Clean sweep PPL/IR/CPL, but the CFI/II grind is breaking me. 4 fails total now. Do I really need the Double-I to get hired in 2026?
Posted by Left-Investigator936@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 44 comments
I’m at a bit of a crossroads and could use some perspective from those in the industry or those who’ve been in the "checkride basement.
The Track Record:
• PPL, IR, and CPL: All passed on the 1st attempt. I felt like I had a solid handle on things and a clean record.
• CFI Initial: This absolutely humbled me. It took 4 tries to finally get the plastic.
• CFII: Just had my first attempt and failed.
That brings me to 4 total checkride fails. Honestly, my confidence is pretty shaken. I know the CFII is basically "just an instrument checkride from the right seat," but I’m exhausted and starting to wonder if I should just stop here.
cptnpiccard@reddit
Put it this way: most airlines don't have more than 3 spaces for you to list your checkride failures.
AHOUSE145@reddit
Cfii is pretty much the standard to get hired and even then its probably still not enough with all of those failures. The CFI market is terrible, especially if your school doesn't hire you. Im not saying you're not a good pilot, but do you think you have what it takes to be an instructor?
elijahcookiemuhamad@reddit
“Do I really need the CFII to get hired” In your situation that would be the baseline. You’ll need CFII and MEI with a good chunk of multi time to even get across someone’s desk. I failed my IR 2x 4 years ago and it took a lot of multi time and grinding to get to my current regional. Not impossible but the hard part begins now
Diver_105@reddit
I’d say get your II. You’ll have to explain your CFII failure on your interview, imagine then also explaining why you threw in the towel and decided you couldn’t be a CFII…
Mercury4stroke@reddit
Get everything sorted, get some experience and go fly in another country. The US is so weird with these fails man it’s actually insane. You can get failed for a sketchy reason and your career is in jeopardy…
leathercouch5@reddit
Jesus. Can you give us some context on how you failed these rides? Especially how you failed the same checkride 3 separate times?
FoldMuch4754@reddit
What does Jesus have to do with it?
Patrick_Based_Man@reddit
It’s an expression. It ain’t that deep
ZappBrannigansLaw@reddit
OP didn't let him take the wheel (yoke)
EnthusiasmHuman6413@reddit
Jesus recovers my stalls for me all the time but only when there’s positive dynamic and static stability for some reason.
KCPilot17@reddit
CFII or MEI.
You need to take a step back and figure out why you are failing though. Multiple failures on the same checkride is not a good look.
EnthusiasmHuman6413@reddit
I had a DPE that failed CFI initial 3 times.
Puddleduck97@reddit
Are you actually training between failed attempts at things or are you just having another go at the check? This is insane...
mateenxxx@reddit
Thats crazy, I thought my career was over with my 1 check-ride failure (CFII) but 4 is insane.
Have u done ur commercial multi add on yet ???
Several-Village5814@reddit
Cooked.
the_devils_advocates@reddit
Was waiting to read at the end of the post “am I cooked?”
Bro is boiled in a pot
Usual_Drawing8885@reddit
Burnout
Commercial_Air_21@reddit
2 things…As an asst chief pilot at a flight school, CFII will absolutely make you more competitive in today’s hiring market. We tell those who don’t have it to get it before we spool up hiring because you’ll have a better chance, because once you start instructing you probably won’t ever get it because of time and $. #2…with all of those instructor check ride failures honestly I wouldn’t even call you for an interview, just being honest. Best of luck though, figure out your issues and keep grinding.
throwawayW35654@reddit
I hope you majored in something other an aviation dawg
RicoRich574@reddit
The airlines dont even see these fails. You too far into it now to stop, or all that time and money is done. You will find a job somewhere, take a week or two break though to let your mind process the data.
Aurelienwings@reddit
False, false, false. You can literally log into IACRA and see anyone’s fails via inserting FTN.
baileyx96@reddit
That’s a lie… they ask on applications, and verify through PRD.
