Howdy Y'all,

Getting to be that time again to renew my CFI and wondered what others' experiences have been with the various online programs.

The last 2 times I've done the refresher online, and have used Gleims course which is $100 and $25 for the paperwork. Last time I did it I had some issues where the website would lock up for 45 minutes at a time. I called and sent them an email about it after I completed the course and was disappointed with the response I received.

So I'm curious if anyone has someplace else to recommend, other than Jepp. American Flyers offers one for $125 and then you have unlimited renewals, which sounds interesting. I took one of their CFI renewall classes back in the pre-internet days which was OK so I've had a good experience with them before.

Any other suggestions? Also, I'm on dialup way out in the boonies so I can't use any high-bandwith courses.

TIA,

Mark

This spring will be my 3rd renewal with American Flyers and it has worked every time without a problem. It is boring but it is much better IMO than traveling to and sitting in on the seminars! Good Luck!

I used Gliem last year and wasn't overly impressed. In the past I've used American Flyers with an over all good experience.

Do you guys think that the American Flyer program will work OK over a slow connection? I couldn't tell if there was much video or other high bandwidth stuff.

Mississippian, so are you in the same program where you bought it once and the renewals from that point on are included?

Thanks guys!

Mark

And Oh yeah, Missippian I agree they aren't the most exciting thing out there in the world!

And like you I bet, I find it less painful to undergo it this way, at 11:00 for a few nights, than on a nice pleasant weekend sometime for the entire weeekend when I need to be mowing the lawn or fixing a kids bunkbed or something...

Yes I have the renew for life. Just remember your log on information and your GTG (good to go)! I think you can start working on the program up to 3 months before your renewal date which I would highly recommend! The first 2 renewals I did were on dialup and worked fine. Not many animations, graphs etc. Good luck!

Yeah I hear you.

Actually, it is 4 months now that you can renew and keep your same expiration date. Mines up in March so I have a bit of time, so you can ask me middle of March whether I've started it yet! LOL.

Gonna try to get it done next month, that'll be a first!

I live in Illinois, and they do have a pretty nice refresher class here that is 1 day a year and then you do it 2 years in a row and you get automatically renewed (well except for the filing stuff with the FAA and a guy there will do it for a fee of course) but it is a drive and it is not bad if you have no other life but nowadays it is hard to find the time to take 1 weekend a year dedicated to this.

Call me an anarchist but I'd rather pay $125 and go fishing, and fiddle with the course at night.

I've used the Gleim the past three times I've renewed and it's possible to speed things up a bit. Does anyone know if you can do that with the American flyer?

I can't imagine anyone wanting to be an instructor. Talk about Navel aviation, Bush flying, Crop-dusting, but heck, the only time you'd feel safe as an instructor is when you send someone solo. Even then they could land on you.

I've done the internet renewal 2 times. different providers.

found both to be as boring as S---. Hated it.

I've gone to GAITS renewal courses. Very entertaining and Greg Gorak is a true professional that can keep every one awake for the entire course.

I don't do any instruction other than for the pilots that work for me, but Greg's seminars almost light me up enough to want to do outside instruction again.

Good luck.
Mike

quote:

I can't imagine anyone wanting to be an instructor

Time building! It was a great experience and not as bad as you would think. All my instruction was in a Cub, Citabria and champ with Zero time students. It is interesting for the first ten hours or so! Luckily, never tore one up but we came close a few times!

If I ever have to do another online renewal course, I'll consider shooting myself.

Two reasons to go to one of the weekend courses; get's you out of the house and you might make a new friend.

I did the AOPA course last year. I would rather be dragged naked behind a Harley for two miles on an asphalt road that do that ever again.

I found primary flight instruction in a University Flying Club, I was a professor at the University at the time, to be some of the more rewarding teaching I've ever done. Only the student is more thrilled by his/her first solo flight than the instructor. The look on a flight students face when they realize "This isn't magic and I CAN DO IT" is priceless. Instrument instruction, other than the first time or two in actual IFR, was generally boring.