bob turner
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2005
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Most of my CFI renewals were done by FSDO staff, since I was a 121 captain. But I have done one 16 hour seminar (snooze) and a number of mail-in and computer type renewals. My goal is always to learn something, avoid the primary stuff, and avoid wasting two complete days.
We found we could do most FIRCs in under 3 1/2 hours, getting pretty much all the answers correct. Obviously the FAA found we could do that, so the FIRCS are set up now so that you must remain connected for 16 hours.
I stay away from video presentations - I abhor watching that stuff - the first 15 minutes are with some guy standing in front of a 172 telling you what you will learn, and how wonderful the course is. Then they launch in to the meaningful stuff: "This is an airplane. Note that it has wings, wheels, an engine . . ."
I speed - read, pausing at stuff that looks testable. "Being ethical" is not testable, so I read that quickly - but I spot the curent definition of "ethical" and take a quick note. At that rate, it takes me about 15 minutes to do a 45 minute lesson. But I cannot quit - the FAA requires me to do 45 minutes, and if I finish early the software tells me to go back and study. Obviously the iPad has no idea what I am actually doing for the next half hour.
I have done AceCFI and King Schools FIRCS within the last three months, and can tell you that the pre-timing FIRCS from both are ideal for folks like me. As I type this, I am doing the latest AceCFI FIRC, and so far I can tell you it has a lot of fluff designed to stretch it out. It is still excellent, given that they had to triple the amount of text involved, while transferring the same amount of information. I will try to report back when I finish - I hope to be able to review the King Schools FIRC when they comply with the 16 hour lock-in format.
More later.
We found we could do most FIRCs in under 3 1/2 hours, getting pretty much all the answers correct. Obviously the FAA found we could do that, so the FIRCS are set up now so that you must remain connected for 16 hours.
I stay away from video presentations - I abhor watching that stuff - the first 15 minutes are with some guy standing in front of a 172 telling you what you will learn, and how wonderful the course is. Then they launch in to the meaningful stuff: "This is an airplane. Note that it has wings, wheels, an engine . . ."
I speed - read, pausing at stuff that looks testable. "Being ethical" is not testable, so I read that quickly - but I spot the curent definition of "ethical" and take a quick note. At that rate, it takes me about 15 minutes to do a 45 minute lesson. But I cannot quit - the FAA requires me to do 45 minutes, and if I finish early the software tells me to go back and study. Obviously the iPad has no idea what I am actually doing for the next half hour.
I have done AceCFI and King Schools FIRCS within the last three months, and can tell you that the pre-timing FIRCS from both are ideal for folks like me. As I type this, I am doing the latest AceCFI FIRC, and so far I can tell you it has a lot of fluff designed to stretch it out. It is still excellent, given that they had to triple the amount of text involved, while transferring the same amount of information. I will try to report back when I finish - I hope to be able to review the King Schools FIRC when they comply with the 16 hour lock-in format.
More later.
