FAR 61.193 — Flight Instructor Privileges
FAR 61.193 explains what a CFI can do: ground/flight training, endorsements, accepting student pilot applications, and operational limits.
FAR 61.193 spells out exactly what a flight instructor (CFI) is authorized to do — within the limits of their certificate and ratings.
A CFI may provide ground training, flight training, certain checking events, and issue endorsements for:
- A student pilot certificate
- A pilot certificate
- A flight instructor certificate
- A ground instructor certificate
- An aircraft rating
- An instrument rating
- A flight review, operating privilege, or recency-of-experience requirement under Part 61, or training to maintain or improve a pilot's skills
- A practical test
- A knowledge test
A CFI is also authorized, in a form acceptable to the Administrator, to accept the application, verify the applicant's identity, and verify eligibility for a student pilot certificate (per § 61.83) or, for already-certificated pilots who are flight-review current, a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating (per § 107.61).
Importantly, these privileges do not authorize a CFI to conduct operations that would otherwise require an air carrier or operating certificate, or other specific FAA authorization. Why it matters: every endorsement you receive — solo, flight review, checkride sign-off — flows from this section, and your CFI must stay within its boundaries.