Tough Vague CFI Student Questions

[Louie1975]

Hi Folks:
I have a CFI checkride roaring toward me like a freight train. Some questions as I want to make sure I have these correctly.

1.) My understanding is that the most you need to instruct is a third class medical(in other words, a CFI never needs a second or first class to teach, even when instructing a student pilot for his private certificate). Is this correct?

2.) My understanding is also that if your student is appropriately rated for the airplane and operation, then the CFI needs NO medical at all, since the instructor is only being paid to teach, not fly. So this question here: if a CFII is giving instrument instruction to a student working on an instrument rating(assuming this is in VMC conditions and the student is under the hood), does the CFII being paid to instruct need a medical, since he is also acting as a safety pilot(can log PIC)? This is pretty gray to me. I was told the CFI would only need a medical if they went into IMC and/or were on an IFR flight plan.

3.) I am working on my CFI - airplane. After I attain this certificate, in addition to private and commercial, can I provide instruction for a sport pilot certificate, or do I need to become a sport pilot instructor?

Thanks all!

[jrh]

1) Correct.

2) Correct, no medical needed if the student is able to act as PIC. However, in the case of instrument instruction, the instructor needs a medical. (Would you really want somebody with something like 20/100 vision scanning for traffic?)

3) If you have a CFI-A, you may act as a sport pilot instructor.

Looks like you're ready for the checkride!

[triple7]

Good Luck!!!

[MidlifeFlyer]

Originally Posted by Louie1975

Hi Folks:
I was told the CFI would only need a medical if they went into IMC and/or were on an IFR flight plan.

You were told wrong. A CFI =does= need a medical certificate when the student is under the hood.

The error comes about because most folks think of the rule as "a CFI does not need a medical unless acting as pilot in command." That's =not= what it says. It says, a CFI does not need a medical unless "acting as pilot in command or as a required pilot flight crewmember." A safety pilot needs at least a third class medical.

A safety pilot when the flying pilot is under the hood is most definitely a "required pilot flight crewmember."