pilot certificate in light-sport aircraft. All individuals desiring flight instructor privileges must pass two additional written exams (fundamentals of instruction, or FOI; and a knowledge test specific to the category of aircraft in which instructional privileges are desired, such as fixed-wing) as well as a practical test. Flight instructors must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible. Those airmen who hold commercial privileges in lighter-than-air aircraft (balloons and airships) have flight instructor privileges in those category and classes they have on their pilot certificate. Lighter-than-air flight instructor privileges do not get placed on a flight instructor certificate. Training requirements Normally when a CFI Applicant begins training, they are required to build a series of CFI Lesson Plans. These lesson plans use many of the principles that a CFI Applicant would learn during Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI) Training. The CFI will spend hundreds of hours compiling data from various sources that cover all of the FAA Required subject areas. Those subject areas are all listed below: Fundamentals of Instruction The Learning Process Human Behavior and Effective Communication The Teaching Process Teaching Methods Critique and Evaluation Flight Instructor Characteristics and Responsibilities Planning Instructional Activity Technical Subject Areas Aeromedical Factors Visual Scanning and Collision Avoidance Principles of Flight Airplane Flight Controls Airplane Weight and Balance Navigation and Flight Planning Night Operations High Altitude Operations Federal Aviation Regulations and Publications National Airspace System Navigation Systems and Radar Services Logbook Entries and Certificate Endorsements Preflight Preparation Certificates and Documents Weather Information Operation of Systems Performance and Limitations Airworthiness Requirements 3-46 Preflight Procedures Airport Operations Takeoff, Landings, and Go-Arounds Fundamentals of Flight Performance Maneuvers Ground Reference Maneuvers Slow Flight, Stalls, and Spins Basic Instrument Maneuvers Emergency Operations Professional organizations In the United States, two professional organizations represent flight instructors nationally: Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) and The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) India In India there are 3 grades of flight instructors namely API (Assistant Pilot Instructor), PI (Pilot Instructor) and CFI (Chief Flying Instructor). A PII (Pilot Instructor In-Charge) and Dep.CFI (Deputy CFI) are both variations of the PI and CFI ranks respectively but they essentially hold the same certificate / rating issued by DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). Typically, an API, PI and PII wear 3 bar epaulets and a Dep. CFI and CFI wear 4 bar epaulets. EASA (Europe) In Europe under the EASA regulatory system