CFI Lesson Plans

CFI Lesson Plans

Sale price$ 85.004.6

Prep - Check - Teach

ALL content has been updated to the latest Instructor ACS requirements.
All content is provided in PC (Word & PowerPoint), Mac (Pages & Keynote), and PDF format!

Spend your time flying! We've compiled all of the information required for each task in the CFI ACS (single engine) into an awesome, easy to use eBook and PowerPoints to make your life, checkride, and instructing easier, and we'll keep them up to date for you.

Prep & Check: CFI checkride

Teach: Private & Commercial students

What's Included

Lessons & PowerPoints

  • CFI ACS Detailed Lessons
  • CFI ACS Condensed Lessons
  • CFI ACS PowerPoints

Word, PDF & PowerPoint documents

Syllabi

  • Private Pilot (SE)
  • Commercial Pilot (SE)
  • Hourly Breakdowns
  • Student Trackers

Word, PDF & Excel documents

Awesome product and a must have for new CFI applicants. Everything you could possibly want to know is laid out in an easy to view format, making it easy to teach.

Kip

I just passed my CFI-A checkride with these lesson plans. They saved me a huge amount of time in preparation... Overall a great value and a great buy!
Write some content about what they says about your store.

Samples

A lesson & PowerPoint for every task in the CFI ACS with every single Knowledge & Risk Management element included & annotated. Use the links below to view sample lessons & PowerPoints!

 

 I. Fundamentals of Instructing
II. Technical Subject Areas
  • A. Human Factors
  • B. Visual Scanning & Collision Avoidance
  • C. Runway Incursion Avoidance
  • D. Principles of Flight / Slides
  • D. Forces of Flight (Addt'l info)
  • E. Flight Controls & Operation of Systems
  • F. Performance & Limitations
  • G. National Airspace System
  • H. Navigation Systems & Radar Services
  • I. Navigation & Flight Planning
  • J. 14 CFR & Publications
  • K. Endorsements & Logbook Entries
  • M. Night Operations
  • N. Supplemental Oxygen
  • O. Pressurization
III. Preflight Preparation
IV. Preflight on a Lesson
  • A. Maneuver Lesson
V. Preflight Procedures
  • A. Preflight Assessment
  • B. Flight Deck Management
  • C. Engine Starting
  • D. Taxiing, Airport Signs & Lighting
  • E. Before Takeoff Check
VI. Airport Operations
  • A. Comms, Light Signals & Runway Lighting
  • B. Traffic Patterns
VII. TOs, LDGs & Go-Arounds
  • A. Normal Takeoff & Climb
  • B. Normal Approach & Landing
  • C. Soft-Field Takeoff & Climb
  • D. Soft-Field Approach & Landing
  • E. Short-Field Takeoff & Climb / Slides
  • F. Short-Field Approach & Landing
  • M. Slip to a Landing
  • N. Go-Around/Rejected Landing
  • O. Power-Off 180 Approach & Landing
VIII. Fundamentals of Flight
  • A. Straight-and-Level
  • B. Turns
  • C. Straight Climbs & Climbing Turns
  • D. Straight Descents & Descending Turns
IX. Maneuvers
X. Slow Flight, Stalls & Spins
  • A. Maneuvering During Slow Flight
  • B. Demonstration of Flight Characteristics
  • C. Power-Off Stalls
  • D. Power-On Stalls
  • E. Accelerated Stalls
  • F. Cross-Controlled Stalls
  • G. Elevator Trim Stalls
  • H. Secondary Stalls
  • I. Spin Awareness & Spins
XI. Basic Instrument Mnvrs
XII. Emergency Operations
XIV. Postflight Procedures
  • A. After Landing, Parking & Securing
XV. Appendix
  • A. Flight Review
  • B. Plan of Action
  • C. Common Carriage
  • D. ADM, CRM & SRM
Syllabi

75

Lessons

Just $1 a lesson! And that's not counting the 8 additional aircraft that we created specific systems & malfunctions lessons for, or the content on Flight Reviews, Plans of Action, and Common Carriage content, or our detailed Private & Commercial Syllabi, and numerous other features.

