MOSAIC InFO released by FAA - Bad

A recent InFO (Information for Operators) has been released by the FAA regarding operating using Sport Pilot privileges.  Many of us strongly disagree with the conclusions in this InFO.

Here is a link to the InFO

The main point is this.  The InFO says that if you as a Subpart H Flight Instructor want to exercise Sport Pilot privileges and just fly on your driver’s license, then you are going to by instructing under Subpart K (Sport Pilot Instructors).  I think this is not correct at all.

I had a chance to meet one of the authors of the InFO as Sun-n-Fun and we had a good conversation about it.  He gave me the case for it, and I rebutted all of the points.  For example:

As a Subpart H instructor, I already have the ability to train someone to become a Sport Pilot.  So, I don’t need to ever operate under the Subpart K, Sport Pilot Flight Instructors, FARs.

In addition, I don’t need to hold a medical or BasicMed to provide flight instruction as long as the person in training can be PIC of the airplane.

The only reason I would want to fly using sport pilot privileges would be so that I can be the PIC in airplanes that are authorized.  So, I’m flying under Subpart J (Sport Pilots), and not under Subpart K.  My flight instructor privileges under Subpart H (Flight Instructors other than Sport Pilot Instructors), is not affected by which flying privileges I choose to operate under at a lower level, such as Sport Pilot.

The fact that I hold a Commercial pilot certificate has nothing to do with my instructing other than it could allow me to be PIC.  I am not using the privileges of my Commercial or ATP certificate when providing flight instruction.  I’m not flying for hire.  I only need a Commercial or ATP certificate and Instrument rating to be eligible for a Subpart H flight instructor certificate.

The InFO goes on to say, if I fly under sport pilot privileges and give a flight review to someone, then that review can be to a Sport Pilot.  If I give a flight review to a Private Pilot, in this case, that Private Pilot would only have Sport pilot privileges.  This is not the case.

If I give a flight review to a Commercial Pilot and I don’t hold a medical or BasicMed because that pilot can be the PIC then there are no such limitations.  The flight review is valid and that pilot can exercise commercial pilot privileges.

The inspector I talked to said that I need to fly under the privileges of, for example, the commercial certificate if I want to give a flight review because I need to be qualified.

I then said that if I don’t hold an ATP, but do hold a Commercial certificate and flight instructor certificate then, under that logic, I would not be able to give the flight review to the ATP because I don’t hold an ATP.

Anyway, we left it with an opening.  He gave me his contact details and said for me to provide situations/scenarios to explain my points.  

So, I think that acting alone on this one is a very bad idea.  I want to get SAFE, NAFI, FSAI and AOPA to submit the crafted scenarios and whatever else they deem appropriate to the FAA to undo this thing.  

I feel that if I were to take this on alone, and didn’t get it exactly right, they would discard moving forward on any changes.  I feel that with the contribution of the other organizations, or at least one of them, that we stand a better chance.

Comment period for 141 Modernization ends May 11

The public comment period for the 141 Modernization recommendations ends on May 11.  This is an opportunity for those that will be affected by these proposed changes to leave public comments for the FAA to review as part of the rulemaking process.  After May 11, the comment period will be over and the FAA will begin the process of rulemaking.  This will be a long process, and the FAA will consider each comment.  Typically, upon publishing the final rule, the FAA gives reasons for the rule and for each comment or group of comments as to the reason the comment was acted on or not.

You can go to the comments page here.  You can also review all comments.  

Mike does the Power Hour live from Sun-n-Fun

Security! - I had a security detail at the booth during the live show.  Well, they were two SAFE members that said they would keep people away until the show was over.  Fun!

The show floor was busy during the show, but my SHURE studio mic did a great job of not picking up the floor conversations and airshow airplane noise.  

I had quite a few visitors that stopped by to say hi and comment on our Power Hours.  Two Jamaican guys stopped by and went to the CFI Round Table event at 5pm.  They were fun.  One said that the reason he passed his CFII was because of some of my YouTube videos.  Great!  Happy to hear news like that.

