CFI renewal timing?

Acadia

Acadia

Well-Known Member
I am probably going to renew my CFI one more time, even though I can't imagine ever being in a position to use it again. I am trying to fit it in around a busy summer work schedule and just wanted to confirm the deadline. As long as you have everything completed and in to the FAA before the expiration date, you are all set correct? I expire at the end of August and likely could not get stuff done until the 20th (give or take).
 
Don't let it expire! It's way too easy to renew every 2 yrs with online courses and you just never know. I haven't used mine in 30 yrs but I still renew. Why? Who knows.....guess it was hard enough to get it the first time around that it's one of those ratings I'm most proud of.

Gleim lets you renew 4 months before your expiration date and keep your original expiration date. You could easily work on it a little at a time till your finished over the next 6 wks. I can do the whole renewal on a short weekend.
 
A300Capt said:
Don't let it expire! It's way too easy to renew every 2 yrs with online courses and you just never know. I haven't used mine in 30 yrs but I still renew. Why? Who knows.....guess it was hard enough to get it the first time around that it's one of those ratings I'm most proud of.

Gleim lets you renew 4 months before your expiration date and keep your original expiration date. You could easily work on it a little at a time till your finished over the next 6 wks. I can do the whole renewal on a short weekend.
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Good to know!
 
American Flyers is awesome, buy once renew for life. The last time I renewed (April of this year) they had updated the program a little and was very easy.

And for $25 they will take care of the paperwork thru IACRA, you will have a new Temp Cert. the same day.
 
I'm doing the Gleim online course right now. They've been my go to provider for renewal for at least the last 14 years, probably longer. Very convenient with the option for them to take care of the renewal paperwork. I like Gleim because it's pretty easy to do the course and quizzes. Others like American Flyers because they have a lifetime renewal plan for one price, but I hated their online course.

You definitely do not want to let your CFI expire. After all the work it took to get it, it is very easy to keep with the online renewal method. Trust me, I let mine expire after getting on with a major. One year and nine months later I was furloughed and without a CFI certificate. I immediately went and re-took the practical after about 10 hours practice in a C-152. Cost me a few thousand dollars to do, but got my cert back and have kept it ever since. Did about 150 hours of flying as a CAP Stand/Eval pilot the first year I was on furlough. Could not have gotten back into that if I did not have the CFI.

You never know when you may need it and the benefit it brings. I have been an instructor/examiner at various airlines and manufacturers for the better part of 20 years now. The CFI rating gets you noticed when you apply for those types of jobs.




Typhoonpilot
 
Not planning on letting it expire, but just wanted to verify that I don't need to get paperwork in especially early. I think I have always done it more than a month early in the past, so I have never tested the waters by getting stuff in with only a week or even days to spare. Does it matter as long as it is in and dated before the end of the month?
 
Acadia said:
Not planning on letting it expire, but just wanted to verify that I don't need to get paperwork in especially early. I think I have always done it more than a month early in the past, so I have never tested the waters by getting stuff in with only a week or even days to spare. Does it matter as long as it is in and dated before the end of the month?
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Gleim says all paperwork must be received by them before your expiration date.


TP
 
typhoonpilot said:
Gleim says all paperwork must be received by them before your expiration date.
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Thanks.

In truth I will probably let it go at some point, as keeping it is likely a pointless endeavor. I stopped flying a good nine years ago now, and have a different career and little interest in getting back into aviation. I think it is highly unlikely that I will even fly again, let alone do anything that would benefit from maintaining the certificate. While maintaining it isn't a huge deal, I also have a USCG credential that I do use that requires effort, and numerous other professional certifications and licenses. Maintaining one that has such low odds for use has gotten a little old given all of the others I am keeping up on.
 
I just completed the American Flyers FIRC course today. It is on sale for $75 right now for the same lifetime deal.

It no longer requires the fixed time for each course; they go at your reading/viewing pace and you simply take the test at the end of each reading.

A highly recommended method, even if you only have the slightest glimmer of thought that you might just use that hard-earned certificate sometime later in the future.
 
Hacker15e said:
I just completed the American Flyers FIRC course today. It is on sale for $75 right now for the same lifetime deal.
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Thanks for the heads up. I have always used Jeppesen, but I should switch to American Flyers given the ongoing cost. I assume that if I pay the $75 fee plus $25 for digital filing, that next time around I will only have the digital filing cost.
 
One question about the American Flyers FIRC that I can't determine from the FAQ: Does it allow you do download each lesson as a PDF for offline reading or for later reference? It is hard for me to get it done with a connection, but having the ability to slap all of the lesson PDF's on my iPad makes it really easy (that is how I did it with Jepps in the past).
 
I've been out of aviation for about 6 or 7 years. I've finished a masters degree and now have time to do fun things again. I want to start instructing again I let my CFI expire. Worst decision ever. I've seen American Flyers renewal program. It's easy. I wish I would've done it. Now I'm studying for a check ride that I shouldn't have ever had to take.
 
