Our CFIs hone skills on landings, maneuvers, and VFR cross-country flying,
however, these areas reflect only a small portion of what is demanded of
pilots in the airlines. While there is little direct relationship in flying lazy
eights and flying a jet, there is a direct and immediate relationship between
flying instruments, regardless of flying a 172 or a 747.
According to hiring managers, when airlines consider hiring a new First
Officer, one of the first things they look at is “how” the pilot got those hours.
A pilot whose hours were obtained by working in a position that had them
continually testing and improving their instrument skills is likely to be put
through to the next round of the process. The CFI-I only takes a couple of
additional weeks to earn, and the ROI will last a lifetime.