How to be a QFI?

[FL]

I have a CPL/IR and a AFI rating and now approaching the 200hrs instructional hours limit. As I have an IR I thought it would be a good idea to remove the instrument rating so I can teach the IMC course. Looking for a test date with a examiner but would I be best waiting until I have the magic 200hrs (oh does this include trail flights?) and then do the QFI course and then the test. Or is the QFI course what I have just done? What does the test involve? Please help I am very confused?

[Snigs]

Me too, now!

I don't quite get the "remove the instrument rating" bit!!

[MaxAOB]

;) Confused!! I thought all renewals now were done under JAR rules and that the requirement for FI (unsupervised) was 100hrs instruction, supervision of 25 student solo flights and a letter of nomination from the CFI. You then did a Flight test (most guys do it at the renewal) with the examiner. The instrument restriction means you must do the instrument instructors course which is about 7 hours of flying and 15 ground (I think) there is no longer a test for this. Anyone else got the full SP

[This message has been edited by MaxAOB (edited 05 August 1999).]

[Meeb]

FL, are you under the pre-JAA system? I guess that you probably are so the procedure is:

1. Under go a 'removal of instrument restriction' course (7 hours flying 15 hours ground)

2. Book a test with a FIE.

To answer your question, trial flight instruction does count towards the 200hrs experience requirement. You must have the 200hrs before you can upgrade your instructors rating although you can do the test anytime. You are removing the 'instrument restriction' not the instrument rating! Make sure the FIE knows you also want the FI rating bit too, because these are actually 2 different things, but done in the one test. Hope this helps...



[This message has been edited by Meeb (edited 05 August 1999).]

[BEagle]

The ONLY way to ecome a 'Q'FI is to join the armed forces, complete your flying training, be selected for ,and graduate from, the RAF Central Flying School.
There is NO SUCH THING as a civil 'QFI', you're either a FI, AFI, FI(A) or whatever!!

[MaxAOB]

BEagle, I am a little worried by your reply about the Forces. Hopefully you are not implying that the the forces are better instructors. As an A2 instructor I can assure you that teaching an intelligent graduate/A level chap in a Tucano/Hawk being paid 20 odd grand a year is far easier than your retired farm hand or average civillian who just wants to have a go in an aeroplane. I had to seriously evaluate my ego when my students saw green as meaning aim of the trip rather than energy arrows. So my polite message is sure your average civillian instructor doesn't get 6 months on a course and maybe in the grand scheme of things isn't Chuck Yeager but their raw material is far more difficult and likely to kill you so give them/us some rope please!

Kindest regards. :).

[This message has been edited by MaxAOB (edited 08 August 1999).]

[BEagle]

Quite right - it isn't easy to teach the wide spectrum of folk who want to fly in civil life compared with those who've had the preparation leading up to RAF training. It's only the terminology that I was referring to; there is no such animal as a civil 'Q'FI - and, thanks to JAR-FCL, we're now not even 'flying' instructors but 'flight' instructors. Incidentally, what's the truth behind the rumour that the forces are so short of pilots and cash that they're trying to teach navigators to fly jets without the benefit of any basic flying training?

[Pompous Pilot]

Not quite: the RAF did experiment with one Tornado nav, putting him straight into the front seat (with just a few extra hours!). My info may be third hand, but I understand that he had a deal of pilot training before he became a navigator and that the experiment was unsuccessful.

On the other hand, the RAF are training a lot of navigators to become pilots at the moment: they are getting some elementary training (the amount depends on their previous pilot training, if any) and all are being streamed fast jet and so are going on to basic fast jet training the Tucano.