This support page is divided into three sections:

Separate pages available:

If you don’t find what you are looking for, please submit the contact form.

General Site Support

MyCFIBook.com is an online membership service that allows users to customize a CFI book. All editing services are provided online. There is no software to install.

My CFI Book is a complete manual in binder format that is ready for immediate use. Members can make personal changes to their binder or share their changes with the community.

All site features can be accessed by purchasing an individual or group membership.

eMails

Only pertinent account information is sent by email. If you did not receive a requested email, please check your spam folder, and submit the contact form if the problem persists.

Book, Lesson Plans, and Slideshow Support

How to Find IFR or AMEL Content

My CFI Book and the lesson plans cover IFR and VFR topics for single- and multi-engine airplanes. Most of the general content applies to all pilots. Topics that apply to one type of flying are followed by [VFR], [IFR], or [AMEL].

Slideshows

Most book pages (except for handouts) and lesson plans can be viewed as a slideshow. Slideshows are recreated automatically with any changes you make to a book page or lesson plan.

To change the slideshow theme, go to the My Account > My Profile page.

Learn how to use and present slideshows on the dedicated support page for slideshows.

Sorting

Book pages and lesson plans can be rearranged within each chapter/category on their respective homepage. To sort a title, “drag and drop” it upwards or downwards (not available on some mobile devices).

Before sorting titles, you must first enable sorting on your user profile page in the dashboard. It is recommended that you turn the sorting feature back off to prevent inadvertent sorting at a later time.

Note: Sorting is not available to group members. Only a group editor can make content and sorting changes.

Lesson Plan Sorting

The outline of a lesson plan consists of an ordered list of topics taken from My CFI Book. The topics, and their order, will be used to generate the PDFs and slideshow for the lesson. The topics can be sorted without modifying the lesson plan.

To sort the topics, drag and drop the titles when viewing the lesson plan on the web (not available on some mobile devices). To add or remove topics in the lesson outline, follow the link to customize the lesson.

Submission Choices (Opt-In or Out)

You may choose whether your changes to the default content are made public or not. A global option is available on your user profile page in the dashboard. Additionally, each book page or lesson plan has a separate option that you can select during the editing process. This setting is found in the Settings panel (Gear icon) on the right side of the editing page.

If you choose to contribute, your changes are sent for review. If approved, your changes are incorporated into the default content, and you are awarded contribution points. You can check the status of your submissions and approved contributions from the dashboard.

Contribution Points

Contribution points are earned by adding something of value to My CFI Book or the lesson plans. When the point threshold is reached, the user’s membership is extended for free.

The number of points awarded is based on the number of changes you make, the importance of the update, and how closely the writing guidelines are followed.

For users on a single membership plan, every 500 points earns an additional month of membership. Rewards for group sponsorship accounts are based on the maximum number of members.

You can view your current contribution points and change your preferences from the dashboard.

How to Customize the Book and Lesson Plans

If you are a paid member, you will find a link to make changes to your book when you are viewing a book page or lesson plan. An online editor is available to make changes.

Learn more about the editing process and how to customize lesson plans.

How to View Your Changes (Personal Changes to the Original Content)

A link is available under the “View Options” menu to compare the changes made to a book page or lesson plan. This link only shows when viewing a book page or lesson plan that has been edited. The comparison page highlights the differences between your version and the default content.

How to Remove Customizations

To remove all of the changes you have made to a book page or lesson plan, change the page’s status to draft (“Switch to draft”) or move the page to the trash.

Custom Categories

Four additional categories are available for both lesson plans and book pages. These categories can be used for new pages or lessons you create that do not “fit” in a default category. These categories are initially hidden until you add at least one page or lesson.

Sorting Pages or Lesson Plans in Custom Categories

The contents of a custom category can be resorted by “dragging and dropping” page/lesson titles. This is described in the “Sorting” section.

Add Pages to Custom Categories

To add a new book page or lesson plan to a custom category, select the category name from the drop-down menu on the page used for adding/editing content. The category can then be seen on the homepage for My CFI Book or the lesson plans.

The book content you place in a custom category can be used in a lesson plan, slideshow, or PDF.

Custom Categories for Group Accounts

For group accounts, the custom category names can be managed by the group owner or editors. Group members can only view the contents of the custom categories.

Content Updates

Changes are made periodically to the core material, also known as the original or default content. As a paid member, you will receive these updates automatically. These core updates will not override any of your personal content.

If you see a change that needs to be made to the core material (for all users), edit the book page or lesson plan as described previously and check the option to share your changes. This will enable the content moderators to review your edits and make the appropriate updates.

Version Numbers

Every book page and lesson plan is assigned a version number to help identify outdated material. The initial version number is “0.1” or “0.1x”. An “x” is added to the end to help identify pages and lessons customized by you.

Note: Version numbers are not incremented for small, insignificant changes (e.g., typos).

Printing Tips and Common Issues

My CFI Book and the lesson plans can be printed from the browser or downloaded as a PDF and printed.

Browser printing is recommended for printing a small amount of reference material for an upcoming lesson. It is generally faster, and the fonts are larger and easier to read.

PDFs can be generated for:

Each individual book page and lesson plan.
Each category of the book and lesson plans.
All lesson plans without the combined content from the book.

Category PDFs are formatted for duplex printing (two-sided). Blank pages are inserted automatically to ensure that each new page starts on the right side. If you prefer single-sided prints, discard the blank pages.

The complete lesson plan PDF does not include content from My CFI Book. Doing so would require approximately 1,500 pages. The same book content is used in multiple lesson plans.

Print Quality

The PDF viewer bundled with web browsers will sometimes render PDF files less accurately than Adobe Acrobat Reader. This commonly leads to uneven page borders, missing content, and lower image resolution.

For best printing results, follow these steps:

Download the PDF file to your computer.
Open it with the latest version of Adobe Reader, which is available as a free download.
Print.

Allowable Uses

See the important terms regarding the use of services and content provided by MyCFIBook.com.

Membership and Billing Support

Cancellations

A paid membership will not automatically rebill, so there is generally no need to cancel an account. But if you wish to delete your data, please use the contact form to submit your request. The email address used in your account profile will need to be verified. Refunds are not given for the time remaining on a membership.

Expired Memberships

When the paid membership expires, you lose access to the member’s area, but you may access your account details for a short time. This allows you to renew your membership if desired.

Extension and Renewals

Memberships can be extended while the membership is active or renewed after the membership expires. Either option will provide one additional year of access. Your membership must remain active (unexpired) to receive a renewal discount.

To extend or renew, log in to your account and go to the My Membership page. An “Extend Term” or a “Renew” button will be displayed under the membership section. When the payment is completed, your membership will be extended or reactivated (as appropriate). A different payment method can be used for renewal payments.

If your paid membership does expire, your account will be put on hold until another payment is completed. A renewal reminder will be sent by email, but automatic rebilling will not occur. There is no reason to cancel ahead of time.

Inactive Accounts and Data Removal

A registered user with a paid membership that has expired is considered abandoned. At that time, any data saved on our servers under that membership is subject to removal. This includes custom changes to My CFI Book, uploaded media, and lesson plans.

Payment Methods Accepted

Credit and debit card payments are accepted securely through the website. MyCFIBook.com uses encryption to ensure your transaction is secure.

Viewing and Printing Receipts/Invoices

To retrieve a past receipt, log in to your account and then go to the My Account > Orders page and click “View” to see it on the web or “View Invoice” for a printable version.