Ground Instructor
Encyclopedia
Ground Instructor is a certificate issued in the United States
by the Federal Aviation Administration
; the rules for certification, and for certificate-holders, are detailed in Subpart I of Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations
, which are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations
. The Ground Instructor certificate allows the holder to offer various kinds of ground instruction
required of those seeking pilot certificates
and ratings. Ground Instructor certificates are issued with ratings, and these determine the exact areas in which the holder may give instruction.
, but must meet certain requirements, including being at least 18 years of age and being able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language. In addition, the applicant must pass a written knowledge test on the fundamentals of instructing. Exceptions to this requirement are made for persons who hold flight instructor
certificates (and so have already taken this test), for persons who hold a teacher's certificate
authorizing instruction at the seventh-grade or above, and for persons who teach
at accredited colleges or universities.
The applicant must also pass a test appropriate to the rating desired. This is a written exam similar to, but showing a higher knowledge, of aviation than those required for a private or commercial airplane license, or an instrument rating. (For example, the advanced test could be the written equivalent of conducting a cross-country flight in a multi-engine aircraft.)
The Basic Ground Instructor (BGI) rating allows the holder to give the ground instruction required for a sport pilot, recreational pilot, or private pilot certificate
, and associated ratings; the holder may also approve (by endorsement or "sign off") a student to take the written knowledge test for these certificates. The holder of a Basic Ground Instructor rating is additionally allowed to give the ground instruction required for a sport pilot, recreational pilot, or private pilot flight review
.
The Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI) rating allows the holder to give the ground instruction required for any certificate or rating issued under Part 61, to give the ground training for any flight review, and to approve a student to take the written knowledge test for any certificate or rating issued under Part 61.
The Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI) rating allows the holder to give the ground instruction required for the addition of an instrument rating
to a pilot certificate; the holder may also approve a student's taking of the written knowledge test for the instrument rating, and can give the ground training required for an instrument proficiency check.,
A certificate holder may have any of these ratings, or either a basic and instrument, or an advanced and instrument pair.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
; the rules for certification, and for certificate-holders, are detailed in Subpart I of Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations
Federal Aviation Regulations
The Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARs, are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations...
, which are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations
Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government of the United States.The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency...
. The Ground Instructor certificate allows the holder to offer various kinds of ground instruction
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
required of those seeking pilot certificates
Pilot certification in the United States
Pilot certification in the United States is required for an individual to act as a pilot of an aircraft. It is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration , a branch of the Department of Transportation...
and ratings. Ground Instructor certificates are issued with ratings, and these determine the exact areas in which the holder may give instruction.
Requirements
An applicant for a Ground Instructor certificate is not required to be a pilotAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, but must meet certain requirements, including being at least 18 years of age and being able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language. In addition, the applicant must pass a written knowledge test on the fundamentals of instructing. Exceptions to this requirement are made for persons who hold flight instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
certificates (and so have already taken this test), for persons who hold a teacher's certificate
Certified teacher
A certified teacher is a teacher who has earned credentials from an authoritative source, such as the government, a higher education institution or a private source. These certifications allow teachers to teach in schools which require authorization in general, as well as allowing educators to...
authorizing instruction at the seventh-grade or above, and for persons who teach
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at accredited colleges or universities.
The applicant must also pass a test appropriate to the rating desired. This is a written exam similar to, but showing a higher knowledge, of aviation than those required for a private or commercial airplane license, or an instrument rating. (For example, the advanced test could be the written equivalent of conducting a cross-country flight in a multi-engine aircraft.)
Ratings
A modern Ground Instructor certificate is issued with at least one of three ratings: Basic, Advanced, and Instrument.The Basic Ground Instructor (BGI) rating allows the holder to give the ground instruction required for a sport pilot, recreational pilot, or private pilot certificate
Private Pilot License
A Private Pilot License or, in the United States of America, a Private Pilot Certificate, is a license that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft privately . The requirements to obtain the license are determined by the International Civil Aviation Authority , but the actual...
, and associated ratings; the holder may also approve (by endorsement or "sign off") a student to take the written knowledge test for these certificates. The holder of a Basic Ground Instructor rating is additionally allowed to give the ground instruction required for a sport pilot, recreational pilot, or private pilot flight review
Biennial flight review
A periodic flight review is mandated for pilots by the aviation authorities of many countries. The review takes different forms in different countries....
.
The Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI) rating allows the holder to give the ground instruction required for any certificate or rating issued under Part 61, to give the ground training for any flight review, and to approve a student to take the written knowledge test for any certificate or rating issued under Part 61.
The Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI) rating allows the holder to give the ground instruction required for the addition of an instrument rating
Instrument rating
Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under IFR . It requires additional training and instruction beyond what is required for a Private Pilot certificate or Commercial Pilot certificate, including rules and procedures specific to instrument flying,...
to a pilot certificate; the holder may also approve a student's taking of the written knowledge test for the instrument rating, and can give the ground training required for an instrument proficiency check.,
A certificate holder may have any of these ratings, or either a basic and instrument, or an advanced and instrument pair.