BFCL.360 FI(B) certificate – Recency requirements

Regulation (EU) 2020/357

(a) An FI(B) certificate holder shall only exercise the privileges of his or her certificate if he or she has completed:

(1) within the last three years before the planned exercise of those privileges:

(i) instructor refresher training at an ATO, a DTO, or a competent authority during which the holder shall receive theoretical knowledge instruction for refreshing and updating the knowledge relevant for balloon instructors;

(ii) at least 6 hours of flight instruction in balloons as FI(B); and

(2) within the last nine years and in accordance with the procedures established for that purpose by the competent authority, one instruction flight on a balloon as FI(B) under the supervision and to the satisfaction of an FI(B) who is qualified in accordance with point BFCL.315(a)(4) and nominated by the head of training of an ATO or a DTO.

(b) The hours flown as an FE(B) during skill tests, proficiency checks or assessments of competence shall be fully credited towards the requirement in paragraph (a)(1)(ii).

(c) If an FI(B) certificate holder has failed to complete the instruction flight under supervision to the satisfaction of the FI(B) in accordance with paragraph (a)(2), he or she shall not exercise the privileges of the FI(B) certificate until he or she has successfully completed an assessment of competence in accordance with point BFCL.345.

(d) To resume the exercise of the privileges of the FI(B) certificate, an FI(B) certificate holder who does not comply with all the requirements of paragraph (a) shall comply with the requirement of paragraph (a)(1)(i) and of point BFCL.345.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

Instructor refresher training

1. The FI(B) refresher training should be held in the form of a seminar. Such seminars made available in Member States should have due regard to geographical location, number of participants, and frequency throughout the territory of the Member State concerned.
2. Such seminars should run for at least 1 day (with a minimum of 6 hours of teaching time), and attendance from participants will be required for the whole duration of the seminar including breakout groups and workshops.
3. Some experienced FI(B)s currently involved with flying training and with a practical understanding of the recency requirements and the current instructional techniques should be included as speakers at these seminars.
4. The attendance form will be completed and signed by the organiser of the seminar as approved by the competent authority, following attendance and satisfactory participation by the FI(B).
5. The content of the FI(B) refresher seminar should be selected from the following:
   
   
   1. new or current rules or regulations, with emphasis on knowledge of Part-BFCL and operational requirements;
   2. teaching and learning;
   3. instructional techniques;
   4. the role of the instructor;
   5. national regulations (as applicable);
   6. human factors;
   7. flight safety, incident and accident prevention;
   8. airmanship;
   9. legal aspects and enforcement procedures;
   10. navigational skills including new or current radio navigation aids;
   11. weather-related topics including methods of distribution; and
   12. any additional topic selected by the competent authority.
       
       
6. Formal sessions should allow for a presentation time of 45 minutes, with 15 minutes for questions. The use of visual aids is recommended, with interactive video and other teaching aids (where available) for breakout groups and workshops.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

Frequency of instructor refresher training

In order to maintain instructor privileges, point BFCL.360(a)(1)(i) requires FI(B) certificate holders to complete instructor refresher training once in 3 years. However, ATOs or DTOs may decide to provide more frequent internal standardisation/refresher training to their instructors.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

Instruction flight unter supervision

1. The aim of the instruction flight under supervision as per point BFCL.360(a)(2) is to confirm continued instructor competency.
   
   
2. The instruction flight under supervision should be arranged to ensure that the FI(B) being supervised demonstrates, on the ground and during at least one flight, knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to the FI(B) task including at least all of the following:
   
   
   1. technical knowledge;
   2. ability to teach a sample of the air exercises from the BPL training course;
   3. a sufficiently high standard of flying;
   4. application of instructing principles; and
   5. application of TEM.
      
      
3. The supervising instructor should enter the successful completion of the flight under supervision into the logbook of the applicant.

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