How to hire the best CFI for you

You want to learn to fly? Great! But what is the right way to go about finding a good instructor?

Like any major purchase or investment — which this is — you want to do your homework.

Seriously — some people don’t and they later regret it.

I’ve been a CFI for over 40 years now, so I’ve seen both the good and bad. Don’t be like so many other student pilots and just go along with whoever is next on the roster. Do your research.

Where to start?

Online research is great, but it can’t be your only resource. Anyone can put up a website.

Better yet, use those online resources to learn about local aviation organizations, such as Experimental Aircraft Association chapters, a pilot group at your airport, a type club, or a state aviation association.

Google local aviation organizations, EAA chapters, local flight schools, or something similar. You should get lots of results. You can also use SocialFlight to find pilot gatherings near you.

Make it a point to attend a meeting (or two) of one of those groups. You’ll meet people with similar interests, who may be able to give you tips on finding the best CFI for your training.

Once you gather a few names, it’s time to dig even deeper.

This is where the first decisions need to be made: Will you do better in a large flight school, a small flight school, or with an independent instructor?

Larger flight schools may be FAA approved under FAR 141, which spells out specific flight training requirements, including an FAA approved syllabus and the requirement for “phase checks” of students as they progress through their training.

A larger flight school will allow you to train regularly, which means you can finish your flight training as efficiently as possible.

Smaller flight schools operate under FAR 61, which is not as structured, but you will learn how to fly and get quality training — it just might take longer.

I have trained students under both FAR 61 and 141 over the years, at different flight schools. Which one to choose? It really depends on your situation, including what other commitments and obligations you may have — family, work, life — how often you are able to train, what your goals are, and more.

Once you get an idea of what kind of training you are interested in, drive out to the airport and check out the flight schools in person.

At The Airport

Walk in and introduce yourself. Tell the receptionist or whoever is staffing the desk that you are interested in learning to fly. Ask for information on what types of flight training are offered, including the costs involved.

Ask for a tour of the facilities and the flight school’s fleet.

Take a good look at the airplanes that are used for training and see what condition they are in. Do they appear to be clean, in good condition, and well maintained, or are they old and run down, with faded paint jobs?

Next, ask to meet with some of the CFIs. Talk to them then and there if they have time. If they are too busy when you are visiting, ask for their contact information so you can get in touch with them later.

Once you get a chance to talk with the CFIs, look at it as an informal job interview. You are looking to hire someone to teach you how to fly. It’s important to get to know who will be helping you reach that goal.

If you check around the airports where you live, the good instructors will generally be well known and will have a reputation for providing quality training. They might even have a list of people waiting to train with them. This is a good sign.

The Interview

What questions should you ask?

What kind of questions would you ask anyone you might be hiring to do a job or to train you in a specific skill? It depends on the job, of course, but it’s the same idea.

When learning to fly, it’s important to realize you will be training one-on-one with the instructor in an airplane where you are in very close quarters, side by side.

You really need to have good chemistry and get along to be successful.

To get you started here are some questions to ask a CFI:

• What are their qualifications and flying experience?
• How long have they been flying?
• How long have they been a CFI?
• Is this a full-time job for them? A side gig? Part-time? A retirement gig?
• And, importantly, do they like being a CFI?

Age shouldn’t be too much of a consideration. A young, newly minted CFI who has recently completed his or her training, while lacking experience, will be knowledgeable about the training process, and enthusiastic and anxious to start training pilots.

Older, but still new CFIs, bring more overall life and general experience, and that’s also good.

There are also retired professional pilots (military, airline, corporate, charter) who are now back instructing, full or part-time and, of course, they have a wealth of experience as well.

I recommend talking with several CFIs, if possible, at least enough to get a good idea of their experience and knowledge, as well as to see if you are comfortable with them.

Other Important Questions

Ask how many students they have recommended for FAA check rides?

How many of those students passed their check ride on their first attempt?

