CFI who can no longer keep medical become a Sport Pilot instuctor

4 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   Bill Trussell on Feb 20, 2012

   Assuming that you have not been turned down for your last FAA medical certificate the following apply:
    
    

   1. Hold a Current and Valid CFI
   (Valid Pilot Certificate, Meet Currency, Hold Appropriate Endorsements)
   2. Appropriate Category and Class Ratings in LSA
   (5 hours PIC make and model within a “set” of aircraft additional Category and Class Privileges Endorsed in Logbook)
   3. U.S Drivers License or FAA Medical
   (If acting as PIC)
   4. Provide Training in only FAA Certificated LSA

   5. Comply with all Sport Pilot CFI Privileges and Limits

   The above information comes from a FAA publication available at:

   http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/sport_pilot/media/sp_certification_brochure.pdf

   Note the sections specific to medical requirements including:

    

    

   Not know or have reason to know of any medical condition that would make that person unable to operate a light-sport aircraft in a safe manner

    

   Let us know how you make out in your new business.

    

   0 Votes 1 Votes  1 Votes

2. 
   

   
   

   John D. Collins on Feb 20, 2012

   You can still do some limited flight instruction without a medical as long as the pilot receiving the instruction acts as the PIC.  So you could give a Flight Review to a pilot who was still current.  You could give most of the instruction towards a commercial license,  You could also give check outs in different airplanes, again assuming the pilot was authorized to act as PIC and had any required one time endorsements if needed.  Same reasoning, you can give aerobatic instruction or most of the instruction towards a CFI. You could not act as a safety pilot, or give instruction to a primary student, or to a pilot that is not current or doesn’t have a valid flight review, or towards a new category and class rating such as adding a multi-engine rating.

   +1 Votes 1 Votes  0 Votes

3. 
   

   
   

   Wes Beard on Feb 21, 2012

   This is an interesting question for two reasons:
    
   1.  Deals with a CFI that does not meet the criteria for a third class medical as listed in Part 67.  As stated by others, a CFI is not required to have a medical at all to teach but must have one if they are going to act as the pilot in command.  Thus the only thing the CFI cannot do is primary instruction for a student pilot or simulated instrument work for an instrument, commercial or ATP certificate / rating.
    
   2. Deals with sport pilots who have surrendered their medicals or decided not to renew them.  It is important to note here that if the most recent medical exam was failed, this CFI cannot act as pilot in command under the sport pilot rules; thus most pilots allow their medicals to lapse and continue flying a sport airplane.  The only caution I have to this endeavor is the requirement in §61.53 that prohibits a pilot in command from assuming that role if they have a medical condition that would prevent them from obtaining a medical certificate.
    
   http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=c77b560c02d1a98e2a61a7a5637e309c&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.1.2.1.1.33&idno=14 

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4. 
   

   
   

   Kris Kortokrax on Feb 21, 2012

   The requirement to log 5 hours in make and model went away in the rule change effective April 2 2010.
   The FAA brochure is out of date.
    
   The wording concerning not acting as PIC if one has a medical condition that would prevent him from obtaining a medical certificate only applies to operations requiring a medical certificate.
    
   For sport pilot instructors see 61.53 (b).  Different wording.

   +4 Votes 4 Votes  0 Votes