NEW CFI THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN AS A NEW CFI IF YOU ARE A NEW CFI, CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THE TRIBE. If you know someone who just qualified as a CFI, please share this article with that person because their real CFI learning is only beginning. Learning to teach aviation starts with the CFI temporary certificate. In every other country in the world, a new CFI is legally only a student teacher or licensed beginner. In Canada, new Class 3 and Class 4 CFIs are required by regulation to be directly supervised when instructing. Only in the U.S. can CFIs legally teach solo immediately out of the box. FAA BY DAVID ST. GEORGE regulations only define legal minimums here, not what is safe and smart! Becoming an effective and safe CFI requires extensive initial mentoring and a lifetime of continuing effort and education. REAL AVIATION EDUCATION IS DIFFERENT FROM THE CFI CHECKRIDE Passing the initial CFI practical test requires continuous (and hopefully cogent) talking while simultaneously flying the aircraft. This demonstrates your split-brain flight proficiency to the FAA examiner. But real aviation education requires that you conscientiously do neither.