CFI Specifics

Get a clear picture of our CFI content and additions. We added a specific Operation of Systems lesson and Systems & Equipment Malfunctions lesson for each of the aircraft listed.

PTS Lessons

72

Covers all single-engine PTS sections & tasks

Additional Lessons

3

  • Forces of Flight & Maneuvers
  • Weather Theory
  • Airworthiness Requirements (FARs)
Aircraft Systems

9

  • Generic System Operation
  • Cessna 152 & 172S
  • Cirrus SR20
  • Diamond DA20 & 40
  • Piper Archer II & III
  • Piper Arrow
Appendix

3

  • Flight Review
  • Plan of Action
  • Common Carriage
Syllabi

2

  • Private (SE) Syllabus
  • Commercial (SE) Syllabus
  • Hours Breakdown
  • Student Trackers
01

Free Updates

We'll do the work to keep your content current!

And not just that, we're constantly adding & improving content (over 12 years of updates so far). Login to your account to access the most current documents. No subscription fees, just FREE updates for life!

02

Additional Content

A specific lesson for each task in each CFI PTS (FOI included), and we aren't stopping there. We've added content on sample flight plans of action, Flight Reviews, Common Carriage, and a number of specific aircraft systems & malfunctions, with more to come!

03

Work Efficiently

FULLY editable with built in navigation!

With our 100% editable content you're not tied to someone else's teaching style & program. Built in navigation allows you to access any lesson with a tap. Follow links to additional eBook & online content.

04

Your Work is Done

Save time & start instructing sooner!

Our easy to use eBooks contain detailed lessons for each task in each Instructor PTS (FOI included). Combine that with a PowerPoint for each lesson, our ACS Reviews, and our syllabi, and your work is done!
01

Free Updates

We'll do the work to keep your content current!

And not just that, we're constantly adding & improving content (over 12 years of updates so far). Login to your account to access the most current documents. No subscription fees, just FREE updates for life!

02

Additional Content

A specific lesson for each task in each CFI PTS (FOI included), and we aren't stopping there. We've added content on sample flight plans of action, Flight Reviews, Common Carriage, and a number of specific aircraft systems & malfunctions, with more to come!

03

Work Efficiently

FULLY editable with built in navigation!

With our 100% editable content you're not tied to someone else's teaching style & program. Built in navigation allows you to access any lesson with a tap. Follow links to additional eBook & online content.

04

Your Work is Done

Save time & start instructing sooner!

Our easy to use eBooks contain detailed lessons for each task in each Instructor PTS (FOI included). Combine that with a PowerPoint for each lesson, our ACS Reviews, and our syllabi, and your work is done!

Compare

Package vs Individual Content

Find the deal that's best for you. Compare our package deals to the individual CFI content.

The Whole Shebang
The Whole Shebang Sale price$ 175.00
CFI Lesson Pack
CFI Lesson Pack Sale price$ 149.00
CFI Lesson Plans
CFI Lesson Plans Sale price$ 85.00
SAVINGS

$999

$499

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Lessons & PowerPoints

CFI, CFII, MEI

CFI, CFII, MEI

CFI

ACS Reviews

Private, Instrument, Commercial

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Syllabi

Private, Instrument, Commercial (SE)

Private, Instrument, Commercial (SE)

Private, Commercial (SE)

Reference Card

IFR / VFR

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FAQ

Let's clear up some common questions

More Questions? Email info@thebackseatpilot.com

Customer Reviews

Based on 73 reviews
79%
(58)
11%
(8)
1%
(1)
7%
(5)
1%
(1)
C
Caleb Newcomer
great lesson plans

great lesson plans, learning myself just going through them and reading them. The only thing that I know would help me would be to highlight some of the main parts of each lesson plan. For example, on the runway incursion section highlight " a. Airport markings" and then " b. Airport Signs" just so its easier to scroll through and find what you want. but just personal preference, thank you

Hey Caleb, thank you! I absolutely agree—and that exact request was actually addressed in the latest update! The CFI & MEI Lesson Plans were completely reformatted to improve readability, structure, and flow.

