants include everyone from new students to experienced pilots earning advanced ratings or taking a flight review.

Sierra Charlie scored among the top 4% of flight schools in the country (out of 954 schools and 1,849 instructors reviewed in 2018), and owner and Senior Flight Instructor Scott Campbell (CFI, MEI) and Senior Flight Instructor Tom DeYoung (CFI CFII) scored in the top 1% of AOPA’s Distinguished Flight Schools and Instructors.

Our flight training team is composed of highly experienced Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs) who have trained everyone from Sport Pilots to Flight Instructors and recreational flyers to airline pilots. Our students enjoy flying with pilots who have handled every situation one could possibly encounter in the air.

The CFI training requirements are rather simple and, once you have met most of them, the last thing you have to do is pass the written test. This is difficult for some people, but we can help you get to where you need to be. If CFI training interests you, then don’t hesitate to call us at (480) 474-4115.