Hi,
I have just started CPL DL groundschool, as like yourself, I am only intent on pursuing a FI rating. My advice would be -
- Be very, very sure that you are not going to want to do airline flying before starting. I say again, be very sure!!! The effort involved to do it all again is not inconsiderable.
- Be aware that you will have to do seperate IR or APTL ground exams if you want to add a full IR to your CPL. You could instruct on a CPL with an IMC quite happily, but I would suggest that you would really need a CPL/IR to do decent CPL level instruction.
As well as just wanting to do the FIC, I am doing the CPL mainly due to life/time pressures and with an eye to the cost, as I am 90% sure that I would lose the ATPL ground credit as I will not get an IR in the acceptance period due career.
Ask yourself, if I could get a FI rating without doing the CPL groundschool would I be happy with that? That may go some way to answering your own question about whether you need ATPL.
Regards,
Blagger