You are quite right whatunion the FIC teaches you bugger all about instructing.
Hence my comment that after FIC you realise that you do know stuff all about being an instructor.
The FIC course teaches you how the CAA would like to de-construct a few of the lessons and how they would like to be taught. ie the patter.
As for the rest the inter-personal skills, the problem solving, trouble shooting of student faults etc. I certainly didn't get taught anything about these things.
Luckly i was a 10 year Diving instructor and although what appeared on the surface to be 2 completly different subjects. The whole method behined instructing was exactly the same.
In fact I felt far safer instructing flying than scuba diving.
the whole FIC course in my opinion is a pile of wank. It is totally artifical and dosn't teach what is really required.
Having seen the gliding setup for instructor progression, it is way ahead of the JAR FI course. The instructors are mentored and are given experence along with further training. Half the stuff on the FIC is useless until you have a bit of experence behined you. Then it makes perfect sense. The course would be better in stages with breaks to have a shot at the job. Ie phase 1 for trial flights (no TO and lands for the students allowed) Phase 2 Nav (no land aways) phase 3 Handling ( allowed to teach TO but not lands) phase 4 what we currently have as a FI(R) phase 5 Unrestricted.
But it all costs money. At the moment people are forced into paying 5K up front for a job they know nothing about. If they are not up to it or don't like it they are forced into it due to the capital outlay. Which is crap for both instructor and student.
The above phases are proberly 2 restrictive but I definatly think a trail flight only option should be available followed by an Instructor course.
I love instructing of, Flying, scubadiving, field craft, engineering, lorry driving, car driving err what else have I instructed in my time. Instructing comes from inside, the want to pass knowledge on. You can't teach that, it has to come from within. You can't create an instructor after a pishy 5k course you can only give them what they are required to teach.
Hence my complete distain for applied instrument removal course for current experenced IR pilots who instruct who are wanting to teach Instruments. Its a pratical skill like any other some crappy course ain't going to change if you can instruct in it or not. Yes do a check ride but not a compulsory course.
MJ