Sport Pilot Talk

Hello all,

I've been lurking for a while but first time posting. Really appreciate the wealth of knowledge you all have compiled on this site!

I have my checkride for CFI-G soon and pending successful completion of it, I would like to add on CFI-S ASEL. I am a private pilot ASEL with well above the required hours for a CFI-S ASEL ride.

I understand that once I have my CFI-G ticket, hold the privileges of of s CFI-S Glider. Therefore, I can get a CFI-S ASEL via a proficiency check.

Assuming everything I said above is correct, I have a few questions I'm hoping you can provide guidance on:

1) After completing the proficiency check and sending in the 8710-11, will my Flight Instructor's certificate be updated to include 'Sport' on it (instead of just 'Glider')?
My concern here is that only having CFI-G on my FI certificate might confuse students whom I hope to instruct in sport ASEL (thus having Sport also printed would be ideal)

2) Any tips or advice on the admin side of things with the proficiency check?

Thank you all!

Your new certificate will come back, and on the front side it will simply say "FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR" on the back it will list glider. CFI-G is a term that glider instructors like to use, but in the eyes of the FAA you are just a flight instructor. Personally when I sign off instruction in a glider I just sign CFI. I also don't think you will have to worry about confusing students. I don't ever remember having a student ask to see my certificate.

On the admin side, make sure you have two instructors who understand the process for adding the privilege. Most do not. Also while not a big deal, adding a sport pilot privilege to a certificate like that does not reset your flight review, like your CFI glider ride will.

3Dreaming, thank you for your reply.

Thank you also for correcting my wordage; you are absolutely correct in that the Flight Instructor certificate will print 'GLIDER' on it also. Let me rephrase just to make sure we are on the same page.

I have seen some CFI's certificates that also print 'SPORT' on the back.

My logic is that after completing the 8710-11 check, I would receive a new FI cert that had 'GLIDER' and 'SPORT' printed on it. It just seems strange to me that I would be able to offer Sport-ASEL instruction, but my FI cert would only list 'GLIDER'. Since I am adding a new category/class onto my 'Sport Glider FI' cert (which is really a CFI-G which has Sport FI-G privileges) printing SPORT on there would be beneficial simply as means of clarification to students, insurance companies, and potential employers who may not be as up to speed on CFI-S rules/regs.

Thank you!

Your endorsement for the added category will be your documentation for employers and insurance. Just like if you were a sport instructor for powered parachute and adding airplane privileges. It is likely that you will have to educate the people you are dealing with. Sometimes even when you try and provide the education they will still get it wrong.

I had a customer once who bought an airplane with plans to fly it as a sport pilot. He was a rated, but not current helicopter pilot. He wanted me to sign him off for solo, but I wouldn't. It is a different category for which he was rated, and that takes a different endorsement that a student solo endorsement. It also requires a current flight review, which he didn't have. I tried to explain it to him. He went to a different instructor, and I offered to explain it to the instructor, The instructor didn't want it explained, and then signed him off for solo as a student. He then was signed him off and he did a proficiency check for the added sport pilot privileges. The problem was he still had no flight review. The proficiency check does not count as a flight review.

I mention this because a similar question might come up on your CFI glider checkride. It is not uncommon for a non current airplane pilot to come and want to do an add on private or commercial glider rating. Not having a current flight review prevents them from being able to get the solo time required for the private or commercial add on rating. A work around if you have a glider that meets the sport pilot requirements as defined in CFR 1.1, is to do a sport pilot add on first. It does not require any solo time. Once the sport pilot glider privilege has been added you do a flight review since they are now rated in gliders. They can complete their solo requirements and now do the private or commercial add on.

Let us know how it goes. I'm also a CFI-G/PPSEL looking to do the same.

You read my mind with this thread. I'm a sport pilot ASEL finishing up the last bits of my PPL-Glider, with plans to get my commercial and CFI-G as well. Thought about potentially adding CFI-S ASEL after that.

Thank you all for your replies. I will be sure to share any lessons learned throughout the process.

Out of curiosity...what is the purpose of filling out the 8710 if no update to the certificate is made? 8710's aren't filled out for other sorts of endorsements (tailwheel, complex, etc)...what value is it for the FAA?

Anyone have any insight as to why?

JRSB wrote:Thank you all for your replies. I will be sure to share any lessons learned throughout the process.

Out of curiosity...what is the purpose of filling out the 8710 if no update to the certificate is made? 8710's aren't filled out for other sorts of endorsements (tailwheel, complex, etc)...what value is it for the FAA?

Anyone have any insight as to why?

While you may not get a new certificate, it is the FAA's way of keeping track when you add a category to your pilot certificate.

3Dreaming wrote:it is the FAA's way of keeping track when you add a category to your pilot certificate.

Correct. The 8710 is required for any change in category or class. Logbook endorsements (such as conventional landing gear, complex, high performance, and for Sport Pilots, airspace) add privileges within the existing category and class.

3Dreaming wrote:

JRSB wrote:Thank you all for your replies. I will be sure to share any lessons learned throughout the process.

Out of curiosity...what is the purpose of filling out the 8710 if no update to the certificate is made? 8710's aren't filled out for other sorts of endorsements (tailwheel, complex, etc)...what value is it for the FAA?

Anyone have any insight as to why?

While you may not get a new certificate, it is the FAA's way of keeping track when you add a category to your pilot certificate.

I thought you did get a new certificate with the added class under limitations, must've guessed wrong.

Thank you everyone for your replies; I appreciate you taking the time to share your insight.

For what its worth, I spoke to a member of my local FSDO last week with this question. He ended up calling the Airman Certification branch in OKC. He said that if you have a CFI certificate that does not have 'SPORT' printed on it, you will receive a new certificate after sending in the 8710-11 to add on a category/class to your sport CFI.

So, if you have a FI certificate that says 'GLIDER', and you do a proficiency check to addon ASEL, you would receive a new certificate that simply says 'GLIDER' and 'SPORT'.

If your existing FI certificate says 'SPORT' on it, and you add on a new category/class at the sport level, you will not receive a new certificate.
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Obviously this info is not infallible...curious if it jives with anyone's experiences here?