Wannabee Instructor

[stiknruda]

I have decided that I should like to instruct. I have no desire to use instruction as an hour building exercise as I have no desire to be a ATPL holder, all I want to do is to teach ab-initio students on a tail wheel trainer, Cub, Chipmunk, etc or offer tailwheel training/biennial check outs to sport pilots.

I am a current PPL with in excess of 600 hours. What do I need to do to become qualified?


All help gratefully received.


sNr

[The Flying I]

Flyer very recently (Dec 2000 issue?) had an article covering exactly that, with all the requirements. Do you have access to a copy at your club? It won't be in the shops now.

[Noggin]

You will have to pass the CPL written examinations and then complete a FI(R) Course.(30 hours flying plus 125 hours ground school) and pass a test with a FIE. You can instruct on a PPL but cannot be renmunerated. If you wish to be paid, you would also have to complete a modular CPL course and pass the CPL Skill Test.

[stiknruda]

Thanks guys. I will look at that edition of Flyer, I subscribe but generally just browse - must have missed that article.

Noggin, Where can I get more details of the CPL exams? Yes, I would like to be paid but really just want to cover my costs and travelling. What does the modular course cover and am I able to do the exams and the course by self study?

Any idea of total cost?

This would just be a hobby-job in my spare time, kind of a way of putting something back into a pastime that has allowed me great fun, freedom and has enabled me to meet some really nice folk.

Thanks.

sNr

[Adamant]

And if you go down the CPL route to instructing and are paid to instruct, do you not also need a Class 1 medical? Often the most difficult thing to obtain.

[helimutt]

I became an AFI earlier in the year and can tell you that you do need to pass the Commercial exams and the instructor course before being paid for instructing and you do need to pass the Class 1 medical. The medical is currently done initially at Gatwick and costs approx £450 if I remember correctly!! The requirements may change in the future with the changes in JAR regs but thats the way things stand at the minute. The new NPPL may change a lot of the requirements, who knows?
Hope this is some help as I instruct on helicopters and not fixed wing.

[TooHotToFly]

Stiknruda - The best place to get info on the written exams is to get some brochures from the various schools e.g. Oxford, PPSC, Bristol etc. Most are only doing the JAA ATPL written exams as they haven't got round to doing any CPL courses yet, but I think that Oxford and PPSC do the CPL ones as well.

You can either do a full time course studying for the exams or do whats known as a distance learning course - they send you all the books, you read them then go down for a brush up course before you sit the exams.

The CPL module covers a minimum of 5 hours general handling, 10 hours visual navigation and 10 hours instrument flying. 5 hours of the course and the test must be done in a complex aircraft i.e. 4 seats, variable pitch propellor and retractable undercarriage. You can use a twin-engined aircraft.

Costs for the course are roughly:

£3500 for distance learning course
£4500 for the CPL module
£4800 for the FI course

Hope this helps - feel free to ask for more info.

[CaptainAirProx]

If you start your FI(R)course without having done the commercial GFT, then you will have to pass a pre FI course acceptance test.

[juswonnafly]

Captainairprox.....

The pre course requirement is for a flight with an FIC instructor (with or without CPL).

It is only a formality really (that's JAA for you!).

Cheers

JWF :)

[Mark 1]

Stiknruda,

You can still do the UK CPL exams without doing an official course, but the UK exams end in June and you need a full pass by then.
It seems like a lot of cramming, but I decided to go this route and managed 13 out of 15 passes after a couple of months self-study, so assuming I pass the remaining re-sits will have saved about £1500 against doing a JAR correspondence course.

It depends on your personal situations and priorities, but it may be worth having a go.

[fallen eagle]

Hi you its your old mate from the other side of the county,oops you moved across the the border didnt you?I expect you know all about N.F.N. but if not I will explain.Back to the thread bear in mind that aircraft used for instruction,with certain exceptions,owned by student etc,need to be on Public transport CofA. and the types you want to instruct on are few and far between.Most of the exam stuff seems to have been covered by the other guys.I was just thinking about the practical side of achieving your goal. BYE FOR NOW. HAPPY NEW YEAR M