Flight Instructor Rating FI(A)

Teaching other flying is a very demanding task but it also gives extraordinary satisfaction. It allows you to open the door to a full career pilot by the opportunity to quickly gain experience that allows you to go to many different sectors of aviation. Teaching flying is also a perfect complement to professional work as an airplane pilot, providing a balance of experience gained during flying.

The approved course for the Flight Instructor Rating FI(A) at PlanePoland consists of a minimum of 30 hours of flight instruction and 125 hours of theoretical lectures (including 25 hours of instruction and teaching instruction). According to FCL.940 in section 1, the FI(A) flight instructor rating is valid for 3 years (extension in accordance with FCL.940 in section 2). 

Flight Instructor Rating FI(A) is described in Subpart J of the Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1178/2011 (download PDF). 

1 Instruktor FI(A)
FCL.915.FI FI — Prerequisites. An applicant for an FI certificate shall be at least 18 years of age and also:

(a)  in the case of the FI(A) and FI(H):
(1) have received at least 10 hours of instrument flight instruction on the appropriate aircraft category, of which not more than 5 hours may be instrument ground time in an FSTD;
(2) have completed 20 hours of VFR cross-country flight on the appropriate aircraft category as PIC; and

(b)  additionally, for the FI(A):
(1)  hold at least a CPL(A); or
(2)  hold at least a PPL(A) and have:
(i) met the requirements for CPL theoretical knowledge, except for an FI(A) providing training for the LAPL(A) only; and
(ii) completed at least 200 hours of flight time on aeroplanes or TMGs, of which 150 hours as PIC;
(3)  have completed at least 30 hours on single-engine piston powered aeroplanes of which at least 5 hours shall have been completed during the 6 months preceding the pre-entry flight test set out in FCL.930.FI(a);
(4)  have completed a VFR cross-country flight as PIC, including a flight of at least 540 km (300 NM) in the course of which full stop landings at 2 different aerodromes shall be made;

(c)  additionally, for the FI(H), have completed 250 hours total flight time as pilot on helicopters of which:
(1) at least 100 hours shall be as PIC, if the applicant holds at least a CPL(H); or
(2) at least 200 hours as PIC, if the applicant holds at least a PPL(H) and has met the requirements for CPL theoretical knowledge;

Applicants for the Flight Instructor Rating FI(A) shall have passed a specific pre-entry flight test with an FI qualified in accordance with FCL.905.FI(i) within the 6 months preceding the start of the course, to assess their ability to undertake the course. This pre-entry flight test shall be based on the proficiency check for class and type ratings as set out in Appendix 9 to this Part.

2 Instruktor FI(A)