Proficiency is a key aspect of aviation safety for all pilots. We all realize that flying once every two years doesn’t maintain proficiency or skills, but many pilots who don’t fly regularly for work or other reasons may need a little tap on the back to study and fly enough to keep their skills alive. The same is true for instructors and you may be surprised to know how many licensed instructors may not be proficient at teaching. According to the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), fewer than 15 percent of the more than 93,000 active instructors in the United States sign off a student each year.
This statistic doesn’t necessarily mean that the thousands of instructors who don’t sign off students are not proficient at flying. Many airline pilots maintain the currency of their CFI certificates, but are prohibited by their employer from providing instruction. And there are also some instructors who give biennial flight reviews and provide instruction for endorsements other than a complete rating. The only legal requirement to maintain the CFI certificate (which is a difficult one to obtain) is the completion of a Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC) every two years (which is quite easy to complete) in addition to the biennial flight review we all have to complete. So it’s no surprise that there are many certified instructors who aren’t what perhaps should be considered as active.
