Digital Internet Marketing for Flight Schools

Responsibility can also be more long-term, both in correct lessons and good habits being passed along. Other aspects to consider are endorsements for practical tests. These may not be as grave as the prior endorsements mentioned. That doesn't make them trivial, and I don't imagine anyone beyond the occasional student stuck in hazardous attitudes believe they are trivial. There are consequences to unsatisfactory checkrides: increased cost, reduced morale, and failures on record that could affect future job prospects and/or insurance costs.

With that, I've heard the nameless stories about post-checkride conversations between examiners and instructors where the instructor says something like "phew, I'm glad they passed, I was worried about my student's (various maneuver or knowledge area)".

On one hand, I understand the relief when a student passes. As a newer instructor especially, but really any endorsement I've given, I was always a little nervous which I believe is appropriate, and normal. On the other hand, to send a student without an appropriate belief in his/her ability to pass the elements of a checkride is a big deal.

The endorsement says basically "I certify that this student is prepared for this test". To give it improperly is to shirk the responsibilities of a CFI. Beyond this, improper endorsement risks the consequences mentioned above, and puts too much weight on a single flight with an examiner to prove the qualifications and knowledge of an applicant. At some point, I was told to consider it as a shared responsibility. The applicant qualifies, the instructor sees his/her abilities and consistency over time and makes an endorsement. The examiner performs the practical exam and adds the final signature to send it to the FAA. Out of the three, that means that we as instructors have the best idea of what our students actually know and how they can perform compared to the standards and best practices.