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CFI Renewal Counts As Flight Review?

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FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor

Per 14 CFR 61.56 and 78 Fed.Reg. 179:56822, does a standard CFI renewal (online or seminar) count for the flight review? i was told it did, and read it myself a few years ago, thought so. Now that i read in the Fed.Reg. summary, "practical test for the renewal of a flight instructor certificate" i'm not so sure. Do current CFIs need a flight review?

2 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jul 30, 2016

    Since you are a CFI, I’ll let you find the FAR references for these statements. They are all there.

    1. A CFI practical (flight) test, including a renewal test, counts as a flight review.

    2. Doing an online course or seminar does not count as a flight review.

    3. The online or seminar CFI renewal does count for something though. It negates the need for the ground component of the flight review.

    4. A CFI does not need a flight review at all, so long as the CFI is not acting as pilot in command.

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  2. Malcolm Dickinson on Mar 02, 2018

    See also the AOPA article titled “CFI CHECKRIDE NOW COUNTS AS FLIGHT REVIEW” at
    https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2013/september/19/new-rule-saves-cfis-time-money

    which says:
    “The change allows pilots passing the CFI checkride for the first time, as well as those passing a practical test to add a rating to their flight instructor certificate, renew their certificate, or reinstate an expired certificate, to also count that as their flight review.”

    Note the important words “checkride” and “practical test”. These make it clear that a flight review requires a practical evaluation (in the airplane or a simulator).

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