Are you interested in getting into the aviation industry? There are many ways to become a professional pilot and log the hours required in order to be considered by a major aviation company. A popular method to getting a great job in one of the major flying companies is by first becoming a Flight Instructor. Let’s dive in and examine this choice a bit:

Day to Day Life – Talk the Talk

First, let’s look at one of the most essential skills in flight training: your ability to communicate.

Basic communication in English is essential, but beyond knowing the language, there are many other requirements for being able to communicate clearly. Advance communication skills first come from your knowledge of the society and cultural habits of your students. If you are from one part of the world, and wish to teach flight lessons in another part of the world, you must first take the time to understand the cultural differences with the types of people in which you wish to communicate. A great tip is to watch movies, especially documentaries, about people in that area of the world. You may then be able to join social media sites with people in your target area. (Facebook, twitter, etc… )

Types of People

You must then be able to utilize your communication skills in being other centered with the people you meet. Always consider how you are coming across to the people you are speaking to in order to understand how you may be perceived. As an instructor, you will be expected to be able to communicate with various types of people from ages 16 – 65… and “city people” as well as “country or small town people” all communicate differently.

Ask Questions

In order to fully understand who the type of person is in which you will be instructing, begin by asking them several questions and look for points where you can relate. For example, ask your students if they are married? Do they have children? Boys or girls? This is just one method in order to find a common meeting point with your student. Generally, people associate well with others if they have something in common. It is your duty as a flight teacher to find common interest points with your students which will help you get along better.

Patience is a Virtue

The most important quality you need to have when teaching flight training to student pilots is your ability to be patient. It will be hard for you to remember the newness of what the student is feeling, and with newness comes fear. With so much information to process at first, the student pilot will certainly have problems remembering all that you will be teaching. Keeping this light and humorous is a great way to keep stress-free while engaging with the student about what is required for proper procedures. Each student will learn at their own pace, and that pace will be different than your own. Always look at the intention behind the abilities of the student rather than their performance: as long as there is no ill-intention, your duty is to help and not hinder the education process.

How Do I Become A Flight Instructor in the United States?

In the USA, a pilot must obtain at least a CPL (commercial pilot certificate) or ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) certificate. As a Flight Instructor you must also have your instrument rating in the desired category and classification. Certificate holders of a sport pilot certificate may get a flight instructor certificate with sport pilot rating, which would give them permission to give instruction for the sport pilot certificate in light-sport aircraft.

All pilots desiring to become instructors must pass two written exams (Fundamentals of Instruction – FOI – and a test specific to the knowledge of the category of aircraft in which instructional privileges are desired, such as fixed-wing as well as an examination called a practical test. First and foremost, you must be at least 18 years of age. Those pilots who hold Commercial Privileges in Lighter-Than-Air aircraft (Balloons and Airships) will have flight instructor abilities in those categories and classes they have on their pilot certificate. However, it is good to remember that Lighter-Than-Air flight instructor privileges do not get put on a Flight Instructor Certificate.

How Do I Become A Flight Instructor in Canada?

The pilot holding a Commercial Pilot License in Canada or an Airline Transport Pilot License may be eligible to have their license certified with a Flight Instructor Rating – Aeroplane. To begin with, the pilot is first categorized with a Class 4 Flight Instructor. This will enable a pilot to teach flight training to pilots-in-training looking to receive their Recreational Pilot Permit, Private Pilot License, Commercial Pilot License, VFR OTT (over-the-top) Rating, as well as Night Rating. However, the Class 4 Flight Instructor is only permitted to teach flight training while being directly under the supervision of a pilot holding a Class 2 or Class 1 Flight Instructor.

Once you have obtained specific requirements such as satisfactory flight test records, ample experience, the written examinations, and flight testing, an instructor can apply to increase their rating to a Class 3, Class 2, or Class 1 flight instruction rating. As a holder of a Class 3 Flight Instructor, you will no longer be required to have a Class 1 or Class 2 instructor over you as a supervisor. As a Class 1 flight instructor, you will be permitted to give ground school as well as flight training for the certification of a flight instructor rating.

If you wish to be an instructor with an instrument rating, a multi rating, types ratings, and various class conversions such as sea or land plane, an instructor rating is not absolutely essential. The actual essential requirement may be limited to holding a CPL (Commercial Pilot License) or ATL (Airline Transport License) as long as you have reached specific working experience of flight time. However, in the situation of an instrument rating, the pilot holding a Flight Instructor rating could teach instruments even if they lack the experience needed for non-flight instructors.