We Help You Pass
Our free online study guide really works. You can study for your FAA private pilot ground school exam right now. For more info about the 4VFR.COM project, click here. You can find a daily update log here.
Live ATC Audio Streams
Tune into live air traffic control frequencies from North America. This feature requires Real player. Start listening to ATC now!
Reference Library
Our glossary lists and databases have grown quickly. I am working to create an on-line reference library to tie together all the loose ends. You can check out what is currently available in the library
FAA Practice Exam - New!
Introducing our newly enhanced practice exam. Now with figures!. Take a test a day for a week, and I guarantee you will do better on your exam. Get Started Now!
Show your support for 4VFR.COM - Link us. Bookmark us. Tell your mother about us. Press CTRL-D to bookmark this site now!. Check out one of our proposed T-Shirt Designs.
Feature Article: CFI Hours
I took my intro flight a few days ago and when I asked my prospective
CFI how many hours he had, he said over 600 hrs. Is this a lot
of hours for a CFI? Does this guy have the experience in your
opinion? What is the > determining factor in selecting an
instructor? Do hours tell the whole story?
CFI Hours (The Opinion)
Hours tell zero of the story. Some people could instruct after
20 hours of dual better than their instructor with 10K hours.
Some people cannot teach well no matter how many hours they have.
Instructors aren't born, but good instructors are certainly gifted
with that undefinable skill of conveying information from person
to person. You can see it in the academic classroom; by the time
you are a sophomore, you know that "Professor Jones"
is to be avoided and "Professor Smith" is the one to
take EE-201 from. Jones may have a PhD, and Smith only an MS,
but somehow Smith has found a way to make the learning process
easier for students.
So is it in flight instruction. Instructors all have the same
basic skills, but some have that given gift to be able to convey
the information in a manner that you (the student) can assimilate
and use without further process. Some are just not so gifted.
That's the way of the world.
The chemistry works both ways. Some people I teach like I've
known them forever. Some I struggle with and finally suggest
that they find another teacher. Not only flying, but my academic
college students as well. The good instructor knows when they
just aren't getting through to the student and that another instructor
may have the key to their understanding.
Find an instructor that you learn from easily and all will be
well. I've got 4000+ hours, but I really don't know how well
I can teach you until we've spent an hour or two flailing about
in a flying machine.
Last Modified January 14, ©2026 TAGE.COM
