Flight Instructor Certificate
Discover the CFI Academy unlike any other. Forget about slow, one-on-one flight instructor training. Here you’ll be surrounded by incredible instructors and fellow students who are driven to become the best flight instructors in the world.
Enrollment Update
At this time we’re no longer enrolling outside students in the CFI Academy. All students who join us for the Zero Time to Airline program will participate in our CFI Academy and CFII Academy. If you want to learn more about our flight instructor course continue reading.
Students from around the world attend the Accelerated CFI Training at Thrust Flight.
At the CFI academy at Thrust Flight, our team will turn you into an incredible flight instructor and a far better pilot.
Forget about slow, one-on-one training, or dull videos recorded years ago.
Here you’ll learn from engaging and knowledgeable instructors while also jumping right into the action from day one.
Yes, we’ll teach you everything you need to know for the checkride. But we’ll also turn you into a capable teacher. Someone whose future students will rave about and request to train with.
Our accelerated CFI course consists of 60+ hours of interactive ground sessions where your aviation knowledge and understanding of flight maneuvers will be expanded. You’ll then turn around and practice teaching this information to other students to start building your own experience.
You’ll construct lesson plans, practice teaching other class members, learn how to deal with student frustrations, how to organize your time during a flight or ground lesson, and more.
Our program was created by DPEs, senior airline pilots, and CFIs with thousands of hours of instruction time. We are constantly evaluating this curriculum to ensure it delivers the instruction the modern CFI needs.
Certified Flight Instructor Academy
If you’re ready to prepare for your CFI checkride then the Thrust Flight academy is for you. Our CFI school is designed to prepare you for your CFI practical exam. Giving you the knowledge and resources you need to pass the first time.
We strongly encourage students to have their written exams completed before they come to the academy.
Knowledge Curriculum:
- 10 Days, 60+ hours of interactive knowledge instruction and practice teaching
- A comprehensive review on Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI’s)
- Logbook entry for ground instruction and endorsement for FOI training
- All books and materials delivered digitally
Flight Curriculum
- 10 hours of dual flight training in aircraft accomplished over 12 days (Includes Spin Training if needed)
- Required endorsements for CFIA Practical exam upon demonstration of proficiency
- Help with IACRA and scheduling Designated Pilot Examiners
Additional Information:
- Candidates may add-on a mock oral exam at any time during their training. This is excellent preparation for the oral portion of the FAA Practical Test (Minimum 3 hours at instructor rates)
- Upon the completion of your training and a successful mock oral exam, our team can schedule your checkride, However, it may require additional time beyond the 15 days to complete your checkride, depending on weather and examiner availability.
Pricing
- CFIA No-Fly 10 Day Academy – $1,895
- CFIA 15 Day (Knowledge & Flight) Academy
Please note that all documents MUST be submitted 7 days prior to the start of your desired academy.
Hear directly from students who attended our CFI training program!
CFI Academy Prep Course
While our CFI Academy is an in-person program, there is an important online component.
After running this academy for many years we’ve found there are several specific knowledge areas students are often lacking when they arrive at the start of the academy.
In order to help you gain as much as possible from the academy, we’ve built an online prep course for you to complete before day one. This course will help you prepare for the CFI checkride while also making sure you have the baseline knowledge we expect every student to poses.
When you sign up for the academy you’ll immediately gain access to the online course so you can begin studying.
Certified Flight Instructor Requirements
Before you pursue your CFI rating make sure you’ve met these CFI requirements:
- Have logged at least 250 hours (or 190 hours Part 141) total time.
- Hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate or ATP (ASEL or AMEL) with Instrument Rating.
- Hold a valid FAA 3rd Class Medical Certificate (or higher).
If you’re pursuing a CFI Sport these are the requirements:
- 100 hours of flight time as PIC of a powered aircraft
- 50 hours of flight time in airplane category
- 25 hours of cross-country flight time
- 10 hours of cross-country flight time in airplane category
- 15 hours of flight time as PIC in airplane category that is Light-Sport aircraft
With these requirements met, you’ll need to then attend a CFI academy.
Many flight schools offer these academies on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. A good CFI academy will teach you how to teach students and give you a strong teaching foundation on which to build on.
The academy will also prepare you for the FAA CFI checkride.
Now, before we dig into an academy we should note, a CFI academy isn’t required. You can do instruction one-on-one with an instructor but it typically takes long
What to Expect in Your CFI Academy
Most CFI academies are structured such that you spend a portion of the day in class and a portion of the day flying. Depending on the size of the school and the class, you may not fly every day.
On days when you don’t fly you should spend the extra time writing and practicing your lesson plans.
In your CFI academy, you’ll learn how to teach various materials, review FAA guidelines, and practice instructing. One thing many CFI students aren’t prepared for is how much time you spend talking about how people learn.
Consider the academy a crash course in a teaching degree. While this may seem odd, it’s important as a flight instructor to understand how your students learn and how to cater your teaching style to each student.
How to Do Well In Your Flight Instructor Training
Make no mistake, finishing this flight instructor training program in just 15 days is going to take a tremendous amount of work. In order to succeed, you must trust the process.
Here at Thrust Flight, we’ve seen many students pass through our academy. In each class, there’s a clear distinction between those who perform well and those who struggle.
The most successful students start the class prepared. They’ve studied the material and are ready to teach it. Successful students also make the time to create their own lesson plans.
It’s easy to buy pre-made lesson plans, however, if you truly want to succeed as a flight instructor you need to create your own lesson plans. Remember the Senaca quote above?
As you prepare lesson plans to teach a principle, you will gain a stronger understanding of it. This greater understanding will help you become a safer, more capable pilot and instructor.
Study Every Day During the Academy
In addition to creating your own lesson plans, you should also make time to study every single day you’re in the academy. We have seen so many students who think they can simply sit through the class and somehow be ready for their checkride without preparing. Don’t be one of those people.
Practice with a Partner
Another great tip for doing well in your CFI academy is to find a partner to practice with. Teach one another from your own lesson plans again and again. Then critique one another and help each other improve and grow.
Few people will do this but the best instructors we have seen do so with great effect.
The FAA Checkride
At the end of your CFI academy, you should be ready for the FAA checkride. During this checkride expect the DPE to ask you quite a few questions about learning.
Again, you need to have a strong understanding of these learning principles so that you can effectively communicate them to the DPE and so you can best train your future students.
For a large portion of the checkride, you should expect to play the role of teacher with the DPE as your student. They will probably give you a large variety of scenarios which you must then adapt your teaching to fit.
How to Prepare for the CFI Checkride
To prepare for your CFI checkride, you should role play in this manner with your fellow CFI academy students and, if possible, with current instructors. As you practice your teaching on other students and current instructors they can help you identify holes in your teaching.
The only way your teaching will ever improve is if you do it again and again, so get in as much practice as you can before your checkride.
Once you’ve obtained your CFI rating you are ready to start instructing and earning those 1,500 hours needed to become an airline pilot. If you’re in the process of choosing a CFI academy right now, consider Thrust Flight.
Our CFI academies have become quite famous with students coming from across the country to attend our 15-day program.
Ready to become a flight instructor? Get started with our accelerated CFI training course today. Give us a call or fill out our contact form and we’ll help you determine if this program is right for you.