FAA Issues SFAR That Helps Instructors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAA issued a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that addresses many concerns regarding pilot currency, an extension of testing requirements, and other operational concerns. This comprehensive document is 93 pages long covering all aspects of aviation from medical requirements to sUAS operations. Here is a link to the document - please note that the effective date has not been added, but this rule does have immediate effect.

Of particular concern to flight instructors, and as raised by NAFI Chair Bob Meder by telephone with the FAA at the end of March, the issue of Flight Instructor Certificates expiring at the end of March 2020 has been addressed.

The FAA has recommended and does so again in this document, that flight instructors take advantage of on-line FIRCs to renew their flight instructor certificates. However, recognition is given to those instructors that have either in-person FIRCs canceled due to the pandemic or, if they have "satisfactorily completed one of the renewal requirements in §61.197(a)(2)(i), (ii), or (iv)" and have been unable, due to stay-at-home orders, to travel to a local FSDO to have their records reviewed and a new certificate issued.   An example cited by the FAA in the SFAR is one of a flight instructor having trained and endorsed at least five students in the preceding 24 calendar months with an 80% pass rate and then could not visit the FSDO.

Certificates expiring between March 31, 2020, and May 31, 2020, will have their validity extended through June 30, 2020, and upon renewal will retain their original expiration month - that is, if an instructor certificate originally expired in March 2020, the new one will expire in March 2022.   For those instructors that have completed the requirements of §61.197(a)(2)(i), (ii), or (iv), the FAA has determined that they should not be required to complete an online FIRC, due to the additional economic burden that would entail.

Please note that the eligibility requirements must have been met prior to the certificate expiration date. Any instructor whose certificate expires in March, April, or June 2020 may submit a completed and signed application with the FAA showing that they satisfactorily complied with one of the renewal requirements of §61.197(a)(2)(i) through (iv) until June 30th. After that date, they must reinstate their certificate as provided in §61.199.