faa home study graduation certificate

Hi, thinking of getting my private license. Looking to do ground school
entirely at home, as I already am pretty familiar with most of the concepts
covered by the FAA written test. FAA Rules say one can take the test with:

e. A certificate of graduation from an aviation home study
course developed by the aeronautical enterprise providing
the study material. The certificate of graduation must
correspond to the FAA written test for the certificate or rating
sought. The aeronautical enterprise providing the course of
study must also supply a comprehensive written test which can be
scored as evidence that the student has completed the course of
study. When the student satisfactorily completes the written
test, it is sent to the course provider for scoring by an FAA
certificated ground or flight instructor. The instructor
evaluates the test and attests to the student's knowledge of the
subjects presented in the course. Upon satisfactory completion,
a graduation certificate is sent to the student.

I've been looking at Sporty's home study thing. Does anybody know if they
do the CFI signoff/ graduation certificate themselves? That is, does their
(or anybody's) home study course include a written test which you either
send electronically, or by mail, or (best) is automatically graded and
"signed" by the computer when you complete the test? I'm trying to avoid
giving a CFI $70 so that he can spend 15 seconds looking at my answers and
signing off on the test (sorry CFIs).

I've looked far and wide, and all the home study stuff is very coy about
whether you can use their "certificates of graduation" to satisfy the above
FAA rule.

Thanks very much!

"Falky foo" wrote in message
. ..
I'm trying to avoid
giving a CFI $70 so that he can spend 15 seconds looking at my answers and
signing off on the test (sorry CFIs).

A typical CFI fee is on the order of $40 per hour, which comes to much less
than $70 for 15 seconds.

FAR 61.103d (http://makeashorterlink.com/?A2F925F6A) does require a CFI's
signoff before you take the knowledge test. Typically, if you do self-study,
the CFI will assess your readiness in the course of talking to you during
your flight training (and will probably ask you to take a sample test as
well), with little or no additional cost for the assessment and signoff.
Also, there's no need to follow a program like Sporty's (unless you find it
helpful); just reading a good textbook is sufficient.

--Gary

All the people I've talked to in San Diego want $70 to sign it, since I
don't have someone I'm taking regular lessons from at this time.


"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...
"Falky foo" wrote in message
. ..
I'm trying to avoid
giving a CFI $70 so that he can spend 15 seconds looking at my answers
and
signing off on the test (sorry CFIs).

A typical CFI fee is on the order of $40 per hour, which comes to much
less
than $70 for 15 seconds.

FAR 61.103d (http://makeashorterlink.com/?A2F925F6A) does require a CFI's
signoff before you take the knowledge test. Typically, if you do
self-study,
the CFI will assess your readiness in the course of talking to you during
your flight training (and will probably ask you to take a sample test as
well), with little or no additional cost for the assessment and signoff.
Also, there's no need to follow a program like Sporty's (unless you find
it
helpful); just reading a good textbook is sufficient.

--Gary

"Falky foo" wrote in message
. ..
All the people I've talked to in San Diego want $70 to sign it, since I
don't have someone I'm taking regular lessons from at this time.

"All the people" quote you exactly the same price? Sounds to me like you
talked to only one person. In any case...

You cannot get your "private license" without hiring an instructor to train
you. If you do hire an instructor to train you, they will have no problem
whatsoever signing you off to take the written exam, even if you study at
home rather than taking ground school. They won't charge you for it either.

If you want an instructor that you have never met before, and whom you'll
never see again, to sign you off to take the written exam, they will need to
verify that you have done the necessary work to qualify to be signed off to
take the written exam. This is NOT a "15 seconds looking at my answers"
process.

As others have pointed out, coursework that you PAY for include
certification for being qualified to take the written. But of course you
PAY for that coursework. There's little difference between that fee and
paying an instructor to do the verification. I don't know why you say that
"all the home study stuff is very coy"...I've found the ones that provide
for a completion certificate allowing you to take the written are right up
front about it, and not coy at all. After all, it's a marketing point for
them.

Why you would want to do all the home study for the written without getting
near an airplane, never mind hiring an instructor to teach you to fly, I
have no idea. But if you insist on doing so, you're going to have to pay
*someone* for the signoff for the written, whether that's through the
purchase of appropriate home study materials or by paying an instructor to
take the time to verify your knowledge before taking the written.

Pete

Sounds like the opinion of a CFI.. let me address your points:

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...