Anyway, that’s it until next year’s Sun-n-Fun.

Weekly Power Hour Re-Runs:

Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET

Missed the live Power Hour Lesson? We’ve got you covered.

Starting Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 8:00 PM ET, we’ll be hosting Weekly Power Hour Re-Runs, giving you another opportunity to catch the lesson, review key takeaways, and stay connected with the CFI Bootcamp community.

We know our standard Saturday Power Hour schedule may not work for everyone, so this new weekly re-run gives you a second chance to stay engaged, reinforce important concepts, and keep your training momentum going.

What to expect:

• Full replay access to selected Power Hour Lessons

• A structured review of important teaching points and checkride-relevant concepts

• A chance to revisit topics you may have missed or want to reinforce

• A consistent weekly study rhythm to keep your training moving forward

Join us every Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET and make Power Hour part of your weekly study routine. You’ll receive an email shortly before 8pm for those that want to attend. 

Virtual Ground Instruction:

Over the years, with our finger closely on the pulse of the flight training environment, we’ve seen one challenge continue to affect students: finding consistent, reliable ground instruction.

The reality is that many instructors eventually reach the 1,500-hour threshold and move on to the airlines, often leaving students searching for continued support, structure, and guidance. While that career progression is understandable, it can create gaps in a student’s training experience.

That’s why we’ve built a team of experienced, dedicated educators who are committed to the academic side of flight training. Our Bootcamp Authorized instructors are not simply building time — they are educators first who focus on providing consistent, professional, and structured instruction for students who need dependable support. 

Rex Schoel, is one of our Authorized Bootcamp Instructors. If you’d like to learn more about Rex and how we can better support your training needs click here. 

New Product Coming - Will fill a big need in CFI Training

I have been working on a secret project for about 6 months.  It’s now done and will be released during the Power Hour on May 2nd.  If you want to attend the power hour this weekend, click on this link to register for the live event.  Noon to 1pm Eastern Time on Saturday.

The new course is called - CFI Aeronautical Knowledge Gaps Course - Mind the Gap!

It’s designed for CFI applicants that have a local school or CFI that can do most of the work, but aren’t strong in things they don’t do on a daily basis, like the FOI, endorsements, etc.

It covers the things in CFI training that don’t get taught well, or are not well understood.  The course includes four modules:

1. Fundamentals of Instructing - A conversation about each chapter and how to use the information

2. Training, Endorsements and Testing - Covers Initial Pilot Certification, Additional Category/Class ratings, Student Pilots, and KEY FARs that are mostly overlooked but are very important.

3. Using a Syllabus - Modifying lesson plans for preflight briefings, modifying lesson plans for different learners, and a review of the major FAA handbooks and ACs.

4. Practical Training - How to use IACRA as a CFI, How to use the Wings program as a CFI, and how to create study sessions while preparing for your CFI practical test.

The course is a little over 7 hours and includes reference material such as AC’s, Student pilot graphics, PDFs and more.

In addition, each lesson has a study outline and a ten question quiz with answers, explanations and references.  The course also relies on our Endorsements and Scenarios book, that is included, that contains 53 scenarios from flight reviews, student pilots, initial certification, added category/class ratings, Recreational Pilots, Sport Pilots, Flight and Ground Instructors and more.  The scenarios have a solution in words, and in most cases, flow charts to show the decision trees and applicable regulations so you can test your understanding and see where you went right or wrong.

Click here to get on the early offer list

CFI Prep Course Beta Users Wanted.

One of the greatest benefits of attending one of our 7-day ground schools is that students do more than prepare for a checkride — they begin building the habits, confidence, and mindset expected of a flight instructor after certification.

Many newly certificated instructors experience what is often called “imposter syndrome.” They pass the checkride, earn the certificate, and then quickly realize that becoming a CFI is only the beginning. The next challenge is knowing how to step into the role, present themselves professionally, communicate with flight schools, prepare for interviews, and understand what is expected of them as a freshly minted instructor.

