VATSIM Pilot Training Department

Instructors

Light aircraft cockpit in flight looking across an airifeld

How to gain your VATSIM Flight Instructor Rating (P5)

The VATSIM Flight Instructor rating (P5) is for those who provide instruction toward the Pilot Ratings. All instruction for VATSIM Pilot Ratings must be carried out within an ATO by a holder of a VATSIM Flight Instructor Rating.

To gain the Flight Instructor rating, you must meet the pre-requisites, which are:

  • Hold at least a VATSIM PPL (P1) rating
  • Minimum of 200 hours logged as a pilot on the VATSIM network (as verified through the VATSIM statistics centre).

Members with real-world PIC time (not including any hours logged as a Student Pilot prior to licence issue) are exempt from the 200 hr requirement.

Training for Flight Instructors consists of two phases:

  • The centralised theory course
  • Practical “on the job” training at an ATO

To be enrolled on the Flight Instructor theory course, please submit a ticket to the VATSIM Pilot Training Department via https://support.vatsim.net/ stating that you wish to enrol on the Flight Instructor Part 1 course. Your rating and hours will be verified at this stage (and if claiming exemption from the 200 hour requirement due to real-world experience, you will need to provide proof of this).

The Flight Instructor theory course covers topics such as:

  • Creating a climate conducive to learning
  • Identifying and responding to trainees’ needs
  • Presenting and transferring knowledge
  • Facilitating understanding
  • Giving feedback
  • Assessing student performance
  • Reporting outcomes

On completion of the Part 1 course, you will receive a Course Completion certificate. You should then find a VATSIM ATO approved for Flight Instructor training in order to complete your practical ‘on the job’ training and experience building. A list of ATOs may be found at https://prams.vatsim.net/atos .

You should contact the ATO directly to express your interest in the Flight Instructor rating and present your theory course completion certificate to the CFI. Note that ATOs are not obligated to accept any particular candidate as an instructor, and may have their own requirements for staff hiring which are in excess of the minimum requirements listed above.

On acceptance, you will then start taking part in delivering training to the ATO’s trainees with support and supervision from experienced instructors. The exact process will vary between ATOs, but typically you can expect:

  • An induction process to get to know the ATO’s systems and processes
  • A short period of ‘offline’ training with an experienced instructor
  • On the job experience building with real trainees, with some sessions observed by an experienced instructor to provide feedback and advice

You should make a note of the training sessions you conduct. Once you have completed:

  • A minimum of 25 hours of instruction toward a VATSIM-approved rating, and:
  • Delivered instruction in all aspects of at least one of your ATO’s Pilot Rating training programmes
  • Recommended by your CFI

You may then submit evidence of the above in a support ticket to the VATSIM Pilot Training Department via https://support.vatsim.net/. Your evidence will be reviewed and you will be issued the Flight Instructor (P5) rating.