Sport Pilot Talk

I downloaded the FAA airmen database, could only find 63 CFI-S Sport Instructors (including, of course, John and Martha King)

63? That's it?

I don't think it matters because any CFI can instruct students toward a Sport Pilot certificate.

I believe that number may possibly be accurate, because until recently, training received from an FAR 61 Subpart K CFI did not count toward higher ratings. Since most flight schools would not hire a CFI-SP, it was kind of a dead-end rating. With recent changes to allow CFI-SP training to apply for higher ratings, the viability (and hence, popularity) of the CFI-SP will likely increase.

drseti wrote:With recent changes to allow CFI-SP training to apply for higher ratings, the viability (and hence, popularity) of the CFI-SP will likely increase.

Was this in the FAA Reauthorization Act? If so, I didn't realize it was in there.

In the next few months, there should be a 64th... Been working on my Ground Instructor recently, thereafter CFI-S.

TimTaylor wrote:I don't think it matters because any CFI can instruct students toward a Sport Pilot certificate.

As a CFI-S myself, I am aware that any CFI can train a sport pilot student. I was just curious how many other CFI-S’s were out there. I figured there would be more. I had already started working on my CFI-S when the rule change was announced allowing Sport Pilots trained by a CFI-S to credit their training towards a private, that is a huge deal.

TDFlyer wrote:. . . . . the rule change was announced allowing Sport Pilots trained by a CFI-S to credit their training towards a private, that is a huge deal.

Concur.
There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t have been that way in the first place.

Completing CFI academy now...hope to be CFI-S soon.

Super! If you're looking for a job, call me when you get that CFI-SP.

Never mind. The database I downloaded was corrupted. There are about 500 CFI-S holders

That sounds a bit more realistic. Still not overwhelming.