Episode 70: Teaching the hard parts of CFI training, flying smarter IFR approaches, and understanding what your instruments are really telling you — a practical January 2026 reset for instructors and pilots.
About this episode
This episode discusses effective teaching methods for CFI training and understanding instrument flying.
This episode focuses on how to teach the hard parts of flight training and how to fly with a deeper understanding of what the airplane and instruments are actually doing. We preview Mike Shiflett's upcoming presentation at the Redbird Migration Flight Training Conference , where he'll be covering how to teach the fundamentals of instructing, use scenarios and flowcharts effectively, and adapt the same lesson to different learner levels. We also share updates on new CFI Bootcamp offerings, including Online Ground Instruction , Remote Private Pilot Ground School , and the release of IFR Smart Study Pro . You'll hear detailed explanations of instrument concepts that are often misunderstood, including how a localizer works differently from a VOR , why OBS selection behaves differently, and how CDI sensing actually determines left/right course guidance. The episode also dives into commonly missed teaching points in chandelles , including proper power application and rudder usage during rollout. We close with practical IFR and CFI ProTips you can apply immediately, covering CDI bracketing, glideslope control techniques, and estimating distance on a standard 3° glidepath. This is flight…
People in this episode
Host: Mike Shiflett
Topics covered
- CFI training
- instrument flying
- teaching techniques
- flight training fundamentals
- IFR approaches
- learner adaptation
Keywords
- CFI training
- instrument concepts
- localizer
- VOR
- CDI sensing
- chandelles
- IFR techniques
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Redbird Migration Flight Training Conference
Products: CFI Bootcamp, Online Ground Instruction, Remote Private Pilot Ground School, IFR Smart Study Pro
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- Episode 72: Part 141 Is About to Change Everything! | From centralized oversight to QMS-driven schools, here's what flight training's biggest regulatory overhaul means for you
- Episode 71: LPV Now a Precision Approach? CFI Training Updates, Checkride Rules & IFR Teaching Tips
- Episode 69: What's Changing in 2026
- Episode 68: Black Friday Sale, 141 Reform Ends, and Eights on Pylons Debunked – Nov 2025 Flight Training Update
- Episode 67: The Instructor's Mindset: Lessons from the CFI Round Table
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