ProblemWhat it solves
The problem this tool solves
Verifying that an instructor holds the certificate they claim means leaving the app for the FAA Airman Inquiry site. A blank expiration there is easy to misread: under §61.19(d)(2) the 24-month instructor expiry applies only to certificates issued before 1 Dec 2024, so a missing date means the certificate does not expire — not that it lapsed. The Copilot says which of the two it is, and never claims someone is legal to instruct: §61.197 recent experience is not in the FAA file.
Example interaction
Pilot asks
Is CFI certificate 3512488 real, and what ratings does it carry?
Copilot responds
Flight Instructor, ratings AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE | INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE, issued 2019-04-11, no expiration date on the FAA record (§61.19(d)(2) — issued before 1 Dec 2024 certificates carry the 24-month cycle; this record shows none). FAA snapshot loaded 6 days ago. This is what the snapshot says, not a determination that the person may instruct today.
RegulationCited reference
Related FAR
14 CFR §61.19(d)(2), §61.51(h), §61.197
Related features
Where this tool surfaces in the product.
CFI verification
Try lookupAirmanCertificate in the Copilot
The Copilot reaches for this tool whenever the conversation calls for it.