Originally Posted by NoyGonnaDoIt

It's actually in the regs. The FR clock is reset by passing "a pilot proficiency check conducted by an examiner, an approved pilot check airman, or a U.S. Armed Force, for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege..."

A CFI certificate is not a pilot certificate.

You'll find a separation between pilot and instructor certificates, ratings and privileges throughout Part 61. You can start with 61.1(a)(1) which talks about issuing "pilot, flight instructor, and ground instructor certificates and ratings." From there you can go to the fact that a flight instructor who is not also exercising a pilot privilege needs no medical (someone exercising a pilot operational privilege always need a medical).

I haven't checked everything, but I'm not aware of any FAR that treats the flight instructor certificate as a "pilot" certificate.

That doesn't mean it's not confusing. Practically speaking, when you take a CFI ride, you're doing the dame things that you would do in a pilot ride - arguably to a higher standard. But that just makes it like a lot of other regs - you need to be educated about what it means.