"All the people" quote you exactly the same price? Sounds to me like you
talked to only one person. In any case...

change that to "around $70"

You cannot get your "private license" without hiring an instructor to
train
you.

Yes I understand.

If you do hire an instructor to train you, they will have no problem
whatsoever signing you off to take the written exam, even if you study at
home rather than taking ground school. They won't charge you for it
either.

I want to get the written part done before going up in the plane. I'm not
asking for input on whether this is advisable or not.

If you want an instructor that you have never met before, and whom you'll
never see again, to sign you off to take the written exam, they will need
to
verify that you have done the necessary work to qualify to be signed off
to
take the written exam. This is NOT a "15 seconds looking at my answers"
process.

That's why I'm looking for something automated, or something done by a
company I can send in for. I DON'T want to have to deal with an instructor
at this point, and when I do, I want it to be as little as possible.

As others have pointed out, coursework that you PAY for include
certification for being qualified to take the written. But of course you
PAY for that coursework. There's little difference between that fee and
paying an instructor to do the verification.

Other than having to deal with the instructor, which I don't want to do if I
don't have to.

I don't know why you say that
"all the home study stuff is very coy"...I've found the ones that provide
for a completion certificate allowing you to take the written are right up
front about it, and not coy at all. After all, it's a marketing point for
them.

I'd love it if you could point to specific language. If I were their
marketing guy, I'd be far more explicit, saying something like, "This
certificate satisfies FAA regulation XX.XX(x) and allows you to take the
written exam without other CFI signoff."

Why you would want to do all the home study for the written without
getting
near an airplane, never mind hiring an instructor to teach you to fly, I
have no idea.

Because I don't have time to do the actual flight training now, and because
I already know a great deal about what the FAA tests for, and because I like
to do one thing at a time. Pete, don't fear people who do things
differently than you do!

But if you insist on doing so, you're going to have to pay
*someone* for the signoff for the written, whether that's through the
purchase of appropriate home study materials or by paying an instructor to
take the time to verify your knowledge before taking the written.

That's fine, as long as I don't blow $180 on a home study course and then
have to spend another $70 (or AROUND $70) to have some noodle write his name
on it.

Thanks again!

"Falky foo" wrote in message
...
Sounds like the opinion of a CFI.. let me address your points:

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...

"All the people" quote you exactly the same price? Sounds to me like you
talked to only one person. In any case...

change that to "around $70"

You cannot get your "private license" without hiring an instructor to
train
you.

Yes I understand.

If you do hire an instructor to train you, they will have no problem
whatsoever signing you off to take the written exam, even if you study at
home rather than taking ground school. They won't charge you for it
either.

I want to get the written part done before going up in the plane. I'm not
asking for input on whether this is advisable or not.

If you want an instructor that you have never met before, and whom you'll
never see again, to sign you off to take the written exam, they will need
to
verify that you have done the necessary work to qualify to be signed off
to
take the written exam. This is NOT a "15 seconds looking at my answers"
process.

That's why I'm looking for something automated, or something done by a
company I can send in for. I DON'T want to have to deal with an
instructor
at this point, and when I do, I want it to be as little as possible.

As others have pointed out, coursework that you PAY for include
certification for being qualified to take the written. But of course you
PAY for that coursework. There's little difference between that fee and
paying an instructor to do the verification.

Other than having to deal with the instructor, which I don't want to do if
I
don't have to.

I don't know why you say that
"all the home study stuff is very coy"...I've found the ones that provide
for a completion certificate allowing you to take the written are right
up
front about it, and not coy at all. After all, it's a marketing point
for
them.

I'd love it if you could point to specific language. If I were their
marketing guy, I'd be far more explicit, saying something like, "This
certificate satisfies FAA regulation XX.XX(x) and allows you to take the
written exam without other CFI signoff."

Why you would want to do all the home study for the written without
getting
near an airplane, never mind hiring an instructor to teach you to fly, I
have no idea.

Because I don't have time to do the actual flight training now, and
because
I already know a great deal about what the FAA tests for, and because I
like
to do one thing at a time. Pete, don't fear people who do things
differently than you do!





I hope that you have researched the regulations for the validity period of
the written exam. IIRC the flight test and ALL flight requirements and
paperwork must be completed within two years of the written exam date.

While there is nothing wrong with self study, it is more common to do the
written a few months before the flight test so that the exam prep work will
also be recent and will also prepare you for the oral part of the flight
test.

