The certificated flight instructor (CFI) performs one of the most vital and
influential roles in aviation, because the aviation educator’s work matters not just
for the individual pilot, but for every passenger who entrusts his or her life to that
pilot’s knowledge, skill, and judgment.
The instrument flight instructor – the so-called “double-eye” – carries an even
greater responsibility. Weather is still the factor most likely to result in aviation
accidents with fatalities. Notwithstanding the common reminder that the
instrument rating is not an “all weather license,” the CFI-I’s endorsement for
instrument privileges attests that the pilot has the knowledge and skill to operate
safely in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) during all phases of flight.
