Most Complete CFI Prep Available

The Only CFI Prep System Combining Lessons, Live Classes & AI Practice

CFI, CFII & MEI lesson plans, slides, syllabi, and ACS reviews — plus weekly live instruction and AI-powered mock checkride practice. From lesson one through instructing.

Lessons & Syllabi
Live Weekly Classes
AI Mock Checkrides
★★★★★
429+ reviews across Backseat Pilot products
$495 $840 Save $345

Includes 3 months Class Pass · Continue for $95/mo

Everything included

CFI, CFII & MEI lesson plans & slides
5 complete syllabi
4 ACS reviews
IFR/VFR Reference Card
3 months live weekly classes
BackseatPilot.ai early access
Free lifetime content updates
How It Works

Three things most CFI candidates are missing

Most prep resources give you content. Pro gives you content, live instruction, and the practice reps to actually be ready.

Lessons & Syllabi

Every lesson plan, slide deck, ACS review, and syllabus — fully editable, every format, updated automatically. The foundation of your checkride and your instructing career.

Live Instruction

Weekly live Zoom classes with expert instructors. Present lessons, run mock orals, ask real questions, and build the teaching confidence that makes the difference on checkride day.

AI-Powered Practice

FOI focused and growing! Study, listen, quiz, teach, and practice mock oral questions — on your schedule. By the time you sit down with a real examiner, you've already been through this.

What's Included

Everything. In detail.

Expand any section to see exactly what you're getting.

The complete content library used by thousands of CFI candidates to pass their checkrides. Every lesson plan covers all ACS knowledge, risk management, and skill elements — nothing gets missed under pressure. Fully editable in every format.

  • CFI ACS Lesson Plans & PowerPoint Slides — every task, every element, annotated
  • Extra-Detailed CFI ACS Lessons — deeper coverage for complex topics
  • CFII PTS Lesson Plans & Slides — full instrument instructor coverage
  • MEI ACS Lesson Plans & Slides — multi-engine instructor ready
  • 5 Complete Syllabi — Private (SE), Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine Add-On & CFI with hour breakdowns and student trackers
  • 4 ACS Reviews — Private, Instrument, Commercial & CFI — every element covered
  • IFR/VFR Reference Card — hard-to-remember, rarely-used info when you need it most
  • All formats — Word, PowerPoint, Pages, Keynote & PDF
  • Free lifetime updates — regulation changes, ACS revisions, improvements automatically delivered

Weekly live Zoom classes led by Marcus — an active CFI, USAF combat veteran, and commercial airline pilot. These aren't passive webinars. You ask questions, present lessons, and get real-time feedback from someone who has been through this at the highest levels of aviation.

  • CFI Checkride Prep — mock oral exams, lesson presentations, examiner-style questioning
  • CFII & MEI Sessions — dedicated deep-dives into instrument and multi-engine topics
  • Office Hours — bring current training challenges, weak areas, or student questions
  • All sessions recorded — 90-minute classes available for review for 3–6 months
  • Up to 18 hours of live instruction per month — attend as many or as few as you need
  • Continue after 3 months for $95/mo — most students are checkride-ready before then

The FOIs trip up more CFI candidates than any other section — because reading the Aviation Instructor's Handbook isn't the same as being able to teach from it. Think of it like chair flying: practice at home so your time with your CFI is sharper and more focused. BackseatPilot.ai takes you from reading to knowing & doing.

Learn

Each FOI lesson broken down with slides — the same way you'll present to a DPE.

Listen

Audio recordings of each lesson being taught — with timestamped teaching techniques, ACS code annotations, and a full transcript.

Quiz

Test retention with questions that mirror the depth of a real oral exam.

Teach It Back

Teaching is the best way to learn. Practice presenting concepts out loud, get immediate AI feedback before you teach in real life.

Oral Exam Practice

DPE-style questions with AI feedback. Master the concepts before you're in the room.

Mock Checkride

A conversational AI that simulates FOI mock oral checkrides. By the time you sit down with a real DPE, you've already been through this.

Early Access

Currently covering FOI/Section I. Expanding to all CFI ACS lessons — your access means you're in from the start.

Right Fit?

Is the Pro right for you?

Overwhelmed & lacking structure?
You're not alone — and you don't have to figure it out yourself.

We've got your back

The mountain

The mountain of information is real — the ACS, the handbooks, the regulations, the maneuvers, the FOIs. It's a lot, and nobody hands you a clear path from where you are today to checkride day. You study hard, but aren't sure if you're making progress or what comes next.

Going it alone

Don't prep alone. There should be someone checking in, pressure-testing your weak spots, and there to answer questions when something doesn't click. The hardest checkride in general aviation shouldn't be a solo mission.

Knowing vs. sharp

Knowing the material and being checkride sharp are two different things. Sharp means you can teach any task off the cuff, field a DPE's follow-up without hesitation, and walk in with the kind of confidence that only comes from having done it before — even if just in practice.

We built Pro to take you from overwhelmed to confident. We're in your corner.

"All the content was overwhelming at first — but it helped me organize it and focus on the right material. I highly recommend it to anyone studying right now."

— Class Pass Student

Free lifetime content updates  ·  Cancel Class Pass anytime

Already covered

You have a structured plan, a CFI mentor giving regular feedback, and consistent practice reps in place. You just need the best lesson plans and materials available.

The base Whole Shebang was built exactly for that.

