Houston FSDO

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Roger, Roger

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So the time has come to renew my CFI certificate. I did the 'Merican Flyers FIRC online. However, we don't have an FAA inspector coming out to our Skool o' Flite until July 1 (the day after my certificate expires).

I'm planning on flying down to the Houston area (Conroe, actually) this weekend to get away from the Skool o' Flite, and also to do some job hunting/resume dropping at the area airports (Friday, when everyone's still open).

Being the clever individual I am, I thought maybe I could go to the Houston FSDO and renew my CFI there. Wonderfully, the Houston FSDO is not located on an airport. So does anyone from the area know if it is realistic to fly into one of the nearby airports (EFD or HOU) and courtesy-car it to the FSDO for my renewal? Is it going to be less of a hassle to just cough up the $50 and let AF do the paperwork for me?
 
Roger said:
So the time has come to renew my CFI certificate. I did the 'Merican Flyers FIRC online. However, we don't have an FAA inspector coming out to our Skool o' Flite until July 1 (the day after my certificate expires).

I'm planning on flying down to the Houston area (Conroe, actually) this weekend to get away from the Skool o' Flite, and also to do some job hunting/resume dropping at the area airports (Friday, when everyone's still open).

Being the clever individual I am, I thought maybe I could go to the Houston FSDO and renew my CFI there. Wonderfully, the Houston FSDO is not located on an airport. So does anyone from the area know if it is realistic to fly into one of the nearby airports (EFD or HOU) and courtesy-car it to the FSDO for my renewal? Is it going to be less of a hassle to just cough up the $50 and let AF do the paperwork for me?
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Path of least resistance would be fly into EFD, easier to get in and out of. Its not even a 10 minute drive, so its very doable in the crew car. (I've done it).

If you end up at DWH let me know, or shoot me a PM if you want to grab a bite or something. By the way, CXO is much improved since the tower opened. I dont know where they got the guys working it, but they are always is a great mood.
 
You can walk from the main FBO at EFD to the EFD FSDO in about 2 minutes. I turned in the paperwork for my AGI and IGI there, and it went ok. I don't know if you can switch the appointment or not.
 
Alchemy said:
You can walk from the main FBO at EFD to the EFD FSDO. I turned in the paperwork for my AGI and IGI there, and it went ok.
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How long ago was that? From the FAA website, it looks like they moved and are a few miles from the field.
 
Alchemy said:
You can walk from the main FBO at EFD to the EFD FSDO in about 2 minutes. I turned in the paperwork for my AGI and IGI there, and it went ok. I don't know if you can switch the appointment or not.
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How long ago was that? FSDO is not on the airport at EFD anymore. They moved about 4 miles up the road.

Edit: Roger beat me too it
 
Alrighty then. It actually sounds fairly feasible. I guess I'll make the appointment with the FSDO. wjmiller, depending on how early I can head out from GGG I might be able to drop by DWH. Who all is on the field there? I'm kind of looking for a maintenance job.
 
Roger said:
Alrighty then. It actually sounds fairly feasible. I guess I'll make the appointment with the FSDO. wjmiller, depending on how early I can head out from GGG I might be able to drop by DWH. Who all is on the field there? I'm kind of looking for a maintenance job.
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Flight schools:
Hi-Tech (where I work now), ATP(worked there for a little over a year), American Flyer, United, Texas flight services, MVP, and a few one plane operations.

Maint- So many I dont know them all but here are a few: Rite-way, Arial Veiwpoint, Lonestar, Texas Turbine, and the fact that the schools listed above have maint. Our A&P could name off a few others if you want me to ask.
 
wjmiller3 said:
Flight schools:
Hi-Tech (where I work now), ATP(worked there for a little over a year), American Flyer, United, Texas flight services, MVP, and a few one plane operations.

Maint- So many I dont know them all but here are a few: Rite-way, Arial Veiwpoint, Lonestar, Texas Turbine, and the fact that the schools listed above have maint. Our A&P could name off a few others if you want me to ask.
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Thanks! I'll let you know.
 
HOnestly, I'm jobless right now and if you fly into EFD I would be willing to come pick you up and drive you wherever you need to go. Though I'm sure the FBO's at EFD offer courtesy cars, I'm just not positive.
There are a few places at EFD that do maintenance. Both FBO's as well as another mechanic shop on field. Plus two flight schools, if you count DCA as one.
Just FYI DWH is really far from EFD, especially in traffic. If you are mainly interestd in there I would jsut fly there instead of EFD.
Also there are a couple nice FBO's at HOU, Million Air and I can't remember the other one.

Either way if you make it down here hit me up via PM or whatnot. Maybe me you and wjmiller can have a mini M&G
 
Roger said:
So the time has come to renew my CFI certificate. I did the 'Merican Flyers FIRC online. However, we don't have an FAA inspector coming out to our Skool o' Flite until July 1 (the day after my certificate expires).

