How to Go From Zero to CFI in Under 90 Days

In today's video, I'm going to answer a question that I've been asked hundreds of times in the comments; and that is how to fast-track your path to becoming a CFI...so you can stop spending money on flight training, and start earning money instead.

Thanks for watching!

👉 Links mentioned:

👋 About Me 👋

My Social Accounts:

🌟 🎬 Video Editing By The Tweaky Tales

[aviatorchew]

For all the folks wanting to get into aviation, do NOT do this job, or put your self in tons of debt for training, solely due to the possibility of making lots of money. Do it because you love it, and the money *can* be good on top of that.

[julianelias]

Unemployed, living at my parents house, driving around a $5000 car, man I’m ahead of the game!

[patriceschrama]

Hey Trent! Once again you have provided an excellent resource for folks looking to get to CFI quickly and efficiently. I really enjoyed how you emphasized the fact that if a person wants it badly enough, they will make the necessary sacrifices. These are the facts! Live below your means! I’m a student pilot working on my private pilot certificate. I work as a substitute teacher, a banquet worker at two hotel properties and as a suite attendant at an event center. It’s a grind for sure but it’s worth it!
Thanks for making these videos and sharing your journey with us!

[Cryptoview_]

I'm 42, and I'm starting, thanks to you. Wish me luck; I'll keep you in the loop. Great video, by the way!

[ronjennings]

Love the "real talk", Trent! We all gotta be honest with ourselves about what we want and what we're willing (or unwilling) to do to get it.

[CJWillyFlies]

Hi, Trent. I moved to Colorado to make my dreams of becoming a professional aviator come true. The job I took fell through, and I've sent over 100 applications for server jobs, but there just doesn't seem to be any need right now. I'm upside down on my car because of a car accident a couple of years ago, so that's not an option. I have a wife and 3 dogs. We live in the most inexpensive place we could find ($1500/mo), and we don't eat out at all. I've canceled nearly all subscription services and sold everything I have of value besides aviation equipment/flight sim stuff. We have definitely hit a big rough patch, but I will still do my best to follow your advice. This has been a dream I've had for my entire life, and only recently did I convince myself I'm worth the effort, and you are an inspiration.

[jakeclee]

Hey Trent, I would love to see a video about independent CFI as that is what I am looking into doing.
Love your Chanel and content!

[rvnous]

Thank you Trent,
I'm glad you mentioned Security it's great a way to study and get paid if you get the right post. Currently, I'm working overnights and reading the private pilot book then play flight sim when I get home. Hoping to have enough saved by the end of the year to enact your plan, you have been a great inspiration!

[Alex-vmne]

Absolutely motivational, thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed it

[davidhoward]

Look, I will tell you how I'm affording to do this, I went and got a CDL last year and got a job doing touch freight (unloading my own trailers) making $41 an hour (in Ohio). I bring home after taxes $2, 200 a week, I work 6 days a week at 12+ hours per day and then I go directly to my local FBO and take lessons every single day (weather permitting). If I can do this, anyone can, you just have to have the dedication to do so. Are you ready to get the minimum amount of sleep possible? Are you ready for back breaking work? If you can't do this then don't try this path but if you have that motivation then take this path. If you can follow this path then what Trent says will be easy.

[atlaspaintpros]

Thank you for always bringing things on this subject into perspective with such detail, Trent! Love your videos, man. Keep them coming!

[alexsze]

In 2020 I got my ppc/ifr/comm, 2022 got 2 cjo’s and current 121 FO. THIS VIDEO IS 100% SPITTIN FACTS!!!

[krispyk.]

Thank you so much!
I’m really excited to be a CFI and rack up some hours, but at the same time it seems almost like an impossible feat with me being so new and freshly exposed to all the knowledge in aviation

[robertthomas]

Preach brother! Everything you said is 💯

[jbaldwin]

Hi Trent, as usual, thanks for the video.

I remember telling you in previous comments that I was living in a semi-truck, slashed expenses to basically just the cost of my grocery store food, and making pretty good money driving for a large trucking company and training new student drivers. I saved money and built my budget.

Guess what I just did? Blew that all up, got an office job (and took a pay cut) at my trucking company. Now, I dispatch a fleet of truck drivers, out of Columbus, Ohio.

Why did I do that? Partly because of you. And partly because of Pilot Kaity.

I have roommates and an ugly cheap @$$ car that I fix myself. But now, I have access to doctors and aviation medical examiners so that I can start that process.

And I have access to a light sport training airport about 45 minutes away, on a grass strip, flying Piper Cub taildraggers.

It’s a family-owned outfit that spends $0 on ads, fixes their own planes, operates out of what used to be a cornfield, and has everything paid off. It’s a hell of a deal.

However, they suck at one thing. They have DPEs. They have two dozen Piper Cubs, huge for their student counts. But they just don’t have enough CFIs. It’s hard as hell for them to get light sport CFIs. They only have 2 CFIs there, and they need CFIs, real bad.

So what does that tell me?

It tells me that I’ll have a light sport CFI job getting tons of hours as soon as I can hit 150 hours and qualify. They’ve got a shit ton of demand.

And I can make it work. I can work my regular trucking dispatch job and cover the weird hours, waking up crazy early in the morning and getting off early. Then, I can zip off to the airport and train and build hours, on weekday afternoons, when their demand for CFIs is down.

And in my spare time, I can work with them to learn Instrument and Commercial, as they also train that, and have access to DPEs for that. An old steam gauge plane, but do I care? Not really.

And I’ll have the money in the bank to knock out my multiengine rating, when ready.

So let’s go!

[michaelsmith]

Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the comment about your training center & accelerated cfi.
Confirms my thought process.

[SuperAirplanemaster]

Hi Trent, I'm Keilyn, a huge fan of your YouTube channel. Thanks for creating such valuable content. I wish I'd known earlier before college. Despite wanting a career in aviation with the armed services, I couldn't get into their academy, so I pursued college instead. It's essential to mention before starting flight training the importance of obtaining a first-class medical and addressing any issues early on to avoid costly setbacks. I'd love if you could make a video on the cheapest way to get a CFI, or direct me to one if it already exists, as I'm currently working towards my CFI and CFII amidst some financial challenges. Keep up the excellent work!

[austincarlisle]

Long time viewer of your channel, never commented..You nailed this one on this head! All great advice!! I went full tilt and moved to south AZ hoping to be sidewalk to CFI in about 6 months. Quit nursing. Started 4 weeks ago and ppl checkride tomorrow! For anyone else in the same boat you should interrogate part 61 schools on: Weather, dpe availability, in house maintainence (it doesnt matter if the school has 20 planes if they're always down waiting for maintainence), cfi availibility, knowledge with how to work with accelerated students and a rough syllabus to reflect that, how long does it take to get the training area? Are you spending 1 hobbs hour just getting to the training zone? Phoenix area had this problem. ATP students fly from the next city over just to come to my airport to BEGIN practicing haha. Don't go ATP ever, you can emulate their exact structure for literally half the cost and even get a few more ratings than they give you. Seniority is everything in the airlines so get there ASAP

[seanwright]

Hay Trent been loving the videos. Greatly interested in seen a video on Independent CFI. As a traditional CFI would be a drastic pay cut for me to support my family on.

[sethmiller]

Trent, I've been following you for a while, I love how direct you are in this one. Thanks for the info!