Frequently Asked Questions

Most Common Questions

All CFIs must renew every two years. The old-fashioned way was to attend a sit-down seminar for two days, then fill out a Form 8710 at the FSDO, and get your Temporary Airman Certificate in person. With AceCFI, you…

  • Sign up and take the AceCFI course online. There are 16 Lessons, each about 45 min in length
  • Graduate the course, and sign up for our Paperless ACR Option
  • The Paperless ACR Option involves you submitting an 8710 on the IACRA website, then uploading ID Documents on our website through our ACR Services page
  • Our ACR Staff reviews the 8710 and other items. If the application has no errors, we issue your Temporary Airman Certificate via email. 
  • It’s that easy! We look forward to having you on board!

We are glad to have you on board, and want to provide a great user experience! Please check the FAQs below before contacting Support, as the vast majority of questions we receive are answered below! If you don’t find the answer you need, please contact the Support Team using the “Contact Us” form here, or sending an email to support@acecfi.com. All inquiries are handled promptly!

Our program is Internet-based, and some computer experience is necessary; attendees should be familiar with things such as browsers and pop-up blockers. The course is compatible with all computers, devices, operating systems and browsers, but we know that problems can arise. Most computer-related issues that students encounter can be fixed with one or more of the “quick fixes” below:

  1. Close apps and programs, and cycle your device fully off and back on, and try again. It may sound silly, but that fixes about 90% of computer issues we are asked about!
  2. Try a different browser: if you are using Safari, try Chrome, etc. (We have found most users get the best experience using Chrome)
  3. Cycle your internet modem and wireless router fully off and back on
  4. Try a different device/computer; this will at least help localize the problem
  5. If those things don’t work, email us at support@acecfi.com. Let us know the problem you are having, your system details (operating system, browser, etc), and which of the above “fixes” you have tried.

Course Questions

Yes! Click below to download a sample of our course.

Download Course Sample

12 Lesson Hours (time spent in the course material), but 16 total course hours including quizzes, breaks, personal study, etc.

This is required by the FAA in AC 61-83 for all online FIRCs: “lesson presentations must contain and present a cumulative period of no less than 720 minutes (12 hours) of the FIRC’s 16-hour minimum course content.” 

Yes. As required by the FAA in AC 61-83, all online FIRCs must keep attendees engaged in lesson material for at least 12 hours. AceCFI meets this requirement by allowing you to proceed to each end-of-lesson quiz after the minimum time for each lesson has been achieved. 

You do not have to complete the course in one sitting. You may exit and return as you please, and your progress on each lesson and throughout the course will be saved. 

Everything happens right in your web browser, with no special programs required. The lessons are presented in text, illustrations, and charts. There are no video presentations.  No downloads are required, and you can progress at your own pace (as opposed to having to wait for videos to finish).

Our course material is constantly updated to reflect the current changes in regulations, publications, and policies. Our course material undergoes significant changes every two years with our FAA re-authorization.

Paperless ACR Renewal Questions

3 Great Reasons to use our optional ACR Service to renew:

  1. Skip the FSDO! No need to make an appointment or travel across town to see your friendly FAA inspector. We take care of your renewal processing for you!
  2. It’s completely paperless! You do your entire renewal processing online, and receive your Temporary Airman Certificate by email.
  3. It’s only $29! That’s less than a meal for two at a cheap restaurant, and your renewal lasts much longer!

You must complete our ACR Checklist at least 3 days before your expiration. This is required to allow time for processing, applicant errors, etc.

We still process renewal requests up to and including the last day of every month, but without at least 3 days of processing time, your CFI certificate could expire. Don’t wait until the last minute! 🙂

You may purchase our Paperless ACR Service either during your initial registration or after graduation. To use our ACR Service you follow these steps:

  1. Graduate from our FIRC
  2. Complete our 4-Step ACR Checklist on AceCFI.com (which includes submitting an 8710 on IACRA, and submitting your ID documents to us)
  3. We’ll contact you for any corrections to your application
  4. When your application has no errors, our ACR Team will issue your Temporary Airman Certificate to you by email

If you complete our ACR checklist and your application has no errors, we can usually issue your renewed Temporary Airman Certificate within one day.

However, you must complete our ACR Checklist at least 3 days before your expiration. This is required to allow time for processing, applicant errors, etc.

We still process renewal requests up to and including the last day of every month, but without at least 3 days of processing time, your CFI certificate could expire. Don’t wait until the last minute! 🙂

Absolutely! We can process your foreign application. Please note that you must provide an unexpired U.S. issued form of Government ID, OR an unexpired international passport (in the case of foreign students who don’t have a U.S. issued ID).

However, if you have changed your nationality/citizenship since your last certificate was issued, our ACR services cannot be used to change the nationality on your certificate. This change can only be accomplished by appearing in person at your local FSDO.

Our ACR Checklist is online– Log in to AceCFI.com, select ACR Service on the left, then select the ACR button next to your current graduation.

Our ACR Checklist is also available offline HERE.

