On-line FIRC recommendations?

[Tom Charlton]

To any Avsig CFIs:
My Instructor Certification is due for another two year renewal in a couple of months. Other than an occasional Flight Review, I haven’t actively instructed in many a year. Typically, I’ve mostly utilized AOPA’s in-person FIRC in one location or another. Due to the pandemic, I think the only outfit now doing in-person FIRCs is “Aviation Seminars”. I inquired too late to get into their, 12 person only, Orlando FIRC.
So . . . sixteen hours of On-line FIRC it is.

Has anyone here utilized more than one brand of on-line FIRC?
Are any better or less onerous than another?
Is one better than another at handling the FAA paperwork?

* AOPA Air Safety Institute
* King Schools
* American Flyers
* AceCFI
* Gleim
* Sporty’s Pilot Shop
* Aviation Seminars

“Aviation Seminars” says theirs is simply a recording of a one of their previous in-person FIRCs.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[kmccutcheon]

I've used both American Flyers and Gleim. Both are satisfactory. American Flyers offers free FIRCs for life after you buy the first one. Good luck.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

I've done American Flyers, and am on the "life" plan. I pay a little extra and they do the delivery of the goods tot he FAA and a certificate is issued so I don't have to deal with the FSDO. Can't say that I have compared any others but this is fine (and that is pretty much the consensus of many other online groups where the same question is asked).

[Rick Durden]

I've used AOPA's online FIRC for the last ten years or so. Course is generally pretty good, sometimes very good. The paperwork end of it has always gone smoothly.

[Andy Alson]

I've been using American Flyers for many years now on the pay once use forever plan. Like others I do use the online renewal paperwork for the additional charge each time. Works well and makes everything a lot easier. I'll be back there again this coming July or so for my two year renewal.

Andy

[Gil Buettner]

I just renewed based on my activity, but a couple of years ago I used Gleim. I think I used AOPA one time as well. As I recall, Gleim is almost totally text, while AOPA uses more animations. So it depends on how you like to learn. When I used Gleim they took care of the paperwork.

[Tom Charlton]

I do appreciate everyone’s input. Standing by for any others. Likely make a decision tomorrow morning then settle in for the long, on-line, slog. ugh.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[John O'Shaughnessy [FCM]]

I've mainly used AOPA.

[Steve Hguabmots]

I just turn to the guy in the cubicle next to me and say 'hey, will you renew my CFI?' And he says 'yeah. Oh crap, mine is due'.

I guess when I retire, unless I become a DPE, it's back to the American Flyers lifetime gig.

[John O'Shaughnessy [FCM]]

Since I've been doing the AOPA course since I started taking FIRCs I decided to sign up for the Sporty's FIRC this time around. I figured it made sense as my students usually use Sporty's courses.

[Cole Loftus]

I'm still using King. Every 2 years I buy it at Airventure with the discount. Last time I also got a T-shirt.

[John O'Shaughnessy [FCM]]

Since I've been doing the AOPA course since I started taking FIRCs I decided to sign up for the Sporty's FIRC this time around. I figured it made sense as my students usually use Sporty's courses.

I completed the Sporty's FIRC over the weekend. Every other FIRC I've done (well, since an in-person FIRC in the early days) has been the AOPA FIRC. The Sporty's FIRC was primarily just text, with some auxiliary material from their other courses. Whereas the AOPA FIRC was more like a set of PowerPoint presentations (text, but with more graphics). The interesting difference was that, to me, the text material in the Sporty's FIRC seemed to be of more value than most of the (more nicely presented) material in the AOPA FIRC. One benefit of the AOPA FIRC that I missed in the Sporty's FIRC is that the TSA chapter for AOPA has you run through (and get the certificate) for the TSA recurrent training, whereas the Sporty's FIRC covers similar material, but no certificate. Since I need the certificate every year for our TSA audit, this will be something else I'lll need to do.

Both Sporty's and AOPA have the feature to do the paperwork and get a temp certificate via email. That worked similarly in both. Sporty's FIRC is free, but they charge for the remote submission. The other option would be to visit the local FSDO. I thought about that route, but wanted to get some input from others in my FSDO area before going that route. If it was truly just a chance to see me in person to compare to ID, I probably would have gone that route and saved $50. I was unsure if it would require a paper 8710, or other, different hoops.

John

[Ray Tackett]

The other option would be to visit the local FSDO. I thought about that route, but wanted to get some input from others in my FSDO area before going that route. If it was truly just a chance to see me in person to compare to ID, I probably would have gone that route and saved $50. I was unsure if it would require a paper 8710, or other, different hoops.

Dunno about your FSDO, but CFIs who were involved with Philly FSDO safety programs (mostly monthly meetings) were respected partners, and never a hassle. I brought a couple of different pilots with paperwork tangles to the FSDO office who were nervous about going, and introduced the pilot to whichever inspector had the desk duty du jour. Everything went as fast as the inspector could type.

Similar with a guy I signed off for a 709 ride. He had botched a crosswind landing (froze in fear), and bent metal with no injuries. Checkride day was dead calm and CAVU, but I had written entries in the pilot's logbook about crosswind landing training. They guy passed easily. The inspector could have deferred until a windy day to see for himself, but did not feel the need to do so.