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MentorLIVE #109: CFI To The Airlines

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NAFI MentorLIVE logoMore from NAFI MentorLIVE · Episode 109

Proudly sponsored by Redbird Flight Simulations

Robert Knight, a CFI and regional airline First Officer, outlines three career phases—active flight instructor, airline interviewing and hiring, and continuing to impact aviation education after the leap—and how CFI decisions shape the transition to Part 121.

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Chapters & program details from mentorlive.site

Chapters 9
  1. 0:00 Redbird sponsor and welcome
  2. 7:00 Robert Knight: hiring path and flight school choice
  3. 14:40 Digitizing your logbook hours
  4. 27:00 Limiting factors before 1,500 hours
  5. 33:40 Career fairs and meeting recruiters
  6. 43:00 Airline applications and letters of recommendation
  7. 47:40 Interview prep while still instructing
  8. 59:20 Staying a CFI after you get hired
  9. 1:06:00 Closing

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About This Course

Whether you're going from a small "mom-and-pop" Part 61 operation or a mega-school Part 141, the jump from instructing students to operating a jet for a Part 121 company can be a major tone shift.

Join Robert Knight, a CFI and First Officer at a Regional Airline, in his breakdown of how the decisions made during his time as a CFI helped him transition to the scheduled air carrier world. In this episode of MentorLIVE, he will cover what you can do as a fresh CFI to get ahead of the game as well as what to do as you near your ATP minimums to ensure the transition for you and your students is as seamless as possible. Robert will outline three distinct phases of your career: active flight instructor, airline interviewing and hiring, and continuing to impact aviation education after you've made the leap.

Presenters

Robert Knight

Presenter

Robert Knight earned his aviation chops in the hot sun of central Texas, rising to become the chief flight instructor of a small Part 61 flight school before progressing to a regional air carrier and returning home to his native Illinois. He earned degrees from Parkland College and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, completing the latter while maintaining a full load of private, instrument, and commercial pilot students. Aviation is truly a love story for Robert. His annual trek to AirVenture Oshkosh began when he was an infant, and his aeronautical engineer father has been known to track his airline flights like other parents watch sporting events. Eager to give back to aviation and the flight instruction profession, Robert is a dedicated NAFI volunteer, serving regularly behind the scenes as part of the production team for MentorLIVE. He and his wife LiLi make their home just outside Chicago, Illinois.

Aaron Dabney

Host

Aaron Dabney is a lecturer and Chief of Flight Safety at the Baylor University Institute for Aviation Sciences. Outside of his university position, he is active as an independent consultant and educator serving flight instructors and as the owner of a small flight school. An active flight instructor since 2009, he has provided more than 5,000 hours of instruction in more than 30 aircraft types. Aaron's first airplane ride was in the family Piper Cub at 3 months old; he eventually completed his first solo in that same airplane, and he and his wife Alisa are now the third generation of his family to serve as its caretakers. Aaron is a 7-time NAFI Master Flight Instructor and has served on the Board of Directors since 2022. He also coordinates the MentorLIVE program.

WINGS Credit Details
Earn WINGS Credit FAASafety.gov course ID: 1654

Log in to your FAASafety.gov account, take the course quiz and receive WINGS credit.

Content above is from the original episode page: https://mentorlive.site/

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