Renewing my CFI?

[BamBamJet]

I got my CFI in February of 2002 then my CFII in November of 2002. Would I go by the 2 year rule for Fubruary or November. Also, I got my Commercial in January of 2002. My BFR would be do....with respect to my last Instructor rating? These things get confusing and when your nose isnt in it all the time you forget things! Thanks for the help.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I got my CFI in February of 2002 then my CFII in November of 2002. Would I go by the 2 year rule for Fubruary or November. Also, I got my Commercial in January of 2002. My BFR would be do....with respect to my last Instructor rating? These things get confusing and when your nose isnt in it all the time you forget things! Thanks for the help.

For your CFI, you should have received a new CFI certificate after your II ride. It shows the expiration date, which should be November 30, 2004.

As for the BFR, that's a separate issue, and a bit of a problem. The Part 61 FAQ takes the view that obtaining a CFI certificate or rating doesn't necessarily start the BFR clock over. Technically a CFI certificate is not a "pilot" certificate (read the instructor certificate — it contains a requirement that you also have your pilot certificate with you). And, at least in theory, you can take a CFI checkride without ever flying the airplane enough for your piloting skills to be evaluated (which is ridiculous in the real world). So the FAQ recommends that, to remove doubt, you ask the DPE or inspector at a CFI ride to sign off a flight review also.

 

[CitationLover]

61.56(d)

States anyone who has passed .... for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege.... does not need the flight review as req'd by 61.56.

to me that seems ANY FAA flight certificate, airplane type rating, 121/135 check ride would extend a BFR. local DPE's in the Charlotte FSDO were asked this and they agree with this assesment.

hope it helps.

 

[stlpilot]

Same question came up in the STL FSDO 3 years ago. It ended up a split vote. The inspectors actually said they did not know if a CFI ride would count, while most the DE's said it would. In the end the inspectors said they would recognize the CFI or any other instructor rides so long as there was a flight involved. But simply renewing a certificate from an 80% student pass rate would not be enough if no flight occurred.

The flight school I worked for ended up with the conclusion to just do a flight review regardless, for the reason that if its a gray area with the FAA and the time comes that you get in any non related legal trouble, then they might interpret the BFR rule in their own favor and have yet another thing they can bust you for. It’s easy enough for a CFI to complete a BFR anyway and you’re just looking at a flight, no ground, if you already met the renewal requirements for the CFI. Just my .02 cents

 

[great cornholio]

Your CFI should have an expiration date on it. It would be 24 months after your last instructor rating. You still need a BFR for your commercial certificate though. Or you could do the wings program.

 

[Toy Soldier]

CitationLover nailed it!

Part 61.56 (d)

A person who has .......passed a pilot proficiency check........ for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege need NOT accomplish the flight review.....

It seems like the CFI ride covers any need for an additional BFR ride for a commercial, ATP ticket privilege, etc...

 

[justmeinmsp]

How about this. I let my CFII expire in OCT of 2002. What is the least painful method to bring it current?

 

[starcheck1]

Have fun, there is no real painless way...you have to pass a practical test for one of your CFI ratings to get it reissued now. It's better not to let it expire if you want to continue to instruct.

 

[great cornholio]

Expired doh

If you actaully let your CFII expire then the only way to get it back is to retake the practical test. Not sure if you have to retake the written though. But it is not like you pretty much never had the rating. Also if you were a CFI CFII MEI then you have to do all 3 rides over again.

 

[bobbysamd]

CFI renewal and BFR

I appreciate Midlife's point of view about the controversy over a CFI ride counting as a flight review. But I would go along with the others' interpretation of 14 CFR 61.56(d). I never heard otherwise until I joined this board two years ago. The issue would indeed turn on whether there was a flight involved for the new rating.

Take a look at your CFI certificate. The expiration date printed thereon is when it expires. It's as simple as that. You have to renew by any of the various means before that date or else you are SOL. At that point you have to take a reinstatement ride. Pursuant to 14 CFR 61.199(a) , you can take a reinstatement ride in any aircraft in which you are rated to instruct:

Sec. 61.199 - Expired flight instructor certificates and ratings.

(a) Flight instructor certificates. 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 as prescribed in §61.183(h) of this part for one of the ratings listed on the expired flight instructor certificate.

(emphasis added)

You do not have to retake the written(s).

I have understood for many years that if your CFI has expired that you can take a CFI practical for a new instructor rating and have it also count as a reinstatement ride.