CFI and NO medical requirement; FAR 61.23 B

J

J777Fly

Well-Known Member
According to FAR 61.23 B) 5, & 7, a flight instructor does not need a medical to instruct if they are A) not acting as PIC and B) not a required crew member;

(b) Operations not requiring a medical certificate. A person is not required to hold a medical certificate:

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(5) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate if the person is not acting as pilot in command or serving as a required pilot flight crewmember;

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(7) When serving as an examiner or check airman during the administration of a test or check for a certificate, rating, or authorization conducted in a flight simulator or flight training device; or

So could a flight instructor who cannot hold a medical be compensated for the instruction they give in the air or in a simulator?

(obviously not acting as PIC or required crew member, and only conducting exercises like instrument sim training, check out flights, or giving dual in actual IMC)

Also am I correct in assumimg that as the minimum medical requirement for an instructor is a 3rd class medical, that they can be compensated with just that medical as well??
 
Legally a flight instructor may give instruction in an aircraft under these circumstances as long as he does not at any time act as PIC; i.e. sole manipluator of flight controls. Lack of a medical would preclude you from acting as PIC, not from giving instruction.

Would I ever want to walk that line with the FSDO or at an interview? Heck no.

Would it be smart to go up with a student knowing you could not legally take the controls? No way!
 
Thanks for the reply. My question was more about receiving compensation for it, and from what I can deduce, it seems from the regulations that you can. In fact it makes sense, because no where does it say in exacting words that you must have a 1st, 2nd or even a 3rd class medical to be compensated for exercising your privileges as a CFI. Very much unlike the explicit requirement to holding a 1st or 2nd class medical as a commercial pilot or ATPL.

To me, if there is any "fine line" with any FSDO, the FSDO's need to ask the FAA to change the regs, because its legally acceptable according to the regulations. If its an issue, they should take it out.

And I take your point about going up with a student and not being able to legally take control if the worst should happen (Again, another grey area that the FAA may need to consider, because whether the pilot is experienced or not, you may have to take control at some point).

But I am thinking any CFI who has lost their medical, and would like to continue teaching would;
A) Get a thorough understanding of the regs as pertaining to FAR 61.23
B) Know their limitations as to what operations they can safely conduct instruction e.g simulator sessions or check out flights with qualified/experienced pilots etc.
C) Understand and respect that their instructional service will be limited. But if you can get great satisfaction with the little instruction you can do, thats what is most important.
 
JJ429PA said:
Legally a flight instructor may give instruction in an aircraft under these circumstances as long as he does not at any time act as PIC; i.e. sole manipluator of flight controls. Lack of a medical would preclude you from acting as PIC, not from giving instruction.

Would I ever want to walk that line with the FSDO or at an interview? Heck no.

Would it be smart to go up with a student knowing you could not legally take the controls? No way!
Click to expand...

You can take the controls all you want. The sole manipulator language is for logging PIC. 61.51, which also allows the CFI to log pic when giving instruction.

To the OP, yes you may be compensated.
 
No medical required and yes you may receive compensation (without a medical). The CFI only needs a 3rd class medical (to act as pic). The FAA has ruled that compensation is for Instruction, not pilot services (commercial activity).
 
MidlifeFlyer said:
You never know. You could end up at an interview with someone who is ignorant.
Click to expand...
Two things: If you don't have a medical, more than likely your hopes of employment of slim to none.
The regs are in black and white. If youre interviewing someplace with no medical, better bring the FARs with you.;)
 
The best instructor that I ever had was this old salt that lost his medical eons ago. Knew and forgot about more things about actually flying an airplane and what an airplane can and can't do than I will ever know in the next 50 years. I wish there were more of them teaching commercial students.
 
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