Can a CFI instruct without a medical?
This question comes from John who asks:
Can a CFI instruct without a medical? Under what circumstances?
Hi John. Thanks for taking the time to submit your question.
A CFI can flight instruct without a medical as long as he is not the PIC (pilot-in-command) or a required crewmember. To demonstrate this point, here are some examples of when a flight instructor could instruct without a current medical certificate:
- As a flight instructor during a biannual flight review (BFR)
- As a flight instructor for an instrument or commercial pilot certificate as long as no “hood” time was involved (also known as simulated instrument conditions).
- As a flight instructor in a glider.
- As an instructor during training given in a flight simulator.
- As a check airman or examiner for a test given in a flight simulator
- Ground instructing (duh)
Operations that require a flight instructor to have a current medical (at least third class):
- Private Pilot training
- Instrument training under simulated instrument conditions. The reason? The flight instructor is now a required crew member which requires a valid medical certificate
- [Edited] Instrument training in real IMC (unless the pilot-in-training meets the requirements to act as PIC in IMC: rated, current, recent and valid medical.)
- If giving required training for a expired BFR, a medical would be required because the flight instructor would be the PIC not the pilot seeking the BFR
- Multi-engine training when the student pilot did not yet have a multi-engine rating (even if the student pilot had a commercial license) because the flight instructor would be the PIC (which requires a medical)
Those are all the examples I can think of for now. If you have some more examples of when a medical is or is not required for a flight instructor be sure to add your suggestions as a comment to this post.
Thanks again for asking and as always…
Fly Safe!
Axel on Oct 05, 2008
You list “Instrument training under simulated instrument conditions” as one of the operations that require a flight instructor to have a current medical. Wouldn’t Instrument training in actual IMC also require the instructor to have a current medical if the student is not yet instrument rated or the student is instrument rated, but does not meet instrument currency requirements?
instructor on Oct 05, 2008
Axel, your right. If a flight instructor was training under real IMC, then yes, that would require the instructor to have a medical certificate. Unless, the pilot-in-training had an instrument rating and met the currency, recency and medical requirements to act as PIC. I have added that to the list. Thanks.
CHAVOS THOMAS on Sep 28, 2010
I Would like to renew my cfi, do I need to have a current medical?
Bryant on May 11, 2011
Hello, is there a specifc FAR that states these, besides 61.51e logging PIC flight time?
charles bridenbaugh on Oct 02, 2011
while giving a bfr as a flight instructor without a medical who would be pilot in command if the pilot in command got sick or had a heart attack and died.
Don Sharp on Jan 30, 2013
Any person at the contols who was still alive and functioning. Duh.
Willie on Jun 19, 2013
What class medical do I need if I began to instruct again?
Mark on May 19, 2016
I have to renew my CFI this year. I am not actively flying, do I need a current medical certificate to renew my CFI? I haven’t had a flight in the last four years, am I good to go once I get my refresher course and get my biannual review? Thank you in advance!
John D Collins on May 19, 2016
Mark,
You don’t need a medical to renew your CFI. However, the CFI certificate can’t be expired before you renew it. There are several on line FIRC courses and many class room courses offered as a means of renewal.
Victor Chu on Jan 13, 2017
Hi are you Thomas Chavos at Pheonix aviation in Daytona in 1999. I am Victor Chu your student. Drop me a line.
Dan Fox on Jan 18, 2018
Hi — I found out that a former instructor of mine, an experienced CFI who gave check rides and granted licenses, came home from giving check rides and dropped dead of a heart attack at age 69. I am wondering what medical exams he would have had to pass to be a CFI and also give check rides? Friends and family cannot imagine him being that close to death and being qualified to do this. Thanks for your time.
Dan
David Krusmark on May 08, 2018
Would an instructor need a medical to give tail-wheel endorsements?
David D Holland on Jun 14, 2018
I believe these dont apply if the aircraft is an LSA. You can do all training in an LSA and no medical is required. Same with Tailwheel, if the aircraft is an LSA you dont need the medical.
Charlie Barbour on Feb 20, 2023
What about upgrade or transition training?
Suppose the pilot-in-training has just purchased a new/used aircraft and the CFI has experience in that make and model. And the pilot-in-training meets the requirements to act as PIC, rated, current, recent and valid medical. I think the FARs permit that CFI to do the training without a medical.
BTW, even if the FAA says that it’s okay, the aircraft insurance company may have more stringent requirements. This is often the case. FAA currency is inadequate for most insurance companies that I’ve reviewed.