CFI Renewal-An ATP With an Expired CFI. Getting Back to Getting Into Airplanes With People Who Don’t Know How to Fly Them
Hi Mom,
My question revolves around the current requirements for renewing a flight instructor certificate.
I currently hold an ATP certificate and an expired CFI, CFII, and MEI certificate. I haven’t flown in about 8 years and because I have recently been laid off from my “regular” job in I.T, I am looking into renewing my instructor certificate and doing some part time instructing.
What would be required of me to renew my certificate?
Thanks,
ReUp Me
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What’s up, ReUp?
Welcome back! Do you want the good news first, or the bad? The unfortunate news is that since that thing has expired, you’ll have to go back and take the check ride again. The good news is that you’ll only have to take one check ride to get all of your old privileges back. There’s more good news, too- this check ride won’t be the same grueling ordeal your initial certification was. Call your friendly FSDO to find out if they want to fly with you or farm you out to a DPE. Since you’ve been a CFI before, odds are decent that they’ll send you the way of the examiner, but you’ll need to talk to them to be sure.
Most of what they want to know is whether or not you still know how to teach.Yeah, you have to be able to fly, too, but nobody is expecting perfection here. As long as you can talk your way out of your error (explaining what didn’t work out well, why not, and what you should have done), you shouldn’t have a problem. As always, expect them to probe your ground knowledge until they find it’s limit, at which point you’ll gracefully research the point in question in front of them. You know the drill. You’ve done this before, numerous times, to get that II and MEI listed on your ticket. Speaking of which, you probably won’t have to demonstrate instrument instruction or multi engine instructional skills. Reupping that CFI will automatically return all of those privileges. Scary, hey?
Once you have that certificate in your hot little hand, you can keep it current in one of two ways. If you have at least 5 students pass check rides over the duration of that instructor certificate and your proteges have at least an 80% first try pass rate, you’re good to go. Just present the FSDO with that record and an 8710 and away you go again for two more years of getting into airplanes with people who don’t necessarily know how to fly them. If that doesn’t work out for you, there are numerous flight instructor refresher courses available online and in person, like this popular AOPA/Jeppeson course. If you didn’t already have all those ratings, racking up another (adding an II or MEI) would be another way to get yourself another two years of flight instructor fun. Or even reinstated, for that matter. Oh, and of course you haven’t forgotten that you’ll also need a current medical and a flight review in order to act as pilot in command.
Welcome back! Knew you couldn’t stay away from the airport forever,
Mom
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