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9 Answers

New CFI Certificate question.

Asked by: 9023 views Flight Instructor

I recently received my plaste CFI certificate and it has my new CFI number on it. The problem is my Commercial Certificate still has my SS # so they don't match and on the CFI one it says only valid when with pilot certificate number XXXXX. Would it be legal for me to instruct? I currently don't have a job as a flight instructor, but I do have friends that need BFRs and other things. I have a buddy in the FSDO that I called but he is out of town, so I thought I would pick your guys brains.

Thanks

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9 Answers



  1. Matthew Waugh on Jul 12, 2011

    You can’t meet the requirements laid down on your CFI certificate, thus it is not valid and you may not act as an authorized instructor (which does not mean you cannot instruct). Assuming XXXXX is not your SSN. I guess re-reading your message it’s not clear what happened. If XXXXX matches your Commercial certificate number you’re good to go – your CFI number and Commercial certificate number don’t need to match.
     
    Assuming they don’t match, sounds like whoever issued your CFI certificate messed up – you can EITHER go back to them and get it fixed (I hope), or see if you can get your Commercial re-issued with the right number on it (and Gawd knows how you’d do that).
     
    If you have a friend at the FSDO that is almost certainly your fastest route to a fix.

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  2. Wes Beard on Jul 12, 2011

    Congratulations on your CFI, welcome to the club!!!  Let me understand what you are saying.  You have a new CFI with 12345CFI as your certificate number.  Your commercial license is 98765.  The limitation on the CFI says only valid when accompanied by pilot certificate number 12345? or 98765?
     
    If it is 98765, there is nothing to worry about.  Use your new CFI and stay safe. If the limitation says 12345CFI I would request a new commercial without the SS#, teach and keep the record of changing the number to match the CFI.  If you get ramp checked, you can explain your commercial SS# change and any reasonable ASI not worry asbout it.
     
    I owuld do what you did though and double check with the FSDO.

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  3. Wes Beard on Jul 12, 2011

    For both Matthew’s – to change your SS# on your pilot license.
    http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/change_certificate_number/

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  4. Matthew Waugh on Jul 12, 2011

    But Wes – if he does that do we know for sure that his Commercial certificate will end up with the same number as his CFI? I know mine did, but I assume that’s because I already had a non-SSN number on my commercial when I was issued my initial CFI.
     
    If he gets his commercial re-issued and it has yet ANOTHER random number he’s no better off (although granted, he’s no worse off :-))

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  5. John D. Collins on Jul 13, 2011

    Sorry for the subject drift, but if anyone has a pilot’s certificate that uses their Social Security Number, they should get it replaced with one that doesn’t.  My understanding is that it is a free change, see Wes Beard’s post.  There are a lot of bad things that can happen due to identity theft using your pilot certificate number if it is your Social Security Number.

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  6. matthew ruggiero on Jul 13, 2011

    I will clear it up. My commercial is numbered 12345 and my cfi is 6789cfi. and the cfi says must be with 6789. I was just curious if anyone else had run into this problem. I was going to just have it changed but i feared that it would be another random number. I guess I will wait and see what my buddy says. I  will infrom you guys what he says.

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  7. Wes Beard on Jul 13, 2011

    I am 99% positive the two numbers are going to be the same. I’ve worked with many older pilots who have changed their license number on all certificates. each came with the same number.

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  8. Micah on Jul 14, 2011

    Check with the FSDO, but you need a new CPL. I agree with what was said above–you’ve got to replace any license that lists your SSN. Like Wes describes above, the method for assigning CFI #s is to add CFI to the end of your CPL#. If your CPL is 456789 then your CFI should be 456789CFI.

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  9. matthew ruggiero on Jul 14, 2011

    I talked to my buddy at the FSDO and he looked it up. He said that they issued me a new commercial and I should have it in a couple of days. He also said that their computer catches it automaticly and  issues a new certificate.

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