Ask about their syllabus. Do they have one?

Can they give you an idea how long it might take to progress through the flight training to get your private pilot certificate? Are you looking at a few months or a year or longer? Depending on the location and the weather, it can sometimes take up to a year to get to that coveted private pilot ticket. Especially in the northern states, it’s harder to train in the winter with cold weather, snow, and ice.

What is their availability? Are they available when you are available? For instance if you can only train on the weekends and after work, are they available?

How many students do they have now?

Do they feel comfortable taking on a new student with zero experience?

What is their hourly rate? They should charge for both flight and ground time.

How are they paid? Does the flight school offer financing? What kinds of payment are accepted?

How is their personality? Is there a good chemistry with you? Do they have good people skills?

And do they have good listening skills?

Do they conduct themselves in a professional, courteous, and knowledgeable manner? And do they answer your questions clearly and articulately? Do they seem interested in you? Or do they appear to be bored and just tolerating you?

Ask them about their goals in aviation.

And they should ask you about YOUR goals as well. Why do you want to learn to fly? What kind of flying do you eventually want to do, and in what kind of airplane? Are you looking at flying as a career, or as another tool for your business, or as recreation and a hobby?

If you are interested in a particular niche, such as tailwheel aircraft, you might give some thought to finding a school that offers initial flight training in a tailwheel airplane, like a Citabria, but this might be harder to find. However, some schools that offer aerobatic training may also offer primary training in tailwheel aircraft.

Realize however, that tailwheel CFIs, of which I am one, can be hard to find. You might be better off learning in a tricycle gear airplane, such as a Cessna 150 or 172, or a Piper Cherokee, and then, after getting your private pilot certificate, get your tailwheel check out and endorsement.

What to avoid

When doing your interviewing, watch out for someone who’s tired or burned out as a CFI, just waiting to move on.

Are they just building hours to move on to an airline or other flying job that pays more or do they really enjoy teaching pilots to fly?

There is nothing wrong with gaining the required experience to move onto an airline or other flying job, if they make it a point to provide good, quality instruction while they are working as a CFI.

Also, watch out for CFIs who are not currently actively involved in training pilots.

You need to determine how up to date they are with recent changes to the FARs, AIM or Airmen Certification Standards.

How often do they fly? Are they current? How familiar are they with the aircraft you’ll be training in?

You don’t want to be the guinea pig for a rusty instructor getting back into flight training.

Try to ascertain how the instructor will approach your training. Are they enthusiastic about getting you started in aviation? Or do they treat your questions as a bother and waste of their time?

Speaking of waste, be sure to ask if they have a plan for every lesson. If not, that is a problem — and a waste of your time and money — that you want to avoid.

A good CFI will spend time on the ground before you go out to the airplane, reviewing the previous lesson, as needed, and then briefing or discussing what you will be doing in this lesson.

Airplanes generally are not a good classroom, being noisy and hot in summer or cold in the winter.

A good briefing before the flight and a good debriefing after the flight is important for you to reach your flight training goals.

Nothing is Forever

You’ve asked all the questions, made your choice, and started your flight training.

But then you realize — for whatever reason — that it’s just not working out.

You’re not stuck. It’s OK to change instructors. Don’t feel pressured to stay with a bad fit.

Also, sometimes, a change could be only temporary.

It’s very common for student pilots to reach “learning plateaus.” Just one or two lessons with another CFI might help get you over that hump.

But if you find you prefer the new CFI, it’s OK to stick with them.

Like any other professional relationship — doctors, financial advisors, etc. — it’s important to find someone you “click with.”

Worth the time and effort

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when hiring the person to teach you how to fly. Do your homework and ask questions.

And here’s one last tip: Make sure you have enough money saved up to complete your training. It’s not uncommon for people to start training and then run out of money and have to stop.

Lastly, be willing to pay more for a good CFI and quality training. It will be worth it.

Don’t be cheap. It’s your life up there!