flight instructor shortcut: combine your commercial pilot and flight instructor training

If you’re an instrument-rated private pilot planning to become a flight instructor, save time and money by combining your Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor training (Part 61 only). Here’s how:

1. Combine study for your Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Advanced Ground Instructor written Knowledge Tests*

Few pilots-in-training realize how similar certain FAA written Knowledge Tests can be. It turns out that you can save yourself a good deal of time and effort by studying for and taking related tests at the same time. 

In particular, the Commercial Pilot-Airplane, Flight Instructor-Airplane, and Advanced Ground Instructor Knowledge Tests are similar enough that all three can easily be prepared for and completed simultaneously*.

Assuming you’re studying for your Commercial pilot certificate and plan to progress through your CFI ratings within the next two years, taking them all at once will save you the effort of restudying the same material down the line. (An additional “Fundamentals of Instruction” Knowledge Test is also required to earn your first CFI or Ground Instructor certificate, but that covers different material so you needn’t necessarily take it with the others.)

2. Train for your Commercial Pilot Practical Test from the right seat

Next, ask your CFI and pilot examiner to allow you to take your commercial pilot training and checkride all from the right seat. (Normally, commercial training is done in the left seat.) That way, upon passing your Commercial you’re already sharp flying from the right seat, and can immediately begin mastering teaching techniques for the Flight Instructor Practical Test. That’ll save you 5+ instructional flight hours that other CFI applicants spend relearning all the commercial maneuvers from the right seat.

3. Combine study for your Instrument Rating, Instrument Flight Instructor, and Instrument Ground Instructor written Knowledge Tests*

The Instrument-Airplane, Flight Instructor-Instrument, and Instrument Ground Instructor Knowledge Tests are also very similar to one another.

PS: Why earn an AGI or other Ground Instructor Certificate?

Most people simply test for the AGI at the same time as taking the CFI written because the writtens are so similar that the certificate is pretty much a “gimme.” You just exchange your passing AGI & FOI test results for the certificate. There are benefits to earning the AGI, however:
– An underappreciated fact is that one need not be a CFI nor even a pilot to qualify for AGI. So you can begin teaching and earning money toward future ratings as soon as passing the AGI and FOI writtens. Ground instruction is also great way to prep for your eventual CFI Practical Test. Ground instructor certificates also lock in your FOI test results, so if two years pass before taking your CFI practical, you need not retake the FOI.
– Ground instructors needn’t meet the same recordkeeping requirements as CFIs. Therefore, if teaching larger classes it’s handy not to have to personally record all your students’ Knowledge Test results afterwards.
– AGI is required to achieve Gold Seal CFI status.

*NOTES

1. Knowledge Test results are good for two years, so combining test-taking only makes sense if you plan to achieve the next certificate/rating within that period.

2. Many pilots will find they can pass the named multiple Knowledge Tests in short order without further study. If in doubt, however, run through some Test Questions for the additional tests to build confidence and determine if further study is justified. For example, following study for the Instrument Pilot Knowledge Test, sample some test questions for the Instrument Flight Instructor Knowledge Test.

©2013, 2022 Gregory N. Brown

---

---