View The Whole Shebang
Compare

Whole Shebang vs. Pro

Same great content foundation. Pro adds the live instruction and AI practice layer.

The Whole Shebang
$295		 The Whole Shebang Pro
$495
Content
CFI, CFII & MEI Lesson Plans & Slides✓✓
5 Complete Syllabi✓✓
4 ACS Reviews (Private, Instrument, Commercial, CFI)✓✓
IFR/VFR Reference Card✓✓
Word, PowerPoint, Pages, Keynote & PDF Formats✓✓
Free Lifetime Content Updates✓✓
Live Instruction
3 Months Weekly Live Zoom Classes—✓
CFI, CFII & MEI Checkride Prep Sessions—✓
Mock Oral Exam Practice with Instructor—✓
Office Hours — Open Q&A—✓
All Sessions Recorded—✓
AI Practice Tools
BackseatPilot.ai Early Access—✓
AI-Powered FOI Study (Learn, Quiz, Teach)—✓
AI Mock DPE Oral Examination—✓
The Team

Built and taught by people who've done it

Every product starts with a real problem encountered in actual flight operations.

"The tower's radios went out on downwind at KLGB. I got a steady green light to land — and afterward I kept thinking: what if I'd gotten a different signal and hadn't been 100% sure what it meant? That moment became the IFR/VFR Reference Card. If I needed it in the cockpit, I figured other pilots did too."

— Nate Ehlers, Founder, Backseat Pilot

Nate

Founder & Content Creator

8,500+ Flight Hours
CFI / CFII / MEI / ATP Ratings

Nate is an active airline pilot and U.S. Air Force Reserve C-17 Instructor Pilot with 8,500+ hours across light GA, heavy military transports, and commercial jets. He graduated #1 overall from USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training and has spent years as a C-17 IP training military aviators.

Backseat Pilot grew out of the same instinct that drives good instructors everywhere: if something was hard to find or poorly explained, build a better version. Every lesson, slide, and reference card is refined continuously based on FAA guidance, real-world ops, and direct feedback from CFI candidates.

  • USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training — #1 Overall Graduate
  • C-17 Instructor Pilot, 732nd Airlift Squadron, AFRC
  • Active Airline Pilot
  • CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP

Marcus

Lead Instructor

2,000+ Dual Given
CFI / CFII / MEI / ATP Ratings

Marcus leads the weekly Class Pass sessions. He's an active CFI, USAF combat veteran, and commercial airline pilot — and he brings the same directness and clarity to teaching that comes from instruction at the highest levels of military and commercial aviation.

Students consistently say his sessions cut through the noise in a way that self-study alone doesn't. He's invested in every student's success, not just their checkride.

  • Active CFI & Commercial Airline Pilot
  • USAF Combat Veteran
  • 2,000+ hours dual given
  • 20+ years military service — USAF Combat Veteran
  • Specializes in CFI, CFII & MEI checkride preparation
Reviews

What students are saying

★★★★★

"I just started the CFI Class Pass and I am really impressed with the ability to interact with the instructor and thoroughly move through the mass of information needed. Marcus is so helpful."

Janiene

Class Pass
★★★★★

"I felt confident enough to schedule my checkride after the second class. By the third class I'd already presented two lessons, received valuable feedback, and gained the confidence to teach."

Class Pass Student

Class Pass
★★★★★

"Only reason I passed my CFI initial on the first try. Worth its weight in gold. Probably one of the most comprehensive and articulate, straightforward lesson plan sets out there."

Verified Buyer

Whole Shebang
FAQ

Common questions

Both include the full library of CFI, CFII, and MEI lesson plans, slides, five syllabi, four ACS reviews, and the IFR/VFR reference card with free lifetime updates. The Pro adds three months of the CFI Class Pass — live weekly Zoom classes, mock checkride prep, and office hours — plus early access to BackseatPilot.ai, our AI-powered FOI study tool.
Classes are held weekly via Zoom and led by Marcus. Sessions cover CFI checkride prep, CFII and MEI topics, mock oral exams, and open office hours. Each class is approximately 90 minutes, fully interactive, and recorded so you can review it afterward. You can attend as many or as few sessions as your schedule allows. After your included three months, you can continue for $95/month.
BackseatPilot.ai is an AI-powered study tool built around your BSP lesson content. It breaks down each FOI lesson with slides and audio, then guides you through quizzes, teaching practice with AI feedback, DPE-style oral questions, and a full mock checkride conversation. Currently covering FOI/Section I and expanding to all CFI ACS lessons. Your Pro purchase includes early access as new content is added.
No. The lesson content and BackseatPilot.ai access are ongoing — no expiration on downloads. The three months of Class Pass is a set window, but most students are checkride-ready before it's up. Continue for $95/month if needed.
Yes. The Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9, pg. 7-9) explicitly states that commercially developed lesson plans are acceptable for most training situations, including use by flight instructor applicants during their practical tests. Designated Pilot Examiners regularly see and approve of our materials.
Yes — reach out to us at info@thebackseatpilot.com and we'll set up an upgrade path so you're only paying the difference.
Word and PowerPoint for PC, Pages and Keynote for Mac, and PDF for any device. All files are fully editable — customize to your style or use as-is.
Get Started

The only CFI prep system
combining all three.

Lessons, live instruction, and AI-powered practice — in one place, from a team that's done this at the airline and military level.

Add to Cart — $495 View The Whole Shebang

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Contact or info@thebackseatpilot.com

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