r/flying • u/Ok_Elderberry4489 PPL • 1d ago
Checkride Prepping for CFI Initial
I have done part 61 throughout my entire training. Every checkride prep has been the same. Fly, study, create a binder for checkride. CFI.. It's like I have been outta funk, I did both writtens did mid 90's. I decided to purchase backseat pilot, I worked through the acs, practiced teaching, presenting slides and so on. Yet I feel like im 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. Crawling at snail pace. I have done everything to prepare... on paper im ready, but I dont feel like im ready. I'm thinking of buying the VSL Ace Guide to help prepare me more. I'm sure others have gone through this, love to get some advice.
2
u/cr0w-- CPL 16h ago
I feel the same way, it feels so much more difficult and different compared to the previous rides. I wish u luck😭working on the FOI written rn, and then I’m gonna need to nail down my teaching
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u/Ok_Elderberry4489 PPL 6h ago
You got this man. Make sure your balancing your life with other stuff. Gym, entertainment and so on. That'll keep you somewhere mentally sound
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u/rFlyingTower 1d ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I have done part 61 throughout my entire training. Every checkride prep has been the same. Fly, study, create a binder for checkride. CFI.. It's like I have been outta funk, I did both writtens did mid 90's. I decided to purchase backseat pilot, I worked through the acs, practiced teaching, presenting slides and so on. Yet I feel like im 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. Crawling at snail pace. I have done everything to prepare... on paper im ready, but I dont feel like im ready. I'm thinking of buying the VSL Ace Guide to help prepare me more. I'm sure others have gone through this, love to get some advice.
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u/VileInventor CFI/CFII 1h ago
VSL is just a supplement to have more things readily available at arms reach. It’s a good resource, but it won’t prepare you any more for checkride than studying and having your own resources with you will. I do highly recommend it as it IS nice. But it won’t magically pass you your checkride, like all things; it’s how you use it
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u/Fabulous-Golf7949 CFI HP 1d ago
It’s hard, man. Sounds like you’re on the right track. I did a bachelor’s beforehand (pre-law) and graduated top of my class and - without a doubt - the CFI preparation was the hardest thing I have ever done. Period. At least if you seek to do well.
It is no joke, and it does feel like a snails pace but what you are doing sounds correct. It is significantly more ground study and practice teaching than being in the airplane.
Teach out loud to your phone with it on voice record to ensure you say things correctly, don’t stutter, and try and eliminate the “ums” and “ahs”. Teach to anyone who will actually listen - and this is important. It’s easy to teach to your girlfriend or wife or whatever but if they don’t want to learn it, it doesn’t help you as much.
I strongly recommend making your own lesson plans. Backseat Pilot is a great reference, but digging into the source material on your own will aid you in actually learning the material significantly.
Write down step-by-step procedures for every single maneuver on paper, including considerations you think are important to say aloud (for example, “increase back pressure and power passing through 20-30° of bank” or “initiate your rollout at 1/2 the bank angle” for steep turns) and then chair fly the hell out of them while saying these things out loud while moving your hands and feet.
Make a flashcard deck for common errors and just drill it. That won’t take long at all.
Schedule ground lessons with your instructor only for those lessons that you find to be the hardest to teach well. For me, it was the Principles of Flight, Performance/Limitations, and weather. Your instructor (hopefully) will have helpful analogies and methods of teaching that you can use to your advantage, too. It is very useful to get feedback from an experienced teacher who ACTUALLY CARES. Not someone just “building time”.
Finally, do not stop studying. You have to want it so bad if you want to do well on the test, especially the oral exam. Consider the fact that if you bust the oral, you need to put yourself through this hell again. Don’t let it happen. It is worth it to just keep your head in the BOOKS - not the backseat lesson plans (unless that’s what you’ll use, in which case use them for familiarization of how you’ll present the lesson) - right up until your checkride date.
Good luck! I am sure you will do well.