Lesson Plan: We will be discussing Cross Country flight planning.  Please prepare a lesson plan to teach your student how to plan an instrument cross country.  Remember to review the PTS and ensure that we have covered all the required elements. The destination is your choice, but use one that makes a good teaching example for your student.

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Examiner Weight: 165 Pounds

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Baggage Weight: 10 pounds, plus whatever you normally keep in the airplane.

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Test Fee: Please refer to the Rates page for current test fee information.

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Scheduling and Weather Policy: Please refer to the Scheduling page for details.

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Required Endorsements:

Please refer to the current edition of advisory circular 61-65.  At the time of writing, 61-65H is current.  You will need the following endorsements in order to take your CFI practical test.  Please have your instructor review your logbook to ensure that these endorsements are complete and current.  Missing endorsements may prevent your test from being completed on schedule.  Other endorsements may apply, but at the minimum we will need the following:

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-A.1 Prerequisites for Practical Test (61.39)

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-A.2 Review of deficiencies on Knowledge Test (61.39)

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-A.42 Taking the aeronautical knowledge test (61.183f)

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-A.44 Taking the practical test (61.183g and 61.187a and b7)

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-A.65 Completion of a flight review (61.56) (Yes, you need a current flight review in order to take this test.  If you have a previous checkride you're using to meet 61.56, bring that logbook with you so I can verify it, please.)

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-A.73 Retesting after failure of a practical or knowledge test (61.49) (NOTE: Only required for a retest)

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Required Documents:

Please ensure that you have ALL of the following documents, in addition to the required endorsements listed above.  If you're missing documents or paperwork, I won't be able to conduct your test and we'll need to reschedule for another day.  That's not fun for anyone.

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-Completed application in IACRA

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-Please have your IACRA login credentials readily accessible.

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-Paper copy of the 8710-1 printed from IACRA after CFI signature.  (Please use the "View/Print PDF" button, not the "Print" button.)

-Knowledge test results

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-Pilot logbook with all pages totaled

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-Record of ground instruction received (This is missing all the time.  I can't do the test without it.  You're paying your CFI to give you ground training, make them log it for you!)

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-Government issued photo Identification.  Passport, US driver's license, Military ID, etc.  Foreign Driver Licenses are not acceptable.

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-Valid, unexpired medical certificate (Third Class or higher) OR Basicmed

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-Pilot certificate and CFI certificate

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-All aircraft documentation (ARROW, as applicable)

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-All aircraft maintenance records (AV1ATES, as applicable. Please confirm any pertinent AD compliance!)

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-Lesson plan for assigned maneuver

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Test Advice:

-Go through the maintenance records well in advance of the test date. Verify that all the inspections are up to date, ESPECIALLY the airworthiness directives. Remember, 91.7 says that it is your responsibility as PIC to make sure the airplane is airworthy. While it is the owner's responsibility to keep it airworthy under 91.405, it is your job to make sure the owner is doing their job. Please review 91.417 carefully.  AD Compliance is a consistent issue. If they are not documented correctly, I can not and will not fly your airplane, which means your test is cancelled.  Blanket statements such as "All AD's are current" are not acceptable.  The FAA is very clear about the requirements. For further detail, you can read the Easter-Precision Letter.  Remember that recurring AD's need to have their next due date listed too.  This has been enough of an issue recently that I have adopted a no-show policy, and I will probably charge you a cancellation fee if your test can't be conducted as a result of information that, in reality, is part of the test.

 

-Please dress comfortably.  There's no need to "dress to impress."  Shorts are perfectly fine.

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-Bring some snacks, or better yet, lunch.  This test is a long one.  We'll take some breaks during the test and you'll feel better with some food.  Trust me on this one.

 

-Read the manual.  Read the handbook.  Go find the source.  "My instructor said" is almost always the wrong answer on a CFI test.  Don't tell your student what the answer is, show them where to find it.

 

-Take your time.  A lot of the mistakes I see during tests are simply the result of people rushing into things without thinking about what they're doing.  If you take an extra 10 minutes to finish the test, that's fine.  Watch the details.

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General advice: Think like an instructor, and think like an examiner.  You're supposed to be teaching this stuff.  How would you present this material to someone who has never seen it before?  If you were sitting in my seat, what information would you want to see in order to be sure that the applicant knows their stuff?  Take the time to actually read the PTS and think about it from the CFI perspective.

 

Lesson Plan: For your test, we will be discussing Area of Operations III, Task B, which is Cross Country Flight Planning.  Most people come into this test with a completed navlog, hand it to me and ask if I have any questions.  I'm not interested in the destination, I'm interested in how you would teach someone the process of completing that plan.  Your student will most likely be a private pilot, they know how to fill out a navlog.  What we need to cover is all the instrument XC considerations.  Review the PTS and ensure that we are covering each item.  Remember to apply those fundamentals of instruction to build an effective presentation.  When we finish, your student should have the knowledge/tools they'll need to be able to plan their own IFR cross country.

 

Flight Portion: During the flight, you will demonstrate some of the tasks to me, showing me how they are supposed to be done.  I will fly the aircraft for some of the flight as well, acting as a student while you provide instruction to me based on what you see.  This test is both a confirmation of your instrument capabilities, and your ability to teach when you do not have outside visual reference.  You can expect that we will conduct one approach with me flying the airplane while you wear the foggles or other view limiting device.

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-Read the manual for your airplane, especially the systems section. Read the supplements and pilot guides for the avionics installed in your airplane.  80% of all the failures that happen on instrument checkrides can be boiled down to systems knowledge.  You need to have a solid understanding of what your avionics are doing, and what buttons to push to make it do what you want.  One of the most common failure items on this test is a Hold As Published at the IAF.  The hold itself is simple, but if you don't understand what your system is trying to do, it's easy to make a mistake.  You really should be a systems expert before you take the airplane into the clouds.  Part of my job during this test is making sure you can respond appropriately to unexpected situations, and that involves being able to quickly and effectively handle your avionics. Remember that you're out here teaching this stuff to a student.

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-Check the NOTAMs.  Get a briefing.  We still need to demonstrate proficiency on all the normal instrument flying stuff.

Landings: Crosswind correction counts.  Landing from an instrument approach is PTS/ACS element, and the landings are a gradable item.  Watch the centerline, pay attention to crosswind correction.  Pay attention to the airspeed and configuration.  The touchdown doesn't need to be perfect, but it should be under control and demonstrate good airmanship.

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Questions?

Text me and ask!  I'm here to help.  You can try calling me too, but I do spend a lot of time in airplanes and I'm not always available to answer.  A text message is the most reliable and preferred way to reach me.  You can also take a look at some of the frequently asked questions page.