Flight Instructor Refresher FIRC
CFIG - Renew Your Glider Flight Instructor Certificate
The Soaring Safety Foundation provides US glider flight instructors the ability to renew their FAA flight instructor certificate in
a class tailored to the need of Flight Instructors, pilots and students. One FIRC is held in concurrent with the bi-annual
SSA soaring convention. This FIRC is held the Tuesday and Wednesday preceeding the convention at the convention
site. Other FIRCs are held, upon request, around the country.
Contact Richard Carlson [rcarlson501 at comcast.net] for more details.
The SSF has an FAA approved ACR (Airman Certification Representative) on staff. This means that
the CFI can complete the renewal paperwork at the end of the FIRC. The SSF ACR will issue a new temporary CFI
certificate and file the paperwork with the FAA. This means that FIRC attendees no longer need to schedule
a visit with their local FSDO to complete the renewal process.
New for 2022, the FAA requires that each FIRC provider administer a closed book state test at the end of each
day. The SSF FIRC has historically handed out paper tests to comply with this rule. Starting in 2022, the SSF will
move to an on-line test using a laptop or tablet based web browser. Attendees should bring a device with them to
take this daily test.
Register for a FIRC on-line and pay the $150 fee by credit card, sending a check
to the SSA office in Hobbs, or pay at the door. Follow the On-Line Registration
link to the registration form. Selecting Pay by Credit Card and you will be taken to the SSA Store to complete
the payment process.
The FIRC schedule for 2021/2022 is:
- Location: Etowah, TN
- Date: November 6-7, 2021
- Status: Firm
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Hartley Falbaum (hfalbaum at comcast.net)
- Location: Virtual Meeting Format - You must register to receive the V/C meeting information
- Location: Southwest Soaring Museum, Moriarty, NM
- Date: January 8-9, 2022
- Status: Firm
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Colleen Koenig (hv2flyg at gmail.com)
- Location: Moriarty, NM
- Southwest Soaring Museum
- 918 Rt 66
- Moriarty NM
- Phone: 505-850-5898
- Location: Hutchison, KS
- Date: January 15-16, 2022
- Status: Firm
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Tony Condon (abcondon at gmmail.com)
- Location: Virtual Format, details sent to registered attendees
- Location: Washington DC Metro area
- Date: January 22-23, 2022
- Status: Firm
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Jim Garrison (jcg8w at virginia.edu)
- Location: Virtual Format, details sent to registered attendees
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Date: February 5-6, 2022
- Status: Firm
- Location: Virtual Format, details sent to registered attendees
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: John Harte (gearthj at gmail.com)
- Secondary: Jim Vincze (jimjanarbor at comcast.net)
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Date: February 12-13, 2022
- Status: Firm
- Location: Virtual Format, details sent to registered attendees
- Resistration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Michael Delaney (2238mtd at msn.com)
- Location: SSA Convention (Reno, NV)
- Date: February 19-20, 2022
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Status: Firm
- Location: Virtual Format, details sent to registered attendees
- Location: Spartanburg, SC
- Date: March 26-27, 2022
- Status: FIRM
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Rav Smith (saludarav at gmail.com)
- Location: Greer, SC
- 120 Ashmore Rd
- Greer, SC 29650
- Hotel Information: Numerous hotels nearby
- Location: Tuscon, AZ
- Date: March 5-6, 2022
- Status: Firm
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Paul Moffett (paulmof at msn.com)
- Location: Hampton Inn and Suites Tucson - Marans
- 6300 W Marana Center Blvd
- Tucson, AZ 85742
- (520) 572-1010
- Location: Fitchburg, MA
- Date: March 12-13, 2022
- Status: FIRM
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Local Contact: Steve Paavola (steve at thepaavolas.net)
- Location: Expect Virtual Format, details sent to registered attendees
- Location: Long Beach, CA
- Date: April 2-3, 2022
- Status: FIRM
- Registration: On-line Registration Form
- Location: Virtual Format, details sent to registered attendees
Updated 3/3/2022