flying_eth Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 My CFI expired a while ago unfortunatly. I had over given over 10 endorsements for practial tests with only 1 person who didn't pass on their first attempt. I gave my endorsement record to our POI and he said he'd take care of it. I wasn't able to get to a town with a FSDO during this time so I told him I could fax him anything he needed. Well a couple of weeks later I find out my CFI is not going to be renewed and it was to late to do so. The POIs excuse was it was kind of his day off and I did not give him an 8710, I didn't know I needed one as this was my first renewal. I'm currently training for my helicopter add-on ratings. I really love flying helicopters and would love to make a career out of it. Now I'd love to get my CFI back as I worked hard for it and feel I could contribute to aviation safety with my experience (over 800 dual given), and would be doing a service for my small community in Alaska so people don't have to drive 4 hrs for a CFI. I am a company instructor for the company I work for here in AK in airplane SEL SES MEL so I can and do instruct guys for initail and re-current training regularly. My questions are this does anyone have any know if it's possible to re-instate my fixed wing CFI ratings by getting a helicopter CFI, one FAA guy here says no, and the regs seem to say the same thing. Anyone have any experience with FSDOs doing anything like this. When it comes to my helicopter CFI how does that work, I mean I'm a CFI, just not current so is it still an add-on or do I have to start all over? Do I have to take the ride with the FAA which is next to impossible to schedule, or can it be done with a DE? Right now (as always I suppose) both time and money are a huge concern and I don't see the point paying an arm and a leg to fly a C-150(I'd rather spend the money on helicopters, more fun and useful, plus it's been awhile since I've had to pay to fly an airplane ). I'm barely going to be able to afford to finish my helicopter as it is. Any help or advice would be greatly appreicated! Cheers,Jon Quote
rotormandan Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) I don't have any references to back me up but... I believe it's not a current thing. Your ticket has expired so you don't have one to get current again. I'm guessing you'll have to take another check ride to either re-instate your fixed wing or get your helicopter. Then you can do your add on. You might want to check but you might even have to do your written exams again as those scores are only good for 2 years. The good news is that you don't have to it with the FAA. You can use a DE but if they decide to consider it an initial again the DE will have to check with the FSDO 1st to see if they want to do it. It shouldn't take more than a phone call and if you're somewhere where an FAA examiner would have to travel to, it shouldn't be a problem. I've never had this problem or know anyone who has but that's what it seems like to me. I hope for your situation someone comes here and says that I'm completely wrong here and it's as easy as signing a piece of paper. Good luck. By the way, where in Alaska are you? Edited January 21, 2009 by rotormandan Quote
flying_eth Posted January 21, 2009 Author Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) Thanks for the advise, asked a lot of people and keep getting different anwers.I'm in Anchorage(flown out of Anchorage a few years ago too), doing my heli training. Been living and flying out of Tok mainly for a number of years. Flew out of Cordoava a bit. Edited January 21, 2009 by flying_eth Quote
rick1128 Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 I went through this a couple of years ago. You actually still hold your CF, but it is not current. So on your checkride you will not have to do things like lesson plans, etc. Also, you will not have to take the ridde with the feds as it is not an initial CFI ride. As for renewing your FW CFI, it would be best to discuss it with your school and the DPE they use for CFI's. Let them be your advocate with the FSDO. It really depends on the FSDO, but generally they will accept you doing that. Quote
FauxZ Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 A buddy of mine was a fixed wing CFI before becoming a rotor CFI and we had this discussion, I don't know the regs he was referencing though. If you CFI expires, you must take a checkride to renew. It is still a renewal, but the only way to renew is by checkride. At this point, you can not add a new rating to renew. That said, if you had added a new rating to your CFI cert BEFORE your CFI expired, then it WOULD renew your CFI. It's been quite a while since we talked about this, and I remember poking around in the regs to try to find it and never made it far enough to find out why, so it may just be a FSDO thing. As others have mentioned, it's probably best to contact your local FSDO to be sure. Quote
heli.pilot Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 That said, if you had added a new rating to your CFI cert BEFORE your CFI expired, then it WOULD renew your CFI. It's been quite a while since we talked about this, and I remember poking around in the regs to try to find it and never made it far enough to find out why, so it may just be a FSDO thing. As others have mentioned, it's probably best to contact your local FSDO to be sure. I'm not sure of the reference for this either, but I was told the same thing. Also, adding your CFII renews your CFI. So if you got your CFII 23 months after getting your CFI, it would renew your CFI for another 24 months. Quote
gmsemel Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Seems to me that your POI for your company could do the check ride in one of your companies airplanes when you take a 135 ride with the feds. I could be wrong on that score, but I don't think it would hurt to ask. I was going to let mine go, I had it for 32 years now, but I renewed it. Its a pain and will cost you both some time and money. Doing a Helicopter CFI add-on like I did only works if you have a Current flight instructors certificate, you don't , it would be a new issue in that case. I don't think this should cost you to much in either time or money. This one is tough because if you ask 10 people you will get 10 different answers, I would be happy to help you out on this, but I am in CT and its a long way to Alaska with out a job waiting for you when you get there. Quote
flying_eth Posted January 22, 2009 Author Posted January 22, 2009 Thanks for all the help everyone. It was confirmed by 2 FAA inspectors that I can take the ride with a DPE and it will reinstate all my fixed wing ratings. Quote
Mikemv Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 flying_eth, prepare yourself according to the CFIRH PTS just like you did for your initial CFIRH certification. This will be a full oral and check ride. The only area/thing you do not do is the written. Be prepared to write lesson plans and everything else in the PTS!!!! Good Luck & Safe Flying, Mike Quote
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