In Episode 2, I’m joined by 2025 FAA CFI of the Year Adam Boyd. Adam shares his military-inspired approach to flight instruction — homework, structured briefings, chair flying — and discusses the airworthiness and documentation issues he sees most often.
Adam Boyd — 2025 FAA CFI of the Year. Gold Seal CFI, two-time Master Instructor, DPE. ATP with multiple type ratings. C-130H instructor/evaluator pilot, Arkansas Air National Guard. 5,600+ hours including 600 combat hours.
Key Takeaways
- The state of aviation starts with the CFI. The instructor is the first professional a new pilot meets. That role requires mentorship — go to CFI/DPE forums.
- Assign homework, brief, fly, debrief. Give students reading before the flight, brief at ground speed zero, fly the plan, debrief what happened, then assign homework for next time.
- Chair flying is free and invaluable. Visualize the cockpit and walk through procedures step by step. Print out the cockpit layout. This is how military pilots prepare.
- Define 3–4 learning objectives per flight. Without clear objectives, instructors end up talking nonstop. That’s overwhelming for students.
- Don’t just grab the keys and go fly. Pause, sit down across the table, and talk about the plan first.
Plan the flight, fly the plan, debrief the plan. The same cycle used in Air Force training works at every level of civilian instruction.
Checkride Insights — Full Series
- Ep. 1: Tom Guillebeau — Setting Expectations & Avoiding Pitfalls
- Ep. 2: Adam Boyd — Airworthiness, Instruction & Readiness ← You are here
- Ep. 3: Nick Adcock — Preparation, Pitfalls & Mindset
- Ep. 4: Jeremy Lashbrook — Airworthiness, Errors & CFI Roles