AGI/IGI ??

[BalooAirService]

Evening.
I have searched online, read many forums (some from POA dated years ago), read the FARs, and still can't find a clear answer regarding AG/IGI initial privileges for newly licensed GI's.

FAR 61.217, if your a GI who has not worked as a GI in last 12 months, or has not been endorsed by an AI, or has not taken a FIRC... you are not current. simple enough.

my question - does a NEWLY (first issue) certified ground instructor cert make you currently "current", until a year has passed since its original issue?? or does even a newly issued cert still require for example a FIRC right away before you can endorse someone for a written test for example??

If the second question is a YES, then that's like a newly licensed PPL holder needing to take a flight review right after passing the checkride, which is itself a flight review.. or 90 day landings for passengers.

If this has been addressed before I apologize.

 

[SkyDog58]

To my knowledge, all FAA certificates are current when new. I cannot imagine a scenario in which they would not be. ↓

 

[Wheels]

Common sense would say that your ground instructor certificate would be current when it is new. The lawyers at the FAA don't have common sense and have provided an opinion that a newly certified ground instructor has to meet the requirements of 61.217 before they can exercise the rights of their certificate. http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...9/metzinger - (2009) legal interpretation.pdf

 

[BalooAirService]

I have read this letter before.. but did not take it as a good source since its dated 9 yrs ago.
But if this is the current consensus by the FAA, then thank you for this very clear answer to my question.
You have to love the people who writes the FARs, and common sense is no longer common.

 

[red4golf]

After receiving your ground instructor certificate you are required to get a sign off from an instructor stating that you are capable of teaching the material. I haven't seen anything that says a FIRC is an acceptable first endorsement of your ability.

 

[BalooAirService]

The FAR's clearly list the FIRC as an option.
So you just threw a wrench in my LH main gear tire now lol (cause I thought I was done with this forever).
Do you have way to confirming this?

Maybe an active ground instructor can chime in on this.
This is exactly why I posted this question.

 

[Wheels]

Yes, the FIRC is an option. Like you said it is clearly spelled out in the FARs.

 

[red4golf]

Granted I haven't looked at it in about a year and I'm not now either but you are sure that a FIRC works for the initial sign off? Sweet! That will make it easy as I'm about to take my BGI and IGI after I get back from a short little Army vacation to a fun little training area known as the "Palm Springs of Washington".

 

[\__[Ô]__/]

Common sense would say that your ground instructor certificate would be current when it is new. The lawyers at the FAA don't have common sense and have provided an opinion that a newly certified ground instructor has to meet the requirements of 61.217 before they can exercise the rights of their certificate. http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/interpretations/data/interps/2009/metzinger - (2009) legal interpretation.pdf

That legal opinion actually makes a lot of sense when you consider that other FAA certificates require a practical test to prove that you are capable of exercising the privleges of your certificate. There is no practical test for ground instructors. You can get the certificate without demonstrating the ability to actually instruct. The requirement to get current before first using the certificate is the replacement for the practical test.

 

[SkyDog58]

That does make sense.