Speedymcspeeder@reddit
Clean sweep...... except for hey obliterated the last most important part. Clueless
kingcarlyshayster@reddit
I wouldn't say you're 100% done for, as anything is possible. But with 3 failures on the same checkide, you definitely have a real uphill battle. In my opinion, I would finish up your CFII, get your MEI, and consider going to a 135 outfit to get some turbine experience/training to show you are trainable for the airlines (passing all on first attempt).
live_drifter@reddit
Gonna be hard to get a CFI job with that many failures on one CFI check ride and if they lack support that badly during training they don’t have the connections (or minimums) to get into a 135.
Buying the time is expensive.
hshdhdbdh8@reddit
Ive done a couple of Cfi interviews not one have asked for checkride fails . (I have 0) but just saying so op isn’t discouraged.
Historical-Pin1069@reddit
Does not matter if everything else is clean record when you fail 3 times on the same checkride like how?!
Denim-Luckies-n-Wry@reddit
What do you offer that beats the 1000 applicants with no check ride failures. And I mean for a entry CFI job, not the air carriers.
Schwalbe262Guy@reddit
How did you fail each time?(Specifically)
4 total fails is… well pretty rough. You are climbing a cliff face with no gear with this record
nolaflygirl@reddit
Good analogy!
braided--asshair@reddit
Have you done the multi engine add on to your CPL yet?
naterthepilot2@reddit
Some context as to why you busted your CFI rides would be helpful. Clean sweep on the pilot checkrides and that many fails on the instructor checkrides is… interesting. I passed all my pilot checkrides first try like you and failed my initial CFI oral. Knowing the information and flying airplanes has come pretty natural to me… teaching the information did not come as natural to me. The failure was a wake up call that I needed to do a lot more lesson plan rehearsing with anyone I could find until the nerves of teaching to people more knowledgeable and experienced than me (the DPE) were gone. Best of luck to you. It’s never the end of the road until you stop driving.
No-Foundation-8034@reddit
4 failures total is tough. 4 failures on the SAME check ride?
I am not on a hiring committee but man I cant imagine that looks good and that has to raise some red flags.
Historical-Pin1069@reddit
Wait what were the failures? please share
Left-Investigator936@reddit (OP)
CFI: Took 3 tries to finally get the plastic. CFII: Just had my first attempt and failed.
slpater@reddit
They're asking why you failed. Failing a ride once, especially the cfi, isnt abnormal. Failing it 3 times is concerning.
Historical-Pin1069@reddit
Good to know for others to learn
Muted-Rhubarb2143@reddit
let’s be real everyone wants to just gawk at OP’s unfolding disaster.
Flimsy-Ad-858@reddit
The guy publicly stated he failed the same ride three times, he's kinda bringing that on himself
Muted-Rhubarb2143@reddit
some people get off on the humiliation
YKRed@reddit
WTF
Muted-Rhubarb2143@reddit
There‘s a reason CFI’s are favored for so many non-instructing jobs. Perhaps less so today than back when, but it’s still the biggest filter for catching people who do not belong flying people around. OP clearly just slid through the cracks.
vanillanuttapped@reddit
It's going to look a lot worse if you take the fail and give up. At that point the assumption is going to be you either don't know the material or you're too lazy to see it through to the end. Neither is going to be a good look at an interview.
You need to figure out where you're going wrong and fix that before you go back for another attempt. Do not add another failure to your resume.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I’m at a bit of a crossroads and could use some perspective from those in the industry or those who’ve been in the "checkride basement.
The Track Record:
• PPL, IR, and CPL: All passed on the 1st attempt. I felt like I had a solid handle on things and a clean record.
• CFI Initial: This absolutely humbled me. It took 4 tries to finally get the plastic.
• CFII: Just had my first attempt and failed.
That brings me to 4 total checkride fails. Honestly, my confidence is pretty shaken. I know the CFII is basically "just an instrument checkride from the right seat," but I’m exhausted and starting to wonder if I should just stop here.
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