Published by PreflightLog
Reporting on the craft, paperwork and economics of flight instruction at independent CFIs and small US flight schools.
practical guide
Before a student flies alone the regulation asks for a written test you wrote and graded, a make and model endorsement with a clock on it, and limitations in writing. Here is how the pieces fit.
comparison
The certificate you operate under sets your minimum hours, your staffing, your paperwork and who is allowed to pay you. A look at the course outline, the chief instructor rule and the money on both sides.
mistakes to avoid
Examiners read the paperwork before they look at the airplane. Missing knowledge test deficiency sign offs, stale recommendation dates and borrowed wording send applicants home before the preflight begins.
regulation and compliance
Every provider of flight training has to verify citizenship, place the student in the right category, and wait for clearance before instruction begins. The steps, the timing and the records to keep.
case study
A Part 61 operation with one trainer kept recommending students who were not ready. The repair was a stage check written from the ACS, a second instructor in the seat, and a gate nobody could talk past.
trends and outlook
Examiner capacity is set by FAA appointment policy, geography and workload limits rather than by student demand. What the rules allow today, what Congress asked the FAA to change, and how to plan around it.
checklist
Work this list before you sign the recommendation, not on the morning of the test. Applicant documents, logbook math, IACRA steps and the aircraft records an examiner is entitled to see.
numbers and benchmarks
Fuel, engine and propeller reserves, insurance, the 100 hour inspection, instructor pay and the ground time nobody bills. How a wet rate is built and where the margin actually sits.
field report
Two hours in the practice area with a private pilot student, watching where the tolerances actually bite: altitude in the turn, the first indication of the stall, and the recovery the standard asks for.
