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2 Answers

Expiration date on tailwheel / complex endorsement valid?

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FAA Regulations

I recently noticed that the tailwheel and complex endorsements in my logbook have an expiration date on them. (They are set to expire about 2 years and a couple months after issuing date.)

Both endorsements were issued by an FAA instructor. I have an FAA pilot's license, and I was not a student pilot at the time of issuance.

I was under the impression that tailwheel and complex endorsements do never expire, and I have never heard to time-restriced tailwheel and complex endorsements.

Is this probably a mistake of the instructor, or is an instructor able to limit the validity of endorsements?

In other words, do I have to get new endorsements without expiration, or can I safely (and legally) ignore the expiration date on the endorsements?

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2 Answers



  1. Dave M on Oct 01, 2014

    I’ve never heard of an expiration date for a complex endorsement. AC 61-65E doesn’t indicate any expiry date in the suggested format for the complex endorsement (61.31 (e)) or the the tail wheel endorsement (61.31 (i)).

    May be a dumb question, but are you sure the expiration date wasn’t for the instructor’s certificate?

    Dave

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  2. Mark Kolber on Oct 02, 2014

    Zonker – I’m guessing Dave is right, mostly because of the “couple of months.” What do the endorsement actually say, word for word including the signature? Is is something like

    I certify that (First name, MI, Last name), (pilot certificate), (certificate number), has received
    the required training of section 61.31(e) in a (make and model of complex airplane). I have
    determined that he/she is proficient in the operation and systems of a complex airplane on [date]
    [CFI signature] [CFI number] Exp. [Date]

    If so, the date at the end of the CFI signature is the date of the CFI certificate expiration.

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