Flight Instructor Rating
(FIR)
Spread the excitement of flight
A Flight Instructor Rating (FIR) with the North Queensland Aero Club allows you to join the ranks of instructor and teach others how to fly.
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This endorsement opens up new and varied career pathways for the Commercial Pilot. You can enjoy a rewarding career as an instructor, become an examiner or build hours and experience to further your career. Instructors are often recruited into larger operations, going on to become Check and Training Captains in large organisations and airlines.
FIR Course Overview
You will undertake dual flight training with a qualified instructor both receiving and delivering flying lessons. You will also receive and present many theory briefings. There is one formal theory examination, the PIRC exam to complete, studied at your own pace.
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Once you meet all the requirements and have completed a Pre-Licence flight with our CFI you will be referred to an external examiner for your FIR flight test to become a Grade 3 Instructor.
FIR Requirements
You need to be 18 years of age to become an instructor. You also need to hold a CPL to be able to do the Grade 3 training endorsement.
The rating involves approximately 75 hours in the classroom and an additional 40-50 hours of flying. It's a lot of work, and you have to WANT to be an instructor.
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Instructing isn't something you should do just to 'build hours', you must be wanting to teach, and it can be a very rewarding job!
FIR Flight Test
Your flight test for the Grade 3 Instructor Rating is done by outside examiners in order for the candidate to be independently checked. As the Club does all other testing in house, a deliberate decision has been made not to have in house testing for Instructor Ratings. There are several examiners the Club uses for the Instructor Rating dependant on availability.
Why do a Flight Instructor Rating with the NQAC?
Your choice of a flying school is very important when deciding to train for your Instructor Rating and NQAC Instructors are highly regarded in Australia.
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Training with the North Queensland Aero Club also gives our students the benefit of one-on-one training. Much of your FIR training will be completed with our CFI allowing you to benefit from more than 20 years of instructor experience. You are able to work with your instructor through any questions or difficulty without delay and are never just another face in the crowd.
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The North Queensland Aero Club is one of the oldest and largest flying schools in Far North Queensland. The NQAC has been training commercial pilots and instructors for over 70 years with our graduates going on to have long and successful Airline and General Aviation Careers. This gives our students access to a wealth of knowledge, experienced instructors and mentoring from former students who are now working as commercial pilots.
Benefits of Flight Training in Mareeba
What better place to obtain a Flight Instructor Rating than beautiful Far North Queensland? Here at the Mareeba Aerodrome, you are exposed to a wide range of non-controlled and controlled airspace procedures, meaning you get the best of both worlds.
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You will also experience flying in the tropics, around the beautiful reef and rainforest, and have your decision-making ability challenged during the wet season. All of this means you will be a better instructor at the end of the day.
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To obtain an instructor rating, you must first hold a CPL. Upon successful completion of your instructor rating, you will be a qualified Grade 3 Instructor. We can also train instructors for upgrade training to a Class 2 or Class 1.
Hours & Cost
Flight Instructor Rating
Contact Us*
*pricing is based on the individuals experience and flying hours and varies between students.
FIR Endorsements
Do you need to add an endorsement onto your Instructor rating? We can provide training for Design Feature Endorsements, Grade 1 & 2 upgrades and many more. For more information send through your training requirements.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be employed by the NQAC after completing my FIR?
The NQAC generally only employs its own product. We will always endeavour to offer our own instructors employment at the end of their rating however that of course depends on demand at the time. We will however, always offer work to our own trained people before offering to others trained elsewhere. We rarely employ instructors from outside the organisation.