Accelerated · Initial CFI

Right seat.
Paid hours.

You're a Commercial pilot heading toward the airlines — that requires 1,500 PIC hours, and time-building is expensive. Stop paying to fly. Start getting paid to fly. The CRAFT CFI initial gets you teaching from the right seat in 10 to 12 days.

10–12 days
Initial CFI Finish
50+ hrs
Classroom Instruction
18 hrs
Dual DA40NG
1-on-1 · max 2
Class Format
Accelerated CFI · Diamond DA40NG
$12,000
10 to 12 days · 50+ hours of classroom instruction (FOI, FIA, FARs, lesson plan dev), Redbird sim, up to 18 hours dual in the DA40NG, all training materials, aircraft for the checkride.
+ Bundle CFI-I
+ $4,950
Add the CFI-I rating back-to-back. Adds about 4 days to the trip and saves over the separate course price. Walk out with both ratings.
Why CFI · Why Now

Stop paying
for hours.

The 1,500-hour gap between your Commercial and your ATP is the biggest expense in most pilots' careers — unless you flip the equation. Get paid to log time by teaching. CRAFT runs an active flight school with steady student flow, so newly-minted CFIs typically start instructing right away.

Time-build in reverse.

Most pilots' biggest career expense is the gap between Commercial and the airline minimums. At $200 per hour solo, that's a six-figure problem.

As a CFI you're not paying for those hours — you're getting paid for them. The economics flip the moment your name shows up on a logbook endorsement.

And there may be opportunities to instruct at CRAFT after earning your rating. Contact us about an interview.

1,500
PIC Hours to ATP
The math changes the day you get paid for them instead of paying for them.
What's In · What's Required

The course
in detail.

What's Included

  • 50+ hours of classroom instruction
  • Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI)
  • Flight Instructor Aeronautical Knowledge
  • Appropriate FARs & regulatory framework
  • Development and delivery of lesson plans
  • Redbird AATD AATD simulator instruction
  • Up to 18 hours of dual flight in the DA40NG
  • Aircraft rental for the checkride
  • Basic + advanced maneuvers from the right seat
  • Training materials included

Prerequisites

  • FAA Single-Engine Commercial Pilot Certificate
  • Valid FAA Medical Certificate
  • Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) knowledge test passed
  • Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI) knowledge test passed
  • Spin certification
  • Proficient in Private + Commercial maneuvers (stalls, steep turns, chandelles, lazy 8s, etc.)

Not Included

  • CFI initial examiner fee — expect $1,500 to $1,700
  • Spin certification, if not already completed
  • Hours beyond the included 18 hrs (billed at standard hourly rate if needed)
  • Lodging (off-campus housing available 5–10 minutes from KCHS)

Class format

  • One-on-one or 2 students max — never a lecture hall
  • Fast-paced — come prepared, especially on the FOI
  • Bring-your-own-airplane option available — ask for a quote
  • Attend with a friend and save
  • If more training is needed, standard hourly rates apply for aircraft + instructor
Bundle & Save

Walk out with
both ratings.

CFI
+
CFI-I

Run the courses sequentially — about 4 extra days on the trip — and finish both. The CFI-I is a $4,950 add-on when bundled, saving over the separate course price.

$200+ SAVED ON BUNDLE
DPE Availability

Weeks.
Not months.

The biggest reason "accelerated" stops being accelerated isn't instruction — it's checkrides. CFI initials are the longest checkrides on the books, which makes DPE availability even more critical. CRAFT plans for it from day one.

"Train. Test. Finish."

Accelerated training isn't about rushing. It's about removing the biggest bottleneck in the system.

Next Cohort

Time to switch
seats.

Tell us where you are: hours, knowledge tests done, target start. We'll get you on the schedule.