Flight instructor training prepares pilots and navigators to teach others. Students learn how to train people in flight operations, rules, and safety. Some prepare to work as license examiners.
Flight instructors are the ultimate "multi-taskers." In order to teach others how to fly, they learn how to fly a plane from both the left and right sides! Furthermore, they must know the "ins and outs" of flying. They must also know how to communicate their knowledge so that students can become safe and successful pilots.
In order to become a flight instructor, you take ground courses and in-flight training. Ground courses help you pass two written exams required by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). The first is the Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) test. This tests your knowledge about airplanes and flying. The second is the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) test. This tests your knowledge of the learning process. It also tests your knowledge of teaching methods, lesson planning, and testing students.
Flight training teaches you how to operate a plane from the right side. This lets you pilot the plane while teaching others. (Normally, planes are piloted from the left side.) You also show your instructor that you can spot and correct common student mistakes. Often your instruction time will involve role-playing, where your instructor pretends to be a student pilot. Once you have completed your in-flight training, you take the practical exam. This is also required by the FAA. This means you answer spoken questions and demonstrate your flying and teaching skills. The written, oral, and flight tests must be supervised by an FAA examiner or inspector.
Once you have passed your exams, you become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). This means you can teach people to fly a single engine plane. With additional training, you can become a CFII, which allows you to teach people how to become instrument-rated. This means you teach others to fly using instrument flight rules. You can also become certified to teach people how to fly multi-engine planes.
Most flight instructor training programs take between three and five weeks to complete. However, program lengths vary depending on the type of school and the student's ability to learn the required knowledge and skills. Some community colleges and universities offer flight training courses and programs. These programs usually prepare students to take the FAA written exams. Private flight schools, independent flight instructors, the military, and self-study of written materials are other training possibilities.