CFI Hour Myths, MEI ROI, and Avoiding Illegal Charter: Live Q&A

CFI Hour Myths, MEI ROI, and Avoiding Illegal Charter: Live Q&A

Author: Seth Lake May 30, 2025 Duration: 1:00:44

In this live Q&A edition of the VSL Aviation Podcast, host Seth Lake dives into a wide range of topics submitted by the aviation community. From the myths around required CFI ground training hours to advice on whether getting your MEI is worth the investment, Seth provides practical, experience-based insights. He also tackles how to avoid inadvertently participating in illegal charter ops, how commercial pilots can understand operator responsibility, and answers listener questions about time-building, hypoxia training, and spatial disorientation.

If you're a student pilot, a CFI, or a seasoned commercial pilot brushing up on the regs, this episode is packed with value. Don't miss the tips on interpreting Part 135 eligibility and how to recover after a long flying hiatus.

📌 Key Topics Covered:

Regulatory Knowledge

  • Misunderstandings around minimum CFI ground training hours

  • How to validate endorsements with AC 61-65J

  • Clarification on operational control vs. holding out (AC 120-12A)

  • What Part 119.1(e) actually allows without a certificate

  • Tips on checking if an aircraft is listed under a Part 135 certificate

Professional Development

  • Cost/benefit analysis of pursuing an MEI

  • How to maintain continual learning as a pilot

  • FAA CAMI training options: hypoxia chamber, PROTE, vestibular illusions

Career Guidance

  • Time-building strategies that airlines value

  • Stage check failures: how to report and recover

  • Advice for applicants to the DPE program

Practical Scenarios

  • Instrument checkride failure from altimeter misreading

  • Transitioning back to flying after a year-long break

  • Risk of complacency in experienced pilots


Seth Lake hosts The VSL Aviation Podcast, a conversation that feels like hanging around the hangar after a flight. It digs into the practical realities and pure joy of General Aviation, moving beyond textbook definitions to the lived experience. You’ll hear discussions about aircraft ownership, maintenance tips, navigating weather, and the stories that emerge from a life spent in the sky. The tone is approachable, whether you’re a student pilot, a seasoned aviator, or simply someone fascinated by flight. This podcast sits at a great intersection-it’s a leisure listen that feels like catching up with friends, yet consistently offers educational nuggets that stick with you. Episodes might explore a specific cross-country adventure, break down a common regulatory question, or feature a conversation with another pilot sharing their unique perspective. The result is a well-rounded look at the aviation community, delivered with genuine enthusiasm. Tuning in provides a regular dose of that flying mindset, the one that combines meticulous planning with the freedom of exploration. It’s the kind of show that makes you want to head to the airport, even if just to watch the traffic pattern. For anyone who finds magic in the hum of an engine and the view from above, this podcast feels like coming home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 56

The VSL Aviation Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Commercial Pilot ACS Review - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:25
Join me as I continue the Commercial Pilot ACS Series. The commercial pilot checkride is just like any other FAA practical test and uses the Airman Certification Standards. This test evaluates your knowledge and skills a…
Commercial Pilot ACS Review - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:09
Join me as I start the Commercial Pilot ACS Series. The commercial pilot checkride is just like any other FAA practical test and uses the Airman Certification Standards. This test evaluates your knowledge and skills as a…
GPS/WAAS/RNAV/RNP - An Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:14
Join me as I discuss the alphabet soup of terminology surrounding the world of GPS/RNAV. I know these terms can cause more than a little confusion for the new instrument pilot. I'm hoping that this short explainer helps…
TERPS – Obstacle Departure Procedures (Instrument Checkride Prep) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:11
Join me as I discuss non-standard takeoff minimums, ODPs, and TERPS. It's also a topic that might come up in your instrument checkride, and being prepared to answer questions on non-standard takeoff minimums and ODPs is…
ForeFlight and your Instrument Checkride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:07
Join me in this episode, where I discuss how you can use ForeFlight to help you be successful during your Instrument Checkride! Did you know the FAA doesn't produce the FAR/AIM? Did you know that ForeFlight has a cloud-b…
Instrument Pilot ACS Review - Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:23
This is part 3 of a 3 part series on the Instrument Pilot ACS. Join me as I take a deep dive into the ACS from an examiner's perspective and discuss how I use this document to conduct an instrument checkride. If you plan…
Instrument Pilot ACS Review - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:07
This is part 2 of a 3 part series on the Instrument Pilot ACS. Join me as I take a deep dive into the ACS from an examiner's perspective and discuss how I use this document to conduct an instrument checkride. If you plan…
Instrument Pilot ACS Review - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:27
This is part 1 of at least a 3 part series on the Instrument Pilot ACS. Join me as I take a deep dive into the ACS from an examiner's perspective and discuss how I use this document to conduct an instrument checkride. If…
2 Planes in 1 Day - King Air and Cessna 210 ride-along [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:33
In this episode, the VSL team brings you along in the cockpit of a King Air 200 and a Cessna 210. Our full day of flying includes discussions on two different aircraft types, how to use flight service, and some in-flight…
Navlog for your checkride – What you should know [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
In this episode of the VSL Aviation podcast, I detail what you should know for the navigation tasks you will have to perform during your private pilot checkride. Most applicants I see don't fully understand that pilotage…