what a difference!

A couple of weeks ago in Florida I passed the Commercial airplane knowledge
test and scored 96. A couple of the questions I got wrong were on the
weather services and particularly the name of the charts. Not being in the
US means that whilst I know what's on the charts the names get a bit mixed
up. It is all about context. I finished the exam in about 90 minutes.

This summer I plan to complete the commercial on the route to becoming a
CFI.

To be able to instruct in the UK on the FAA syllabus and get paid for it, I
also need to be a JAR FI. Again to do that I need to pass the JAR
commercial. The requirements are similar except for the knowledge tests.

Some of you maybe Bob G might be interested to see the exam schedule for the
Commercial. It goes like this:

Day1

Principles of Flight Aircraft 0900-0945
General Knowledge 1000-1230
Flight Performance and Planning 1330-1630
Daily Total 6 hours 15 mins

Day2
Navigation 0900-1030
Meteorology 1100-1230
Operational Procedures 1330-1415
Air Law 1430-1515
Human Performance & Limitations 1530-1600
VFR Communications 1615-1645
Daily Total 5 hours 30 mins

The results come though 10 days later. Each exam costs $100 so that is $900
for the lot. However to get signed off for the exams one needs to attend a
compulsory 2 week residential course even if doing the bulk of the course by
distance learning.

Thankfully there are no more exams for the FI other than progress tests
during the course of training.

The instrument rating requires 7 more examinations again over 2 days and
about 9 hours.

Those poor sods going on to do the ATPL do 14 exams over 4 days.

Needless to say one asks why the hell does one do it. There is a chronic
shortage of stable FIs not knocking up time to go on to become ATPs. I would
like to be able to keep flying whilst cutting back on the regular work as I
get older. But it is one heck of an investment.

Chris