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Next MCI dates - June 19, 2010 - Please check back for future dates. Options to Achieve Military Competency Flight Instructor Certificate The qualifications required to achieve the Flight Instructor Certificate with Instrument rating includes documentation from the U.S. military verifying you are a qualified military flight instructor. The vast majority of military flight instructors are demanding individuals that are on occasion classified as “high achievers.” Consequently, to score a low passing grade, or failure, on a written test that will be filed away in your permanent record is not an option for the average successful military flight instructor. Also, most military flight instructors, I know, are not prone to release large sums of cash without a great deal of researching the pros and cons. Conducting that research reveals the options to achieve your objective. One of those options is to choose an online course that costs $50 to prepare you for the knowledge test. You invest in that course and spend several hours of your free time studying the course information. You then find a location that will administer the test, go there, pay $150, and pass the test. At this point you have around $200 and a cumulative total of at least ten hours study invested in your endeavor. Not to mention the nights shutting out the family to study. Now you must make an appointment with an inspector at your FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). In the process of making that appointment the inspector will expect you to have all of the appropriate bureaucratic forms filled out properly to include supporting documentation. If you are successful in convincing the inspector you are knowledgeable and prepared he will grant you an appointment some time in the future. When that time comes you must drive to his location prepared to spend some time dealing with the certification process and return to home base. The closest FSDO in this area is Birmingham, AL. If you choose that option your only costs are time away from the job on a normal work day, travel costs and expenses. Those direct and indirect travel expenses will exceed $100. While in the appointment process, if that inspector senses you do not have all your documentation organized he must allocate more time for your certification. If you are applying for a CFI certificate and you don’t even understand the application process, what kind of preparation and knowledge are you demonstrating to the inspector? Would you accept one of your flight students displaying that level of ignorance in your mission prebrief? Would you expect the examiner to research your NATOPS jacket and determine what type ratings you rate and how to apply for them? Do you even know what a type rating is? Your initial research will lead you to believe that you can get the certificate for $200 max. That is a very common booby trap most potential mil-comp guys fall into. The applicant has no clue what the pitfalls are until he commits to the process. Then it is too late to save a buck. The elimination of the bureaucratic hassle factor alone is well worth the $450 fee charged by Pensacola Aviation Center and our on-site examiner. Military Competency Flight Instructor Certificate Pensacola Aviation Center’s main objective is to prepare and help you achieve your civilian FAA Flight Instructor Certificate to include any additional ratings for which you are qualified. Our facility provides you with a five-hour seminar to prepare you for the FAA written exam. We have an Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) auditor on-site to walk you through the required IACRA application. This auditor will reduce the hassle factor in preparing you for your meeting with the FAA Mil-Comp Examiner. A minimum of two days is required for the FAA to verify the results of your test before the examiner can verify all documentation and issue a temporary certificate. This mandatory waiting period forces a second visit to Pensacola Aviation Center no less than two days following the date you took your test. Schedule of Seminar Dates We currently are scheduling seminar dates on an “as needed” basis. We are aiming for at least one seminar per month, more if there is a demand. We can schedule seminars on weekdays or weekends, but we’d prefer weekdays due to staffing requirements. Once we have the minimum needed we can schedule the seminar based on registrants’ availability. What to Expect on Seminar Day We will have the information that most gave us at preregistration on the morning of the seminar. We will begin final registration at 07:00 the day of the seminar. The seminar will begin approximately 07:15 and will continue through noon. The test is 125 questions. The major portion of the test is devoted to the Fundamentals of Instruction with some regulations, instrument, and helicopter questions thrown in. Upon completion of the seminar you will proceed to our on-site testing center to take the test. While waiting to take the test the auditor guides you through the IACRA registration process. That will begin the process of applying for your Flight Instructor Certificate. Past experience has shown the average time to complete the test is about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The authorized time limit for the test is 3 hours. The passing score is 70%. If we start testing at noon, our four testing stations should accommodate sixteen people in 5 hours and 20 minutes. That will have the last person out by 17:30, give or take a few minutes. For that reason, a limit of sixteen people taking the seminar and test on the same day is our maximum. The minimum seminar size is 12 applicants. While waiting your turn for a test station, you will need to visit with the IACRA auditor to initiate the online application. Also, there will be gouge sheets available while you are waiting. Some time in the process you will be able to get a decent lunch nearby. Where to Go Pensacola Aviation Center Required Documentation Research your documents and know which certificates and ratings you are applying for. Flag those specific documents before you get to Pensacola Aviation Center. We will assist you with that task but we cannot do it for you. If you would like us to sort through your documentation and tell you what you are qualified for, we will be happy to do that by appointment for $40 an hour with a 1 hour minimum. For Testing and IACRA Auditor on Test Day: Current Photo ID, preferably your driver license. Second Appearance at Pensacola Aviation Center (to meet with FAA Mil-Comp Examiner by appointment): Military Flight Logbooks Cost To You Test Fee/Seminar/Auditor - $350 The Seminar Fee includes the seminar, FAA Written Test, and the assistance provided to you for your application on the IACRA website. You will need to bring $350 with you the day of the seminar. We accept all payment types. Checks can be made out to Pensacola Aviation Center. You will need to bring $100 with you the day you meet with the FAA Examiner, cash or check only. Checks can be made out to David Fair. Examiner Available Days: There is a winging date every other Friday. The examiner will be at Pensacola Aviation Center the Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning of the weeks that have no winging. Keep in mind winging dates are subject to change in the future. If you have any questions please call Kathleen or Shannon at 850-434-0636 x2. |