There are many sources of practice exam materials and they can often be
purchased used from someone who has just completed their training. I bet if
you asked nicely someone on this group could email sample exams or sell you
their used material and may even have other student supplies like denault
computers and practice maps and books.





But if you insist on doing so, you're going to have to pay
*someone* for the signoff for the written, whether that's through the
purchase of appropriate home study materials or by paying an instructor
to
take the time to verify your knowledge before taking the written.

That's fine, as long as I don't blow $180 on a home study course and then
have to spend another $70 (or AROUND $70) to have some noodle write his
name
on it.

Thanks again!

"Falky foo" wrote in message
...
I don't know why you say that
"all the home study stuff is very coy"...I've found the ones that provide
for a completion certificate allowing you to take the written are right
up
front about it, and not coy at all. After all, it's a marketing point
for
them.

I'd love it if you could point to specific language. If I were their
marketing guy, I'd be far more explicit, saying something like, "This
certificate satisfies FAA regulation XX.XX(x) and allows you to take the
written exam without other CFI signoff."

Honestly, I'm not sure someone with so little motivation as to be able to
find this sort information on your own really belongs in the cockpit. As I
said, it's a marketing point and usually prominently stated. For example,
from the King School's web page for their Private Pilot course:

"Your Private Pilot Exam DVD Course includes:
1.. Every single FAA question, with thorough step-by-step explanations
2.. 3 Practice Exams (to help boost your confidence before the test)
3.. FAR/AIM CD-ROM
4.. King Coursebook with detailed notes
5.. Sign-off for your FAA Exam"
Pay particular mind to #5. Isn't that explicit enough for you?

Of course, keep in mind the 24-month limit for the exam. That is, once you
pass the exam, you have 24 months only before you take the practical exam
(oral and flight).

Your reluctance to get involved with an actual flight instructor is pretty
bizarre, IMHO. And whether you asked for advice on that issue or not, it's
pretty silly to go off rushing into the written exam before you've done any
flight training at all.

Pete

"Falky foo" wrote in message
. ..
All the people I've talked to in San Diego want $70 to sign it, since I
don't have someone I'm taking regular lessons from at this time.

Oh ok, that's different.

One alternative that you might (or might not) want to consider, if you're
comfortable just learning the ground material from a textbook, is to do that
and then take a practice test (to verify that you can pass comfortably), but
defer the real test until you've started flight training. That way you avoid
both the expense of the online ground course and of the $70 signoff, but you
still get all the ground study out of the way in advance--all that remains
is to take the official test, which at that point will be just a formality.

--Gary

Falky foo wrote:

I've been looking at Sporty's home study thing. Does anybody know if they
do the CFI signoff/ graduation certificate themselves?

I don't know how Sporty's does it, but I took the Kings course once and after
you do your final exam you call them and they send you a certificate rubber
stamped with John King's signature.

While a CFI signoff is required, there is really no logic behind that
requirement (it might have had a logic when the written exams were
offered for free by the FAA). If you can't find any CFI willing to sign
you off, I am sure one of us here on this newsgroup will be willing to
do it. There should not be any charge for this service as it only takes
a few minutes to do, and whether you pass or fail does not reflect back
on us.




"Falky foo" wrote in
:

Hi, thinking of getting my private license. Looking to do ground
school entirely at home, as I already am pretty familiar with most of
the concepts covered by the FAA written test. FAA Rules say one can
take the test with:

e. A certificate of graduation from an aviation home study
course developed by the aeronautical enterprise providing
the study material. The certificate of graduation must
correspond to the FAA written test for the certificate or rating
sought. The aeronautical enterprise providing the course of
study must also supply a comprehensive written test which can be
scored as evidence that the student has completed the course of
study. When the student satisfactorily completes the written
test, it is sent to the course provider for scoring by an FAA
certificated ground or flight instructor. The instructor
evaluates the test and attests to the student's knowledge of the
subjects presented in the course. Upon satisfactory completion,
a graduation certificate is sent to the student.

I've been looking at Sporty's home study thing. Does anybody know if
they do the CFI signoff/ graduation certificate themselves? That is,
does their (or anybody's) home study course include a written test
which you either send electronically, or by mail, or (best) is
automatically graded and "signed" by the computer when you complete
the test? I'm trying to avoid giving a CFI $70 so that he can spend
15 seconds looking at my answers and signing off on the test (sorry
CFIs).

I've looked far and wide, and all the home study stuff is very coy
about whether you can use their "certificates of graduation" to
satisfy the above FAA rule.

Thanks very much!