Shaking the Rust Off a CFI Ticket

It's that returning to the right seat state of mind.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, February 03, 2025 at 09:16 AM ET

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There is a lot to consider when a person returns to the CFI world. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Lapsed CFIs' flight hours do not expire, but returning to instruction requires updating knowledge and skills due to various changes in regulations, technology, and terminology.
Significant updates include replacing "student" with "learner," new TSA endorsement procedures, and the requirement for a separate, electronically applied student pilot certificate.
Modern instructional areas involve familiarity with glass cockpits, advanced GPS navigation (including RAIM checks), ADS-B for situational awareness, and the proper use of autopilots in trainers.
While embracing digital tools like electronic flight bags, CFIs must still teach traditional skills such as paper chart navigation and ensure their own instrument flying proficiency remains sharp.

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The nice thing about the flying hours logged in aviation is that they don’t expire. Those hours on your logbook don’t magically disappear if you decide to hang up your wings for a bit—even if they are instructor wings and one day you decide to get back into the cockpit on the right side and teach again.

It will take time, however. It has been my privilege to help lapsed CFIs regain their skills and add some new ones, thus enabling them to teach again.