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    The Professionalization of The CFI

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    Centro de Instrucción De Vuelo Zarate
    This document discusses the importance of professionalizing Chief Flight Instructors (CFIs) in order to improve student and flight school outcomes. It provides several recommendations for doing so, including ensuring CFIs dress professionally, use appropriate language, are effective teachers, lead by example, receive recurrent training, and are treated as career employees rather than commodities. Implementing these recommendations can help flight schools avoid money-losing scenarios that result from unprofessional CFIs, and instead benefit from the positive impressions and results generated by well-dressed, communicative, leadership CFIs.

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    The Professionalization of The CFI

    Uploaded by

    Centro de Instrucción De Vuelo Zarate
    65 views4 pages
    This document discusses the importance of professionalizing Chief Flight Instructors (CFIs) in order to improve student and flight school outcomes. It provides several recommendations for doing so, including ensuring CFIs dress professionally, use appropriate language, are effective teachers, lead by example, receive recurrent training, and are treated as career employees rather than commodities. Implementing these recommendations can help flight schools avoid money-losing scenarios that result from unprofessional CFIs, and instead benefit from the positive impressions and results generated by well-dressed, communicative, leadership CFIs.

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    The Professionalization of the CFI

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    This document discusses the importance of professionalizing Chief Flight Instructors (CFIs) in order to improve student and flight school outcomes. It provides several recommendations for doing so, including ensuring CFIs dress professionally, use appropriate language, are effective teachers, lead by example, receive recurrent training, and are treated as career employees rather than commodities. Implementing these recommendations can help flight schools avoid money-losing scenarios that result from unprofessional CFIs, and instead benefit from the positive impressions and results generated by well-dressed, communicative, leadership CFIs.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    65 views4 pages

    The Professionalization of The CFI

    Uploaded by

    Centro de Instrucción De Vuelo Zarate
    This document discusses the importance of professionalizing Chief Flight Instructors (CFIs) in order to improve student and flight school outcomes. It provides several recommendations for doing so, including ensuring CFIs dress professionally, use appropriate language, are effective teachers, lead by example, receive recurrent training, and are treated as career employees rather than commodities. Implementing these recommendations can help flight schools avoid money-losing scenarios that result from unprofessional CFIs, and instead benefit from the positive impressions and results generated by well-dressed, communicative, leadership CFIs.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 4

    The Professionalization

    of the CFI.
    His feet were neatly propped on his age-worn desk. His jeans were tattered. His shirt had
    more wrinkles than a Shar-Pei. His hair was unkempt, and he had the look of one too many
    adult beverages the night before. His right hand encircled a can of soda, certainly not his
    first of the day at 10:00 am. It was obvious that my entry into his domain was an
    interruption to his normal morning ritual. This is my new CFI?
    As I gingerly approached, the carbonation of the soda got the best of him. He
    unsuccessfully attempted to suppress an unwanted belch, which occurred with the ferocity
    and force of a Pratt & Whitney PW4000 on takeoff.
    Within the first 60 seconds of my encounter with this flight instructor, I knew that he was
    the antithesis of what a professional CFI should be. I also knew that not only was he not
    going to be my CFI, but I also lost faith and confidence in the flight school that would
    employ someone so amateurish and unprofessional.

    For Chief Flight Instructors and others who are tasked with running flight schools, it
    becomes a matter of survival to professionalize your CFIs. Not doing so will result in a
    similar money-losing scenario as described above.
    The template for success is easier to implement than you may think. If you undertake some
    of the actionable items outlined in this article, you will soon see positive results for your
    students, your instructors, and your bottom line.

    01
    Dress the Part
    First impressions are the most important in any business interaction. To most prospective
    students, aviation is an expensive investment. In their minds, they have an image of what
    an instructor should be. They should be well dressed and clean. Their appearance should
    exude confidence and trust. That comes with clothes appropriate for a professional in his
    or her field. Many successful flight training departments utilize a standardized “uniform”,
    which could include something as simple as khaki pants and a polo-styled shirt. Company
    logo optional. By implementing (and assisting) with a Company dress code, you will avoid
    the prospect of your flight instructors choosing inappropriate clothing for their first
    impressions with a student. It also will reinforce the professionalism of your flight
    school. Easy to implement with a good return on investment.

    Sound the Part


    The words we choose have as much of an impact on our students as the actions we
    undertake. With that in mind, your CFIs should choose their words carefully. Be
    informative, without being condescending. Empathy and being supportive while providing
    constructive criticism will go a long way to improve the CFI/Student relationship.
    While your personal, off-time colorful language may impress your BFFs, there is no place in
    the flight school workplace jargon for profanity. Some students may chuckle inside, but
    every time you utter those 4 letter words, your professionalism, and brand, in the eyes of
    your students, will diminish exponentially. Words are powerful. Impress upon your flight
    instructors to think before they speak. Simple but effective.

    Act the Part


    Teaching a person to fly is unlike any other teaching assignment. Trust and respect of the
    instructor are required for effective learning. While a CFI’s knowledge and stick skills are
    important, their ability to transfer their knowledge is more so. We have all had instructors
    whose technical skills are Top Gun caliber, but who just couldn’t convey the finer points in
    the lesson plan. Work with your instructors on effective teaching habits. Those that are
    successful teaching in this industry exhibit qualities including enthusiasm and positivity,
    organizational skills, finding inspiration in their students, and embraces change. Holding
    regular CFI meetings to share experiences is another great way to encourage dialog and
    understanding what is working for those successful CFIs.

    02
    Be the Part
    Set a good example. Keep in mind that most CFIs may be new to the business. They are
    looking for leadership. Be that leader. Lead by example. Take the time to learn and
    understand the personality of each of your instructors. Be a mentor. Don’t be
    dismissive. Reinforce the professional aspect of being a flight instructor.
    Most importantly, quality CFIs, and therefore successful flight schools, have characteristics
    that include punctuality, patience, encouragement, and understanding in their teaching
    methods. While these traits are generally part of a person’s inherent personality, they can
    also be coached and encouraged by leadership. Remember, a student is always learning
    and will make mistakes. Learning to fly is a complex task. Students learn by their
    mistakes. Good instructors will use those mistakes as opportunistic learning moments.
    Encourage your flight instructors to be positive in their approach. Use the “sandwich”
    method of constructive criticism where necessary. This means to wrap the student errors
    around 2 positive aspects of the lesson for that day, beginning and ending the comments
    on a positive note.

    “We have found that the most successful instructors that we have
    had two things in common… They are actively present and
    communicate well inside and outside the office hours.”
    MICHAEL NEESE, FLIGHT TRAINING & CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER, SWEET AVIATION

    Give the Part


    What else can you do to professionalize your operation? Invest in your flight instructors by
    providing opportunities for recurrent training. CFIs want to fly as much as they can and as
    many different aircraft as available. Recurrent training not only improves safety but
    provides the benefit that speaks to being a professional in the industry.

    Finally, treat your CFIs as career employees, not as a simple commodity. Let them grow and
    build your business alongside you and other team members. Make them a true partner in
    your quest for professionalism. In doing so, you will shed the image of the unkempt, thrift
    store clothing wrinkled instructor, replacing that picture with a well-dressed, honest,
    trustworthy, safe professional.

    Author | Sam Winer


    03

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