I'm planning on flying down to the Houston area (Conroe, actually) this weekend to get away from the Skool o' Flite, and also to do some job hunting/resume dropping at the area airports (Friday, when everyone's still open).

Being the clever individual I am, I thought maybe I could go to the Houston FSDO and renew my CFI there. Wonderfully, the Houston FSDO is not located on an airport. So does anyone from the area know if it is realistic to fly into one of the nearby airports (EFD or HOU) and courtesy-car it to the FSDO for my renewal? Is it going to be less of a hassle to just cough up the $50 and let AF do the paperwork for me?
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Try this. Call the FSDO and ask to speak to the GA Operations Inspector on duty. Explain the situation to him or her. Ask if you could fax your 8710-1 or scan and email it to the FSDO upon completion of the course along with copies of your identification, etc. Would they consider that a submission made before your June 30 expiration date and then give you the certificate on July 1st when they come to the school. It is really a subjective call. Some inspectors would be okay with it and some wouldn't. It isn't falsification because you would make the application before the expiration date and they would issue the temporary before the expiration date, but they just wouldn't put it in your hand until they check your identification and original documents in person.

Plan B is you could ask the inspector if they would give temporary FIRE (Flight Instructor Renewal Examiner) authority to a local friendly DPE at your school. Then he could take the documents and issue you the temporary. The only down side of that is if the DPE isn't familiar with the nuances of renewing a CFI, they might make a mistake and the paperwork could bounce back and forth for a while.

I'll be interested to hear how it works out for you. Good luck.
 
Peter, thanks for that. If I can avoid going to the FSDO that would free up a lot of time to M&G/job hunt.
 
Roger said:
Peter, thanks for that. If I can avoid going to the FSDO that would free up a lot of time to M&G/job hunt.
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Don't be sore if they say no. Everybody has a slightly different tolerance for doing things out of the ordinary and some inspectors after having been bitten in the rear end a few times tend to be less flexible. But, on the other hand, the worst they can do is say no.
 
By the way, CXO is much improved since the tower opened.
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It's for sure open now? I've been watching airnav.com waiting to see when they bring it online, I guess they haven't updated it yet. Also, I asked this earlier but no one really know.. is their airspace really the 1/4 of a circle shown on the sectional on airnav?
 
Sisson2011 said:
It's for sure open now? I've been watching airnav.com waiting to see when they bring it online, I guess they haven't updated it yet. Also, I asked this earlier but no one really know.. is their airspace really the 1/4 of a circle shown on the sectional on airnav?
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The NOTAMS say the tower is up 7AM-10PM local. There's a published NOTAM adding to the class delta surface area that makes it sound like the airspace is indeed weirdly-shaped.
 
Sisson2011 said:
It's for sure open now? I've been watching airnav.com waiting to see when they bring it online, I guess they haven't updated it yet. Also, I asked this earlier but no one really know.. is their airspace really the 1/4 of a circle shown on the sectional on airnav?
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Yeah it's been up and running for a month or so now.

Not sure what's up with the airspace as plotted on the sectional, but is class D so just to be safe I would treat it as typical class D.

Roger, Bat aviation is another little mx shop on DWH as well.

Also I'm prepping for my CFII with the Houston FSDO and a pretty experience guy I did the course with said the FSDO would arrange to come pick me up if I had to fly down to Ellington for the checkride. Not sure if they'd do the same for your CFI re-instatement, worth a call though.

I'm also game to meet up if you guys wanna do something while you're down here.
 
can't help you with the fsdo question, but speaking of the american flyers firc, how awful is that thing? i just renewed mine today after completing their online firc.

i was the third time i've renewed using it. the only reason i keep doing it again is that it is free, and i don't instruct anymore. if i had any intention of instructing in the next two years, i would want a firc that actually teaches something, it's just that after earning the cfi, i don't want it to just lapse.

good thing it's two years in between renewals, it helps me forget how awful it is before i have to do it again.

it's basically a "read the foi, read parts of this cfi handbook, take a couple of tests" kind of thing. i got nothing out of it other that a couple of inadvertant naps.
 
Problem solved!

One of our local DPEs is a former FAA inspector, and has the FIRE certification. It'll still cost me $50, but much less hassle than either the through-the-mail or visiting the FSDO.
 
Roger said:
Problem solved!

One of our local DPEs is a former FAA inspector, and has the FIRE certification. It'll still cost me $50, but much less hassle than either the through-the-mail or visiting the FSDO.
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Good deal, but if you do end up at hooks handing out resumes give us a PM. Me and IslandFlyer might be able to meet up and have lunch or something. (plus I owe him a beer from a bet I lost that I need to settle!)
 
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