A certified flight instructor (CFI) is both honored and burdened with the responsibility of teaching and guiding new pilots. A flight instructor - particularly a primary instructor - can ingrain habits and help to shape attitudes that will be with a pilot for his or her entire career. Though usually not highly paid, no profession in aviation is of greater importance than that of a CFI. As of January 2008, there were 92,175 flight instructors in the United States.

An applicant for a CFI must pass a written examination and a practical examination. The practical examination is administered by an FAA examiner, and consists of an oral test and a flight test.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a CFI certificate, a person must be at least 18 years of age, and hold an instrument rating with either a commercial pilot certificate or an airline transport pilot certificate. An applicant must also be able to read, write, and speak the English language.

Flight Training

The total flight hours required of a CFI applicant (in addition to the pre-qualifications of a commercial or ATP certificate) consist of the following specific training and experience requirements:

• At least 15 hours as pilot-in-command in the category and class of aircraft appropriate to the instructor rating being sought
• Have a logbook endorsement from an instructor documenting that the applicant has demonstrated proficiency in stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery procedures

Privileges and Limitations

A flight instructor is authorized to give training and logbook endorsements within the qualifications of the holder’s certificate. For example, in order to give instruction in multi-engine operations, an instructor must have met the unique requirements for that privilege in addition to holding the CFI certificate.

The CFI certificate is valid for only two years. It may be renewed through various methods approved by the FAA, but expires if not renewed, and can then only be reinstated by retaking the practical test.

Cost of Obtaining a CFI Certificate

The cost of obtaining a CFI certificate is highly variable, depending upon factors such as prior experience. Assuming that all of the minimum experience requirements are already met, the estimated cost of the specific training for a CFI certificate would be $1500 to $6000.