You'll now see:
Improved section spacing for easier scanning / Varied as well as bolded headings to help you quickly find and differentiate sections and topics ('Airport Markings' and 'Signs' are now bold in the Runway Incursions lesson) / Color-coded highlights for things like main points, mnemonics, instructor actions (coming in future updates), and extra notes and details

Just head to your account and download the April 2025 version of the CFI Lessons. Future updates will continue applying this layout across the rest of the content. I really appreciate the feedback!

T
Thaddius Houston
Review on CFi lesson plans

I think they are great for the most part, I do wish they were in line with the ACS so it was easier to teach from them. Other than that it was what was expected.

Hey Thaddius,

Thanks so much for the feedback—really appreciate you taking the time to share it!

You’re absolutely right that aligning with the ACS can be helpful, and in many cases, I do exactly that. Lessons like Human Factors, Navigation Systems & Radar Services, and Flight Controls & Systems, among others, follow the ACS pretty closely. That said, there are definitely times when the ACS layout isn’t the most intuitive for teaching, and I’ve found that reordering some topics leads to a more logical and effective flow.

For example, in Performance and Limitations, we start by covering the aerodynamic and environmental factors that affect performance, then move into how to apply those concepts using the POH. Weather Information is structured to explain how weather works before jumping into reports and forecasts. And Pilot Qualifications is arranged to follow a typical student’s training progression, which helps the material feel more natural and easier to retain.

You’ll also notice that many Risk Management elements are built directly into the related Knowledge areas. That allows instructors to present those ideas in context—keeping the lesson clean and cohesive, rather than circling back to the topic later on.

With all that said, if you still prefer the ACS order, I'll have you covered soon! Our ACS Reviews are fully aligned with the ACS layout, and a dedicated CFI ACS Review is in the works.

Thanks again for the input—it really helps keep the content moving in the right direction!

F
Frank Carlos
Fantastic product

The CFI Lesson Plans were everything I hoped they’d be. Three formats to choose from making it that much easier.

Awesome! Thank you, Frank. More updates are in the works to hopefully exceed expectations.

D
Daniil
Not great

If you think the "Pilot's Instructor Handbook" is so boring it puts you to sleep in 15 minutes, don't buy this product—unless you need help falling asleep faster. It doesn't simplify or restructure the material. All it does is take unchanged sentences from the "Instructor Handbook" and create lists within lists within lists for each ACS topic. That's it.
The only other addition is presentations. Is it all useful? Not really(at least no 90$ useful), unless you enjoy reading shortened versions of already dry material. I recommend using lessons by Tod Shellnut on FOI and DeepSeek, Jappesen and creating your own lesson plans

Hi Daniil, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! I completely understand that the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook isn’t exactly a page-turner, but it’s the core of what the FAA requires instructors to know, what the ACS FOI requirements are built around, and it’s exactly what the DPE will test on. The goal is to organize this material in a structured, easy-to-follow way to help aspiring CFIs prepare efficiently.

That said, I know different learning styles exist, so I always try to make it clear through the website and emails that if something isn’t working for you, just reach out. Aviation is a family, and I truly want to help. A quick email explaining your thoughts not only lets me work with you to find a solution, but it also gives us the chance to use your ideas (and frustrations) to help shape future updates - the majority of which come directly from user feedback!

Going back to the content, I’ll definitely looking at ways to make the FOI information more engaging - the new slides were a step in that direction adding more energy, color, and pictures, and hopefully keeping you awake a little bit longer 😉! But I’m always open to new ideas and ways to improve the content and the updates are, of course, always free!

Appreciate your feedback, and best of luck with the instructing!

J
Jordin Luke

CFI Lesson Plans

123

Always happy to help!

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