FAA Eliminates Expiration Date on CFI Certificate

The agency’s new rule aligning flight instructor certificates with other airman certificates goes into effect December 1

The agency's updated regulation, which brings flight instructor certificates in line with other airman certificates, will take effect on December 1.

The FAA announced on Tuesday that it is removing the expiration date for flight instructor certificates. The agency's new rule, aligning flight instructor certificates with other airman certificates, will take effect on December 1. However, according to the FAA, instructors must still renew their certificates every 24 months by completing a Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic (FIRC), obtaining an additional instructor certificate, or through other instructional activities. These activities include "at least 15 flight activities recognized under the FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency program, during which the flight instructor must evaluate at least five different pilots and provide the necessary endorsements in the pilots' logbooks for each activity."

Furthermore, the rule specifies that CFIs who endorse at least five applicants for a practical test within 24 months and achieve an 80% pass rate can also use this method (as per 61.197(b)(2)(i)) to renew their certificates.

Aligning Airman Certificates

As per the 35-page document published in the Federal Register, removing the expiration date will align the CFI certificate with private and commercial certificates that do not have expiration dates. This change is also seen as a cost-saving measure, reducing the expense for the FAA to print and mail reissued certificates.

The final rule amends Part 61 of Title 14 in the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) regarding reinstatement requirements for flight instructor certificates, allowing a CFI who has let their certificate lapse a three-month grace period to complete a FIRC and regain privileges. Before this rule, a lapsed instructor would need to pass a checkride.

With no expiration date, instructors will note recency of experience in a client’s logbook under FAR 61.51, instead of specifying the certificate's expiration date.

This rule also introduces two new methods for flight instructors to qualify for training initial applicants and relocates and codifies the requirements for U.S. military and civilian personnel who seek to renew an expired certificate but face challenges due to being outside the U.S.