Expired CFI

[A Squared]

Buuuuuzzzzz... Wrong answer... All you need to do is either take a Re-instatement ride in any airplane and it will renew your Certified Flight Instructor Certificate (and ALL the ratings on it: i.e. Instrument, Multi-Engine, etc)... You don't have to take a separate ride for each rating... Also no written tests are required...

I don't think you are correct .. actually you are correct, but you're not answering the correct question. If I understand it, the original poster does not hold a CFII rating on his (expired) certificate, so would have to take the CFI ride to reinstate his CFI.

 

[SkiHerkDrvr]

A Squared,
I agree with your read of 61.199, but in practice this is applied differently. I was in the same boat a year ago- I had a CFI certificate that had expired 17 years ago and I renewed it by adding a new rating to my expired certificate. In my case I added the MEI and was issued a CFI, airplane single and multi engine. Here is something I pulled off the FAQ page:

Ms. Kathy Minner
Technical Specialist
Aviation Services Department
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, MD 21701-4798

Dear Ms. Minner:

This is in response to your letter dated February 4, 2000, to the Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), regarding § 61.199(a). Specifically, you are concerned about the reinstatement of expired flight instructor certificates and ratings.

As you point out in your letter, § 61.199(a) provides, in pertinent part, that the holder of an expired flight instructor certificate may exchange that certificate for a new certificate with the same ratings by passing a practical test for one of the ratings listed on the expired flight instructor certificate. (Emphasis added)

You also point out in your letter that the General Aviation Inspector’s Handbook provides, in pertinent part, that the holder of an expired flight instructor certificate may have all ratings on the certificate reinstated by satisfactorily completing a single practical test.

You think the General Aviation Inspector’s Handbook indicates that “any” practical test for a flight instructor certificate or rating would reinstate the expired flight instructor certificate and all the ratings on it. Based on that, you don’t think that the holder of an expired flight instructor certificate is limited to taking a practical for one of the ratings listed on the expired flight instructor certificate to reinstate it as provided for under § 61.199(a). Accordingly, you ask “may a flight instructor reinstate an expired flight instructor certificate by taking any practical test for a flight instructor certificate or rating, or must it be confined to one of those listed on the expired certificate as it seems to state in the regulation.” The answer to this question is discussed below.

§ 61.199(a) applies when the holder of an expired flight instructor certificate only seeks to have that certificate reinstated with the same ratings. It has been the policy of the Flight Standard Services (AFS-800), as articulated in the General Aviation Inspector’s Handbook, to allow the holder of an expired flight instructor certificate who seeks an additional rating to one of those listed on the expired certificate, to reinstate the expired flight instructor certificate, and all the ratings on that expired certificate, by taking, and passing, a practical test for the additional rating sought. As a result, the holder of an expired flight instructor certificate may have that certificate and all of the ratings listed on it reinstated by taking, and passing, any practical test for a flight instructor certificate or rating.

I hope this satisfactorily answers your question.

Sincerely,

/s/ Donald P. Byrne
Assistant Chief Counsel
Regulations Division