FAA FII study guide
FAA FII · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The FAA Flight Instructor Instrument (FII) airman knowledge test is the written exam a pilot takes to add the instrument instructor privilege to an existing flight instructor certificate. It is aimed at certificated flight instructors who already hold an instrument rating and want to teach instrument students, and at instrument-rated commercial pilots building toward that role. The FAA FII study guide has 5 sections and about 2,285 words.
01Fundamentals of Instructing: How Instrument Students Learn
Domain 1 examines how a CFII teaches rather than how the applicant flies: learning theory, the teaching process, assessment, human behavior, and risk management applied to instrument students who already hold pilot certificates and bring habits with them. Cognitive (knowledge: clearances, chart symbology, 14 CFR 91.167), affective (attitudes: personal minimums, honest weather decisions), psychomotor (skills: scan, partial-panel control, unusual-attitude recovery).
442 words, about 2 min02Flight Instructor Responsibilities and Regulations for the CFII
Domain 2 covers the regulatory spine of the CFII certificate: what you may endorse, what you may not, how you stay current, and how you keep records that survive an inspection. 14 CFR 61.193 lets a flight instructor give training and endorse applicants for knowledge tests, practical tests, flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks.
476 words, about 2 min03Instrument Flight Rules and ATC Procedures in Practice
Domain 3 tests the IFR system in operation: clearances, required reports, holding, departure and arrival procedures, and the pilot-in-command's duties when communications fail. Standard elements follow CRAFT: Clearance limit, Route, Altitude, Frequency, Transponder.
428 words, about 2 min04Instrument Flight Planning, Navigation, and Weather
Domain 4 tests the planning chain: regulation-driven fuel and alternate decisions, weather diagnosis, and en route navigation, including where the plan is most likely to break. 91.167 fuel: fly to the first airport of intended landing, then to the alternate if one is required, then for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed.
464 words, about 2 min05Instrument Aircraft Performance, Systems, and Approach Procedures
Domain 5 combines instrument approach procedure interpretation with aircraft systems and performance, because a CFII must be able to explain why a decision altitude, a gradient, or an inoperative component changes the approach. Every chart has plan, profile and minimums sections: feeder and initial segments, intermediate segment, final segment beginning at the final approach fix, the missed approach point, and the missed approach.
475 words, about 2 min