CFI recency rules

Let’s look at how those changes affect instructors and what this means to clients who seek training for an initial or advanced pilot certificate or rating or prepare for a flight review or instrument proficiency check.

CFI certificates issued on or after December 1, 2024, no longer have an expiration date printed on the certificate. However, CFI instructional privileges expire just as they did before—at the end of the 24-month renewal window, now named the recent experience end date, or what the AOPA Air Safety Institute calls REED.

CFIs whose REED has passed will not hold instructional privileges. However, they automatically enter a three-month reinstatement period that allows them to regain those privileges by means of taking and passing a flight instructor refresher course (FIRC) consisting of ground or flight training, or a combination of both. Review FAR 61.197 for details.

Once CFIs pass a FIRC within their reinstatement period they can again legally provide flight instruction. But CFIs who allow the three-calendar-month reinstatement period to pass without completing a FIRC will need to take a practical test to have their instructional privileges reinstated.

One concern is that because they don’t see an expiration date on their certificate, some CFIs could mistakenly provide training and sign endorsements during their reinstatement period when they no longer hold those CFI privileges. This means all training and endorsements provided during that time are invalid for the purpose of documenting such training toward a client’s certificate, rating, or flight review.

But there’s good news. CFIs and clients can look up a CFI’s expiration or recency status on the FAA’s Airmen Inquiry portal (amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry). CFIs who are within their three-month reinstatement period and who successfully complete a FIRC during that time can return to instructing. This will help clients avoid paying for and logging training that doesn’t qualify, especially important for anyone who starts flight training with a new flight instructor.

What about CFIs who renewed their certificates before December 1, 2024? They will have a printed expiration date on their certificate. But they can also take advantage of the three-calendar-month reinstatement period after their printed expiration date. Upon successful renewal, a CFI will then be issued a certificate without an expiration date. The AOPA Air Safety Institute explains all these changes in a detailed FAQ.

machteld.smith@aopa.org