[nickwr55]

Thanks to those who replied to my FI without CPL question.

Sadly I have one more. If I do the Night Instructor I need to have supervision to send someone solo night flying, as I am currently restricted FI.

An unrestricted FI who has night rating, but NOT night instructor rating, can they supervise me for the purpose of sending someone solo for night flying?

After all they can supervise sending someone solo for PPL?

Thanks!

Nick

[Kemble Pitts]

I really would doubt it. How could they supervise training that they are not qualified to provide themselves?

[David Wood]

Thanks to those who replied to my FI without CPL question.

Sadly I have one more. If I do the Night Instructor I need to have supervision to send someone solo night flying, as I am currently restricted FI.

An unrestricted FI who has night rating, but NOT night instructor rating, can they supervise me for the purpose of sending someone solo for night flying?

After all they can supervise sending someone solo for PPL?

Thanks!

Nick

As a restricted FI then you need to be supervised by an unrestricted FI, whether sending students solo or not*. Furthermore you may not send a student on his/her first solo (by day; or by night; or first cross country) in any circumstances but you may send a student solo on a not-the-first-time basis within the limits of your rating. So, if you have Night privileges added to your FI rating then you can send a student solo at night, but not for his/her first solo at night.

If the supervising FI doesn't have Night privileges on his FI rating then I very much doubt that he can supervise you operating as an FI at night. Common sense would suggest that he cannot supervise you to do what he himself is not qualified to do.

* However the picture becomes blurred because there is no definition of 'supervision' that I am aware of in the context of Flight Instruction. The term is used quite a lot, but in a gloriously imprecise manner. For example, as an FI (restricted or unrestricted) you are 'supervising' your students when they fly solo. It's a moot point as to how effectively you can actually do that if they are on a solo out of the circuit and even more questionable if, whilst supervising him/her, you yourself are currently flying with another student - perhaps on an another cross country in the opposite direction! Furthermore, in many small flying schools where there might only be one instructor in on a weekday, if he is Restricted then the supervision of that Restricted FI might be provided by a non-restricted FI who might on the end of the phone somewhere. So not really supervising in any meaningful way.