Flight instructors are required to renew their certificate every two years. CFIs with a specific number of successful checkride recommendations during the previous two years can however, renew based alone on that record—but that may not be possible in the current environment.
Recently, the bottom has fallen out from underneath flight schools because of the coronavirus outbreak, leaving many CFIs with no students to teach. Online options for a flight instructor refresher clinic (FIRC) have come to the rescue with companies like Sporty’s Academy, already well known for their online FIRC. Sporty’s recently announced that it will offer its online eFIRC free, as a convenient renewal option.
Created by the instructional staff at Sporty’s Academy, Sporty’s eFIRC is universally accessible on PC, Mac, and mobile devices including iPad and Android platforms through a web browser. Simply log in through an internet connection and begin training. There is no software to install. Sporty’s Academy president Eric Radtke says, “Sporty’s eFIRC was developed from scratch with today’s modern CFI in mind so you won’t find just a rehash of regulations and dry FOI theory. Rather, you’ll learn about topics pertinent to today’s flight training environment.”
Sporty’s eFIRC contains 16 lessons, each broken into learning modules for ease of study. Topics range from emerging technology to loss of control, from regulatory changes and updates to new weather products. Another module contains important information about accepting remote pilot or student pilot applications and additional relevant content to keep you current. Each lesson has a corresponding quiz to assess your progress. Also included is an extensive reference library with quick access to certification standards, advisory circulars, regulations, handbooks and more. The progress dashboard keeps the instructor apprised of their study progress and quiz scores.
New to Sporty’s eFIRC is the CFI Endorsement Guide, a plain-language reference covering the endorsements required for students and when they apply. The CFI Endorsement Guide is abbreviated to quickly access endorsements used most often, and it meets the latest advisory circular information.
With the option of paperless ACR (airmen certification representative) service, flight instructors who complete Sporty’s online FIRC have the option for Sporty’s to process all their CFI renewal paperwork from within the course and issue a temporary certificate, all from the convenience of their home or office. Ground instructors may also receive a graduation certificate to meet the recent experience requirements.
Once registered, access to Sporty’s eFIRC is available for one year at no cost. The paperless CFI renewal service does run $24.95. To enroll or see an interactive course demonstration, visit sportys.com/firc.
