Santa Monica Flyers remains Los Angeles’ most friendly flight school, thanks in large part to its welcoming team, expert instructors and phenomenal maintenance staff.
Our team, along with our aircraft, make Santa Monica Flyers the best flight school in LA for your flight training needs.
A CFI-A (usually shortened to CFI) is a Certified Flight Instructor who is qualified to train and endorse students for various airplane certifications including private, commercial, and flight instructor certificates. If the instructor holds an instrument rating on his/her instructor certificate (CFII), then the instructor can teach pilots towards instrument ratings or instrument proficiency checks (IPC). Unlike a CFI-S, a CFI-A has broader instructional privileges, including teaching in more complex aircraft and certifying pilots beyond the sport level but requires significantly more hours and certifications.
A CFI-S (Certified Flight Instructor – Sport) specializes in training students to obtain a sport pilot certificate, which is limited to light-sport aircraft (LSA). They can instruct in simpler, lower-cost planes that don’t require a FAA medical certificate to operate. Unlike a CFI-A, a CFI-S cannot provide training for private, commercial, or instrument ratings, making it a more restrictive but accessible path for those focused solely on sport aviation.
Learn more about joining the SMF team as a flight instructor, mechanic and more!
