Just got a call from the TSA wanting to look over my flight training records. I am an independent flight instructor and have never been inspected before. They are treating me like a flight school.

I have only trained one foreign student.

Does anyone know what exactly they will be checking?

Thanks in advance!!

They are looking for your record of compliance with the TSA's requirements for (1) annual Security Awareness Training (2) records of having examined certain students' passports or birth certificate/drivers license combos to determine citizenship and (3) your record of complaince with the TSA's requirements for training foreign students.

They are treating you like a flight school because, under the TSA regs, you =are= a flight school.

I'm assuming you are generally familiar with this stuff. If you need more detail...

Thanks. I figured that is all they wanted. Time to go searching for the records.

what did you mean by "Certain students' passports" are they looking at specific time I have flown with them or what?

I know I do not have everyones passport or birth certificate that I have flown with...

Thanks

People who your are training for recreational, sport, or private certifciate or an instrument or multiengine rating.

AOPA did a decent job of reviewing the rule and the students it applies to:

AOPA Online: AOPA's Guide to TSA's Alien Flight Training/Citizenship Validation Rule