Flight Training - November 2019 - 6

ALWAYS LEARNING BY KOLLIN STAGNITO

The FAA offers a comprehensive overview
of all flight instructor knowledge tests in its
Flight and Ground Instructor Knowledge Test
Guide (FAA-G-8082-7).
faa.gov
Check out AOPA tools for CFIs.
aopa.org/cfis

Vice President of Publications/Editor
KOLLIN STAGNITO is still working on
his flight instructor certificate-and
hopes to complete it before his knowledge tests expire.
kollin.stagnito@aopa.org

A TEST TOO FAR

Many of us dread the prospect of taking an FAA knowledge test
for the certificate or rating we're working on.
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.
6 FLIGHT TRAINING NOVEMBER 2019

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. FT

http://www.faa.gov http://www.aopa.org/cfis

Flight Training - November 2019

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