Do you keep your CFI current?

[SpyFlysDOTs]

Just renewed mine.
If you ever let it expire and have to take a checkride to renew, you will know why its best to keep it current.
ORD FSDO saw me again a few months ago for this renewal.
PS they moved, so get detailed directions.
PSS they won't be happy unless you call for an appointment.
The basis of my renewal was ongoing pilot evaluations of First Officers.

 

[elag777]

Gup,

Yeah some will. An evaluation flight by a Fed is one of the ways to renew, and if they are going to be up there anyway you might as well get something to show for it. Sure doesn't hurt to ask. The trouble is most of them don't carry 8710s or their temporary certificate books, so you may have to do a follow up email/phone call, etc. If you are a CA at SWA (or any 121 carrier) a lot, but not all FSDO's will renew based on the fact you are responsible for evaluating other pilots at an air carrier. Some interpret this as being a check pilot only, however you are required to fill out probationary pilot forms, etc. and most Feds will renew based on that fact. I am too lazy to look up the reg but is in there somewhere in part 61 I believe.

As for me I keep mine current because of the reasons mentioned. It cost too much and was too much a pain to get to just throw away.

61.197 for those interested.

 

[CaptWidgeon]

i came across what i consider good justification to keep it. was looking for a taildragger to rent, found a school that was in the process of getting one but they said if/when they get it they will only rent it out with an instructor. i asked 'em what if i was an instructor. with a shocked look on their face they said, 'well, i don't know.' then they wanted to know if i would be interested in doing some teaching. they were a little to flakey so i blew 'em off, but having the instructor rating i'm guessing would have allowed me to rent the thing once i was checked out with their instructor.

i agree that if you're going to keep it do the am flyers lifetime thing. one more justification to keep it, pay once, only cost ya' a little time from then on.

cheers y'all

 

[regionalcap]

I just think back about how time consuming it was to get my intial CFI rating. It only cost me a little bit of time to go online every 2 years and renew it. It seems like a waste to let it lapse. Like someone said earlier, many training departments at the airlines require you to be current if you want to teach.

 

[IFLYSIU]

Sweet. My minutes are passing by for Chapter 1 renewal, with American Flyers, as I tally the groups consensus. Seems like most of us desire to keep it as a way to give back or for the effort put forth to receive it.

I, as well, do a lot of GA and keep my Dad and Co-owner in good standing. It's always fun!

Ok, back to Chapter 1.

marathon fever.

 

[Charlie Brown]

61.197 for those interested.

:beer:

 

[dirkdigler]

You never know.......

You bet I keep them current. I used to work for the biggest flight instruction company and did tons of CFI revalidation for those poor souls who got hired at the company but had let the ticket expire. Ex airline pilots, ex military guys, etc. They sure were wishing they kept up with it. Almost every one of them had to redo the entire process all over again -- or no job!

 

[Varig]

If you let it expire and when you revalidate it, do you have to do the oral again?

 

[dirkdigler]

Ol' FOI

If you let it expire and when you revalidate it, do you have to do the oral again?

It would be like taking CFI initial check ride again. So, you would still have to meet PTS standards. Oral and all. However, you wouldn't have to take additional check ride for the additional ratings, i.e. Once you pass a check ride again, you would get back all the ratings you used to have, as I recall.

If you are thinking about doing it, here's my advise: It's all about ol' FOI. If you know it well and can apply it, you're golden. Incidentally, when I did instructor standardization for my company, it was ALL about FOI. That was their business, after all......

 

[Varig]

Thanks for the answer dirkdigler.

 

[John Pennekamp]

I keep mine current not only in case I want to teach someone to fly in the future, but it's also great for picking up women in bars.

No, but seriously, it looks good on a resume, and also can get you an FAA job is you ever get sick of the airlines. All the inspector positions require current CFI credentials.

 

[flyboycpa]

You never know, later in life you may buy a plane and your son, daughter, wife, nephew, etc.. may take an interest and want to learn to fly. You would save some cash in the long run.

Not sure if having a CFI would get you lower insurance premiums.

And hell I paid way too much for mine, so the 120 bucks it costs to keep it the rest of my life is fine with me

Exactly! I have a wife that was already a Private Pilot when I met her, plus we both fly our 17-month old in my wife's Stinson and my Swift. I keep her BFR current, as well as that of many of my close buddies.

I also do only tailwheel instruction, just because that is a niche that isn't very well served. Probably 90% of the dual I've given has been tailwheel. I enjoy it, it's not a resume builder, just something fun to do.

Plus, I'll most likely teach my boy later in life to fly, whether he pursues it as a career is up to him. He'll at least have his Private-SEL come heck-or-high water!

Too hard to get, but too easy to maintain!

 

[d328pilot]

I have kept mine current and I even gave a BFR and IPC to some friends the last time I was back home.. It is too easy to renew and too stupid not to.

 

[dirkdigler]

Liabilities

I have kept mine current and I even gave a BFR and IPC to some friends the last time I was back home.. It is too easy to renew and too stupid not to.

I keep my CFI current but I do not use it. Liability risk is just too high without an insurance. I understand the spirit of being an instructor. Once an instructor, always an instructor, after all. But doing any kind of sign offs such as BFR or ICC could come back to haunt you. I would instruct only in certain environment.

 

[Alcatraz]

Yeah, I keep it current, for the same reasons above. You just never know if you would want to instruct a friend or something. I still do the Am Flyers thing that I paid for in 2002, and haven't paid a dime for since. Of course, it helps that the FSDO is a mere seven minute drive away, so I can do the paperwork really easy!

 

[Dumb Pilot]

I let mine go back in 1986 and I can't think of a good reason (or even a bad one for that matter) as to why I would have kept it active for the past 20 some years. As to teaching my kids to fly, they will become pilots over my dead body

 

[bubbers44]

I had 2000 hrs instruction given in the mid 70's and finally got an airline job. I let it expire when a flake aquaintance of mine wanted me to sign him off for an instrument rating he wasn't ready for. Now, a retired airline pilot with assets, I do not want to risk losing it all signing somebody off to fly and have a lawyer sue me because I have money and he has a problem.

 

[Helos2Galaxy]

I have been doing the AMerican Flyers lifetime program for 3 or 4 renewals and by far it is the most user friendly and interferes the least with my personal life. As an airline bubba, I probably won't use it a whole lot unless my kids want to fly. Am I proficient as a CFI, no not really but for the legality aspect of keeping it current, American Flyers is just fine. Should I ever decide to teach again, I'll take a few lessons at a flight school.

 

[d328pilot]

I enjoy it, it's not a resume builder, just something fun to do.

That sounds like a pretty good reason to me.

Its really sad that our legal system is so restrictive. Can't instruct because of liability and cant rent an airplane because the cost of insurance has made rental prices too high. Sad indeed.

 

[Visceral]

If you have given the proper training per CFRs and signed everywhere you should with the correct sign offs, the FAA can't fault you for a pilot's future misdeeds. When is the last time you've seen a probable cause of an accident or incident as "failure to receive proper training endorsement". Usually, its the old "pilot error".