The International Cessna^® 170 Association

George, I'm not sure that a pilot needs to be a "CFI" to check someone out on an aircraft type (ie. C-170). I thought that all one needs is 50 hours on type... Of course the person being checked out needs a valid pilot license.
Cheers Eric

4stripes wrote:... Of course the person being checked out needs a valid pilot license.

... and (in the US) a tailwheel endorsement from a CFI if they're going to act as PIC. But the real issue is usually an insurance requirement for a certain number of hours of dual instruction (meaning with a CFI) before the pilot can be insured for solo or to carry passengers.

When I bought my Swift a few years ago, there was no local instructor with time in type. A good friend has lots of Swift hours, including many in the airplane I bought. I had him named as an insured pilot on my policy, and I flew with him until I felt comfortable enough to go it on my own. Then I flew a couple of hours with an instructor who had lots of TW time but no Swift time, and that satisfied the insurance requirement.

The games we play!

FAR 61.31 (i) applies. no person may act as PIC of a tailwheel airplane unless that person has received and logged flight training from an authorized instructor".... (in other words, a CFI who is qualified in such aircraft.) This requirement does not apply if the person logged PIC time in a tailwheel airplane before 4/15/91.

Except in rare instances, only a CFI may endorse another pilot's logbook for purposes of certifying required flight training for another rating, etc. (Exceptions may apply in certain Airline Transport service or military or foreign training and some FAR 142 training centers may use Training Center Evaluators - TCE's in approved programs.)

In Canada there is no such thing as a "tailwheel endorsement" (maybe Canadian pilots are different).
I looked a little more into the AIM (Canadian Airmans Informatiuon Manual published by Transport Canada). It states LRA section 3.7.3 In-flight Instruction (Dual): Licensed Pilots

(a) The holder of a valid commercial or airline transport pilot licence may give in-flight instruction for familiarization, refresher and instrument flight training, provided the pilot receiving the instruction holds a valid pilot licence endorsed for the type or class of aircraft in the same category as the aircraft used, and the person providing the instrument flight training meets the requirements specified in CAR 425.21(7). This authority does not permit category conversion training, e.g. aeroplane to helicopter, gyroplane to aeroplane, etc.

(b) The flight time acquired under (a) may be credited to the pilot-in-command as pilot-in-command time, and as dual flight time to the pilot receiving the training.

Cheers Eric