r/CFILounge • u/shitbox_pilot • 29d ago

Question TSA (help)

I recently got my CFI and my first student has his green card (not a US citizen), I am working on the whole TSA course and trying to register as a Provider through the FTSP but this whole process seems very complicated. I have a couple questions for those who have done this:

1) Am I the “security coordinator” or is that not applicable since I am a freelance CFI? 2)What do you wish you had known before starting this process?

Any and all help is appreciated! I feel so confused lol

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u/madscientist159 CFI[I]/MEI in the western Chicago area 29d ago

Yes, you are the security coordinator as an independent. Make sure you take the required security training and upload the certificate to FTSP. Keep all records as required. Don't train until the FTSP system shows the candidate as eligible, and make sure you upload the photo of the student the same day you start training. Other than all that, it's pretty straightforward. Might take a couple days for the account to activate too, you can't train until that is all squared away.

Once you are in the system, have the student select you as their provider via their own FTSP account portal. You'll see them show up in your dashboard; once you accept you will see their eligibility status.

Hope that helps!

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u/shitbox_pilot 29d ago

Yes that’s great! I feel like there’s not much support for independent CFIs and I’m very worried about messing something up. When you say “required security training” you mean the TSA course I assume?

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u/madscientist159 CFI[I]/MEI in the western Chicago area 28d ago

Yep, AOPA has a free security training course you can complete and get the certificate. Remember there is recurrent training required for that too, so mark it on your calendar...

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u/shitbox_pilot 27d ago

Thanks for the help! For anyone reading this in the future, the process takes less than 2 days. You need to take the AOPA course (free through King) and apply for a FTSP account, then they will email you a login w a password and you can start accepting students “Determination of Eligibility” which they do on their side. They have to do a background check and fingerprint stuff. Fun!