Acadia said:
As long as you have everything completed and in to the FAA before the expiration date, you are all set correct?
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Yes, HOWEVER ......... I was just encountered a case where a pilot needed and emergency field issuance (new temporary) and he really needed it right now. He called the FSDO and they said the next appointment would be in three weeks and they wouldn't budge on that. I was stunned.

So, to be on the safe side, call well in advance of when you want to come in "just in case".
 
Acadia said:
One question about the American Flyers FIRC that I can't determine from the FAQ: Does it allow you do download each lesson as a PDF for offline reading or for later reference? It is hard for me to get it done with a connection, but having the ability to slap all of the lesson PDF's on my iPad makes it really easy (that is how I did it with Jepps in the past).
Click to expand...

I just took the AF renewal a few months ago for the 7th time. I paid $99 in 2003, but did notice (as one poster pointed out) that the price is now lower. It really is a bargain. I can confirm that the arbitrary time limit is gone, and you could feasibly get it done in a day or two.

In years past, there was an option to download the source material as a PDF, but I couldn't find it this time around. Instead, I just copied and pasted each page into a word document for quick future reference/study.

Perhaps one of the best features was the ACR renewal. This was the first time I got to do it with IACRA. The last 5 times I paid for the ACR, as it was always a pain to set up an appointment with the local FSDO. That still required a little leg work, as I had to mail in an 8710 along with a copy of my driver license and notarized document (but still a lot less time then waiting on the FSDO). With IACRA, you can now do everything paperless and online. I went from the first FIRC chapter to printing my new temporary certificate without getting off the couch. Gotta love technology!
 
I've done the American Flyers twice, and I have to say it's worth every penny. I had an 8710 blunder that had my address off by one digit, and the people at American Flyers were awesome as far as getting it corrected before my new certificate was mailed off to me. Great program.

Don't let the CFI expire, there are many reasons, and most of those reasons are easily unforeseen. My buddy (older co-worker) was asked to be an FAA examiner/inspector by the feds multiple times, but because he didn't have his CFI anymore he only qualifies for 121 ops, which is funny because he's only flown part 135 his whole career. Because he lost the CFI currency, he can't inspect flight schools. Yet he could sit in a heavy transport he knows nothing about and work the 121 side...
 
Acadia said:
I am probably going to renew my CFI one more time, even though I can't imagine ever being in a position to use it again. I am trying to fit it in around a busy summer work schedule and just wanted to confirm the deadline. As long as you have everything completed and in to the FAA before the expiration date, you are all set correct? I expire at the end of August and likely could not get stuff done until the 20th (give or take).
Click to expand...
Mine expired in 2004. I just reinstated it today. It wasnt that big of a pain, but it did cost me $1,500 to get up to speed vs $125 renewal online. Oh well, live and learn.
 
Acadia said:
I am probably going to renew my CFI one more time, even though I can't imagine ever being in a position to use it again. I am trying to fit it in around a busy summer work schedule and just wanted to confirm the deadline. As long as you have everything completed and in to the FAA before the expiration date, you are all set correct? I expire at the end of August and likely could not get stuff done until the 20th (give or take).
Click to expand...
Mine expired in 2004. I just reinstated it today. It wasnt that big of a pain, but it did cost me $1,500 to get up to speed vs $125 renewal online. Oh well, live and learn.
 
mrivc211 said:
Mine expired in 2004. I just reinstated it today. It wasnt that big of a pain, but it did cost me $1,500 to get up to speed vs $125 renewal online. Oh well, live and learn.
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I'm working on reinstating my expired CFI/I - what was your checkride like?
 
chrisdahut1 said:
I just took the AF renewal a few months ago for the 7th time. I paid $99 in 2003, but did notice (as one poster pointed out) that the price is now lower. It really is a bargain. I can confirm that the arbitrary time limit is gone, and you could feasibly get it done in a day or two.

In years past, there was an option to download the source material as a PDF, but I couldn't find it this time around. Instead, I just copied and pasted each page into a word document for quick future reference/study.

Perhaps one of the best features was the ACR renewal. This was the first time I got to do it with IACRA. The last 5 times I paid for the ACR, as it was always a pain to set up an appointment with the local FSDO. That still required a little leg work, as I had to mail in an 8710 along with a copy of my driver license and notarized document (but still a lot less time then waiting on the FSDO). With IACRA, you can now do everything paperless and online. I went from the first FIRC chapter to printing my new temporary certificate without getting off the couch. Gotta love technology!
Click to expand...
Sold me. Thanks for the tip. I'd always used Gleim since I could knock that out in 3 hours.
 
I haven't flown since my twins were born 5 years ago. Dang kids are a money pit! But I worked so hard, and have such a sense of accomplishment in getting my CFI, CFII, and MEI, that I will never let it go. I will renew till the day I die.

And I use the Gleim too. Open book is best!
 
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