At CFI Bootcamp, part of our mission has always been to prepare learners not just to pass, but to perform. We want our students to understand what they are expected to demonstrate as instructors — both during training and after they enter the job market.

However, once the certificate is earned, many new CFIs are left without much guidance on what comes next. Questions like where to apply, how to build a CFI resume, how to prepare for interviews, how to organize professional materials, and how to transition into the first 90 days of instructing are often left unanswered.

That is why we created the CFI Prep Course.

This course is designed to help new and aspiring instructors bridge the gap between earning the certificate and entering the flight training industry with confidence, structure, and direction. Before we fully release it, we are looking for a small group of beta testers to review the course, test the usability, and provide honest feedback so we can make the experience as helpful and practical as possible. Please connect with us at info@cfibootcamp.com to learn more about how you can serve as a first round beta contributor. 

CFI Bootcamp’s Power Hour Lessons Now Available on all major streaming services:

Since releasing our Smart Study Pro product line and receiving such positive feedback from our community, we’ve seen just how valuable audio-based learning has become for pilots, CFIs, and checkride candidates.

That’s why the full-length, audio-only versions of CFI Bootcamp’s weekly Power Hour Lessons are now available wherever you prefer to stream.

But here’s the catch: if you want the complete learning experience — including full video lessons, outlines, and supporting lesson assets — you’ll need access to our membership site.

The membership is normally listed on our website at $22/month, but with this link, you can access it for just $9/month, including a 7-day free trial. Feel free to cancel anytime.

Only 34% of people in training say they were given a syllabus

According to Redbird’s “The State of Flight Training Survey”, completed by over 80,000 people, only 34% of pilots in training received a copy of the syllabus the CFI was using to conduct the training.  In many cases a syllabus was not used at all by the CFI.

I have found that this is the case in most non 141 schools.  Using a syllabus is very important in training to keep the pilot motivated, on track, prepared for lessons, and it serves as a checklist to see that everything is covered.  In addition, it’s a roadmap to the course, so the pilot can see where they are, and how far they have to go.  It can relieve a lot of frustration.

In the new CFI Aeronautical Knowledge Gaps course, I go through how to use a syllabus and modify lesson plans to fit them.  I also cover three different private pilot syllabi from different companies.

If you aren’t using a syllabus you really should at least use one as a checklist to see that you covered everything.  

ProTips

1. Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Hot weather is coming to much of the country.  Symptoms of heat exhaustion include disorientation, dehydration, sweating, loss of muscle control (balance).  This can be treated by hydrating and getting out of the heat.  Heat stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention.  Symptoms are Confusion/disorientation, loss of muscle control, loss of consciousness (in some cases).  The key feature that is different from heat exhaustion, is that the person will not be sweating if they are suffering heat stroke.  The body has no way to shed the heat at this point and the body temperature is rising.  The nearest emergency room is your best bet.  Typically the patient is placed in an ice bath to try to control the temperature.

2. Don’t get a “Hand Tan” - Keep your hand on the throttle while taxiing. I’ve seen some pilots taxi an airplane and they have one hand on the top of the dash.  So one hand is on the control wheel, and the other is not on the throttle, but on the top of the dash instead.  This leads to two things.  One, riding the brakes.  If your hand is not on the throttle you are not directly engaging with the real need or no need for power.  The second thing is that you will get a hand tan!  Maybe even a hand sunburn.  So, keep your hand on the throttle while taxiing.

3. Buy and use ASA’s AI (Aviation Intelligence) app. This really helps if used correctly. This tool constrains the AI model to only FAA sources and ASA authored products.  So the AI isn’t looking outside at everything.  In my initial evaluation, I found it to be very accurate to my queries (prompts).  This is a great study tool to get you unstuck on a topic, or to locate the source material quickly.  Available for iPhone and iPad on the Apple Apps Store