cons

Hello all. This is my first post on APC. I'm glad I found it since there's a lot of info on these forums.

Anyway, my title says it all. I received my initial CFI back in January of 2001. After 9/11, I was not building any decent amount of hours and the future of the aviation industry looked really bad at the item. Thus, I stopped instructing/flying to pursue another career. My CFI expired in 2003. Now, 6 years later, I have an enjoyable and successful career. However, I really miss flying, but more importantly, I miss instructing.

I've spoken to a few friends that are still flying, and have read the FARs, however, I'm very confused. The FARs state that your initial CFI checkride must be taken with an FAA FSDO. The FSDO may allow you to take the checkride with a DE, but it's totally up to them. OK, understood.

However, my situation is that this CFI checkride would not be my initial as I already took my intial CFI checkride with the FAA back in 2001. I don't want to have to go through that again if I can avoid it. My friends tell me that since I took my initial CFI ride with the FAA, I've met that requirement already. Thus, if I decide to take another CFI ride(or CFII, MEI), I can choose to take it with a DE....what do you guys think?

Will I have to take my CFI checkride with the FAA or not?


Thanks for any advice.
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HSLD

You can reinstate an expired certificate with a pilot examiner. Most FSDO's don't have the manpower to do check-rides these days.

You can contact the FSDO to find a DE if you don't have one in mind already :http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/

cons

Thanks for the reply HSLD. I live far away from my local FSDO (almost a 2 hour drive) thus I've been trying to contact them via phone for the past week. I got thru the FSDO today, actually one of the inspectors returned a message I had left for them this past Monday.

Anyway, he stated that I may reinstate my CFI per FAR 61.199 and FAR 61.183(h). He said that I do not have to take the practical test with the FAA. I may choose to take it with a DE if I wanted to. I was real happy when I heard this. He also stated that I do not have to take the written exams (FOI, FAI) over again either. He said that all I need to do is take the practical exam, but that doesn't mean the DE won't ask me questions about FOI, etc. However, I will still buy some gleim books that cover FOI and FAI just to review that stuff.

One last thing that he mentioned that I thought was kind of odd was that I do not need an endorsement from a CFI to take the practical. However, if I fail the practical on the first attempt, I will need an endorsement from a CFI in order to take the practical CFI checkride again.

I'm very relieved that I don't have to take the CFI checkride with the FAA again. I can't wait to start instructing again. I hope to get my CFII and MEI in the near future as well.

Thanks
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Chillyhead

Good post. I let my CFII expire around 4 years ago and would like to get it reinstated. Thanks for all the good info on this.

embatp

if you look in the cfi pts book, its list the requirements for initial, renewal, and re-issuance, i believe....it breaks down what minimum procedures you have to do...the pts is available online at www.faa.gov under the certificates or pilots section...can't remember

another thing to think about is maybe using the original DE, if you used one, to renew your ticket since he has already seen you once...

cons

Thanks for the heads-up on the pts. I just assumed the standards would be held the same as they were when i initially took it with the faa. here's what i found on the faa site:

Renewal or Reinstatement of a Flight Instructor Certificate
14 CFR part 61, sections 61.197(a) (1) and 61.199(a) allow an individual that holds a Flight Instructor Certificate to renew or reinstate that certificate by passing a practical test. The examiner shall develop a plan of action that includes at least one TASK, in each AREA OF OPERATION, in the examiner’s practical test checklist, for the appropriate category, located in this section. The Renewal or Reinstatement of one rating on a Flight Instructor Certificate renews or reinstates all privileges existing on the certificate.


The examiner shall select TASK F and one other TASK


does this mean that the oral part of the test won't be that long?

embatp, i don't want to take the cfi ride with the same examiner as that was with the faa fsdo and i'll avoid them at all costs.

thanks

embatp

understand about the feds....the pts says you have to do at least that task and one other...of course they can probably ask you anything....

cons

just an update...since i was planning on getting my CFII anyway, i've decided to go for that right now. it will save me some money later on down the road as well.


upon receiving my CFII, my CFI will be reinstated as well.....NICE!!!

good news for me since the school i plan to instruct at told me today that they are in dire need of a CFII. i guess most/all of their instructors are CFIs who just got their certificates and don't plan on getting the CFII, they just planning on sticking around and getting their minimums to move onto the regionals.

hopefully i'll have the CFII by this time next month.

Ewfflyer

Cons, very cool and glad there's people like you out there still. Do it for the Love baby!!!!!!!!

Good luck on the check-ride, you definately got it going with doign the II instead of just re-instatement.