Always Learning

Fly the airplane better than standards require? Sure. Answer questions on the oral portion of the practical test? Gulp, we’ll be fine. Read several manuals and study thousands of potential multiple-choice questions? Ugh. Anything else, please. And so, in time-honored tradition, the knowledge test is shunned until the very end of our training.

A few years ago, I had just become the world’s newest commercial airplane, single-engine land pilot and I was gung-ho to earn my flight instructor certificate. With tons of commercial-level knowledge fresh in my brain, my plan was to get the certificated flight instructor written test out of the way. That’s when I learned that you need to take not one, but two tests to become a CFI: the Flight Instructor–
Airplane (FIA) and the Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI).

I didn’t want to simply memorize answers to questions. I truly desired to teach flying, which meant I truly needed to learn the subject matter. I ended up trying four online ground schools and found I preferred learning and testing on a tablet for the portability—but also the ability to read the charts, graphs, and diagrams without squinting. All the ground schools were great, and it was interesting to read their varied explanations of the answers. The only type of ground school I didn’t like was the one that focused on fast-paced memorization. You may learn the answers, but, in my opinion, you don’t learn the material thoroughly enough to teach it to someone else.

I started with the FOI test. I took the test on April 6 and passed with a score of 88 percent. Ten days later, on April 16, I took the FIA test and scored a 97 percent. Terrific, I was finished.

Once you pass these FAA knowledge tests, the clock is ticking. If you don’t complete your flight instructor practical test within two years of taking the knowledge tests, the tests expire and you have to take them over again. However, I learned that if you also take and pass the Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI) test—which is similar to the FIA—you can apply for an advanced ground instructor certificate. Receiving that certificate locks in your passing FOI test score so you never have to take it again. If you let your FIA test expire before becoming a flight instructor, you would only have to retake the FIA, not the FOI.

Why become a ground instructor when you really want to be a CFI? For me, it’s a backup plan. If for any reason I can’t fly in the future, I can remain involved in teaching others in a classroom. The very next day, I went back to the testing facility and passed the AGI test with a 94 percent.

You can apply for your ground instructor certificate by making an appointment with your local flight standards district office. Before making the appointment, I thought, If I’m going to be a ground instructor, why not also be able to teach instrument flying? So, I studied for the Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI) test, which I took on May 3, scoring a 94 percent. Finally, in a bout of overconfidence, I decided to take the Flight Instructor–Instrument Airplane (FII) test the same day. Heck, they’re practically the same test. I might even get a better score. Wrong—I finally found my limit. Scoring 84 percent on the FII after getting a 94 percent a few hours previously on the IGI made me realize testing fatigue had finally set in. Still, five FAA knowledge tests in 30 days with reasonable scores was enough to convince me that there is a benefit to getting “in the zone” and plowing through your learning in a concentrated period.

I’m not suggesting that any of you follow this exact path. However, those of you on a flight instructor or pro-pilot career path may want to take notice of how a concentrated period of studying worked for me. Your results may vary.