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2 Answers

Instrument currency for CFII

Asked by: 2896 views General Aviation

For someone holding a CFI certificate and adding a CFI-I, do you need to be instrument current before the checkride?

Regs state that an instrument rating is needed to qualify for a CFI, but does not specify CFI-I requirements nor does it specify currency.

 

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2 Answers



  1. Russ Roslewski on Mar 07, 2019

    No, you do not need to be instrument current to take the Flight Instructor – Instrument Airplane practical test.

    But, as a practical matter, it’s hard to see how you could be prepared for the checkride _without_ being instrument current (especially since you certainly flew some approaches under the hood during training for the CFII).

    As an instructor, if someone came to me looking to become a CFII but wasn’t current, the first few flights would be bringing them back up to speed on instrument flying. They’ll easily be flying 6 approaches and a hold. Alternately, throughout the instruction, they will easily have accomplished enough tasks to qualify for an IPC, especially since the IPC tasks come right out of the Instrument ACS, which he has to able to teach.

    Also, if you aren’t current before the checkride, you likely won’t be current after the checkride (you usually don’t actually fly all the approaches), and then how are you going to take instrument students up on a cloudy day?

    But of course there are always exceptions, so I’d be interested to hear more details.

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  2. KDS on Mar 07, 2019

    One other factor is that the examiner may request / require you to be under an IFR clearance for part of the practical test. Since the applicant is the PIC during such tests, it would be impossible for you to accept the clearance.

    The best thing all around is to do as Russ suggested and just have your recommending instructor enter an IPC endorsement in your logbook.

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