Helicopter CFI Syllabus and Lesson Plans, Part 141

by Philip Greenspun and Kasim Te; updated August 2010

Site Home : Flying : Helicopter Instruction (Part 141) : One Course

Developed for students at East Coast Aero Club which operated under FAR Part 141 from July 2008 through July 2010.

Want to start training in Boston with East Coast Aero Club? Call 781-274-6322 to enroll, or email philg@mit.edu


Course Overview

Enrollment Prerequisites: Students enrolling in the CFI course must possess a commercial pilot certificate or an airline transport pilot certificate, with a helicopter category and class rating and hold a current third-class medical certificate.

Objective: The student will obtain the aeronautical skill and experience necessary to meet the requirements for a certificated flight instructor certificate with a rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating.

Completion Standards: The student will demonstrate through practical tests and school records that he/she has the necessary aeronautical skill and experience to obtain a certificated flight instructor certificate with a rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating.

Contents: The CFI course comprises a flight portion and ground portion, to be completed concurrently. Some flight lessons require that particular ground lessons be completed beforehand. These prerequisities are noted within the flight lessons. Course sequence may deviate at the instructor's discretion as long as all deviations are noted.

Flight Training Course

Minimum completion time: 27.5 hours dual flight time

Flight Stage I

13 hours dual

Objective: Stage one introduces the left seat, introduces instructing, and introduces touch down autorotations.

Completion Standards: The student will demonstrate instructional knowledge of all flight maneuvers, begin to properly evaluate performance of maneuvers from an instructional perspective, fly all maneuvers from the left seat to a commercial standard, and show progress in performing touch down autorotations.

Flight Stage II

14.5 hours dual

Objective: Stage two introduces common error analysis and simulated flight lessons given by the CFI candidate.

Completion Standards: This stage will be completed when the student can demonstrate instructional knowledge of the flight maneuvers and begin to properly evaluate performance of maneuvers.

Ground Training Course

Objective: The student will obtain the necessary aeronautical knowledge and meet the prerequisites specified in CFR Part 61 for a Certificated Flight Instructor and Fundamentals of Instruction written exams.

Completion standards: The student will demonstrate through practical tests, written tests, and records that he/she meets the prerequisites specific in CFR Part 61, and has the knowledge necessary to pass the certificated flight instructor and fundamental of instruction written tests.

Ground Stage I

18 hours ground

Objective: During ground stage one, the student will learn the about the fundamentals of instruction and the in-flight instructional technique in regards to helicopter maneuvers.

Completion standards: This stage is complete when the student has taken the Stage One exam with a minimum score of 70 percent and the instructor has reviewed each incorrect response to ensure complete understanding before the student progresses to Stage Two. The student will be ready to take the FAA FOI exam.

Ground Stage II

22.5 hours

Objective: During Ground Stage II, the student will review technical topics by creating lesson plans and presenting them in an instructor's role.

Completion Standards: Stage two will be complete when the student has passed the final stage two written test with a minimum score of 70% and the stage two oral check with the chief instructor, assistant chief instructor, or qualified designee of either the chief or assistant chief instructor. The instructor will review each incorrect response to assure complete understanding of deficient areas.

Additional Documents

If you would like to adapt these plans for your own use, please feel free as long as it is within the terms of my online copyright statement.
Text Copyright 2008 Philip Greenspun.
philg@mit.edu