IACRA Questions

Contact the IACRA help desk at: 

Phone – 1-844-FAA-MYIT (322-6948)
Email – helpdesk@faa.gov

Since IACRA is an FAA system, AceCFI has no ability to troubleshoot issues with it. However, these simple steps usually correct 99% of IACRA issues:

  1. Do not use Apple devices (like iPads or iPhones) or Safari browser. IACRA has known issues with those systems. Instead use a desktop PC with Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer browsers for best results.
  2. You must turn off pop-up blocker on your browser. If you don’t, you won’t be able to sign and submit your application
  3. Try a different browser: if you are using Safari, try Chrome, etc.
  4. Close apps and programs, and cycle your device fully off and back on, and try again. 
  5. Cycle your internet modem and wireless router fully off and back on
  6. Try a different device/computer

These steps correct 99% of IACRA issues:

  1. Do not use Apple devices (like iPads or iPhones) or Safari browser. IACRA has known issues with those systems. Instead use a desktop PC with Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer browsers for best results.
  2. You must turn off pop-up blocker on your browser. If you don’t, you won’t be able to sign and submit your application
  3. Try a different browser: if you are using Safari, try Chrome, etc.
  4. Close apps and programs, and cycle your device fully off and back on, and try again. 
  5. Cycle your internet modem and wireless router fully off and back on
  6. Try a different device/computer

If those steps don’t work, contact the IACRA help desk at: 

Phone – 1-844-FAA-MYIT (322-6948)
Email – helpdesk@faa.gov

The “Ratings” section at the top of your 8710 will not show any ratings boxes checked — this is correct for CFI renewal. Those boxes will only be checked if you are applying to add additional ratings, which you are not.

As long as the “Summary Information” tab (not your 8710!) in IACRA shows your correct CFI ratings, then you are good to go.

Yes, you must use IACRA to submit an 8710 in order to renew with our ACR Service. 

Our ACR Team does not accept paper / hard copies of applications for renewal. 

Once submitted, your IACRA application generally can’t be changed. 

Instead, to make changes, all you need to do is log on to IACRA, edit your Profile with the correct information, then start and submit a new application. Once you have submitted a new application, email us at ACRadmin@acecfi.com to let us know.

CFI Certificate / Documentation Questions

Per 14 CFR 61.197, you may graduate our FIRC 3 months before your expiration month and still maintain your current expiration month. Example: If you expire Jun 30, 2019, you may graduate our FIRC as early as March 1, 2019 (3 months – Mar, Apr, May, before Jun), and maintain your expiration month, making your renewed expiration Jun 30, 2021. 

If you graduate prior to that, your new expiration will be 24 months after your month of graduation. 

Important Note: Per 61.197 you must apply for renewal within 3 months of graduation. So, while you may graduate on Mar 1st, you must apply for renewal NO LATER THAN Jun 1st, otherwise your graduation is no longer valid, even if you don’t expire until Jun 30th! In that case you will have to take and graduate the course again!

No. A logbook endorsement for FIRC graduation is not required for any FAA purpose, and we do not provide one. 

You may still sign up for and graduate our FIRC, even if you’re expired or not even a CFI! However, the only way to reinstate an expired CFI is by practical test. Taking our FIRC does not reinstate an expired CFI. 

Yes, absolutely. It will meet your 14 CFR 61.197 requirement just like any other FIRC. As our course is geared towards covering a variety of broad CFI topics, you will still find it useful even if you’re not a fixed-wing instructor. 

No problem. A current medical certificate is not required for CFI renewal. 

Absolutely, you can still take the FIRC. However, the FAA requires that you present an unexpired CFI certificate for renewal processing. This can be attained by contacting the airman certification branch of the FAA – phone number (866)878-2498 or website:

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/airmen_services/

and requesting a letter of “Temporary Authorization” to exercise the privileges of your flight instructor certificate. Essentially this is an official letter from the FAA which lists your current certificate and ratings held, as well as the certificate’s expiration date. It can be emailed to you within a day if you call the Airman Certification branch so it won’t take long to get it.

Quiz Questions

There are 16 quizzes, one at the end of each lesson. 

Each quiz is 5 random questions from our question bank.

There is no final exam.

If you don’t pass a quiz on the first attempt, you should review the lesson. You will be allowed to re-take the quiz, and it will show a new set of randomly selected questions.

After a 2nd failure on the same quiz, we are required to offer you remedial training. We will contact you by email, but if you don’t require remedial training, you may request for your quiz to be unlocked. To request remedial training or for your quiz to be unlocked, please contact us at: support@acecfi.com.

No. The FAA requires that quizzes be closed-book, with no ability to reference the course material. Once you have started a quiz, you can’t exit the quiz or reference course material until the quiz is submitted. 

Other

Yes, follow the steps below to get WINGS credit for our FIRC:

1. Login to FAASafety.gov

2. Choose “Activities” under the “Activities, Courses, Seminars, and Webinars” Menu

3. Search for keyword “FIRC”

4. Select “Flight Instructor Refresher Course” under Activity Name

5. Click “Request Credit”

6. Enter the date you graduated AceCFI’s FIRC; then under “select validator”, choose “email”, enter “management@acecfi.com”, and search

7. Once it says “AceCFI FIRC”, click “Submit for Validation”

8. We will validate your credit within 3 business days!

Yes! Our course meets the requirements of 49 CFR Part 1552 “Flight School Security Awareness Training”. You will receive a certificate for Recurrent Security Awareness Training when you finish the course.

AceCFI uses Central Time Zone for all activities, which is consistent with the FAA Airman Certification branch located in Oklahoma City, as well as the IACRA website. This means that all of our certificates and communications will be time-stamped according to Central Time Zone. Why is this important to know? Our graduation certificates are issued with the date as shown in Central Time; for example, if you finish the course at 10:30PM in California, on the last day of your expiration, your graduation certificate will be dated the next day at 12:30AM.

IACRA also uses Central Time Zone, and students should plan accordingly. In the example above, a student in California who waits until the “last minute” to complete the course and the 8710 application on IACRA might very well find that his or her CERTIFICATE HAS EXPIRED IN THE CENTRAL TIME ZONE, and have no option but practical test for reinstatement. Yes, this simple timing error can result in an expired CFI card! Please don’t let this happen to you.