By: Brandon Jones
Certified Flight Instructor
Pilotinside.com Magazine Volume I : Issue 2
With sweaty palms the trembling pilot approaches me, a faint shaking in his voice. He says to me, “I’m here for my flight review.” One thing that always astonishes me is how tense and nervous pilots are when they approach to me for a review. In their mind I suddenly become the deadly and much feared, FAA Flight Test Examiner. We’ll usually spend the next 25 minutes in emotional therapy, calming their anxiety and conjuring up that locus of control. At the end of a review however, I always get the same response no matter how scared the pilot initially was. It’s usually something like, “That was easy,” or, “That’s it?” flight reviews are not your worst enemy, they are your best friend, designed solely to make you a better pilot.
 A Flight Review is just as its name implies, a review, not a Test. Rather than fearing a flight review look at it as something to help you become a better pilot and continue to be the safest pilot possible. A Flight Review, although required by Federal Aviation Regulations to be administered every two years, is really something a pilot should do voluntarily every year. Let’s face it, when we are in the cockpit alone, we embrace one self-induced bad habit after another. At least once a year we need someone else to help shake the dust off and let our true piloting skills shine. That is what a flight review is all about. Let’s take a look at the actual regulation to see what it requires. In Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, also known as the Federal Aviation Regulations the requirement for a flight review is under part 61, section 56, or 14CFR61.56. Now then, to save time we’ve printed this regulation below, but please note that we have removed some information that isn’t pertinent to this article, such as the requirement for glider pilots. If you are unsure or want to read the full regulation, click here.
FAR 61.56 - Flight review.
(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (f) of this section, a flight review consists of a minimum of 1 hour of flight training and 1 hour of ground training. The review must include:
(1) A review of the current general operating and flight rules of part 91 of this chapter; and
(2) A review of those maneuvers and procedures that, at the discretion of the person giving the review, are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate.
(c) Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft unless, since the beginning of the 24th calendar month before the month in which that pilot acts as pilot in command, that person has:
(1) Accomplished a flight review given in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated by an authorized instructor; and
(2) A logbook endorsed from an authorized instructor who gave the review certifying that the person has satisfactorily completed the review.
(d) A person who has, within the period specified in paragraph (c) of this section, passed a pilot proficiency check conducted by an examiner, an approved pilot check airman, or a U.S. Armed Force, for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege need not accomplish the flight review required by this section.
(e) A person who has, within the period specified in paragraph (c) of this section, satisfactorily accomplished one or more phases of an FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency award program need not accomplish the flight review required by this section.
(f) A person who holds a current flight instructor certificate who has, within the period specified in paragraph (c) of this section, satisfactorily completed a renewal of a flight instructor certificate under the provisions in Sec. |61.197| need not accomplish the 1 hour of ground training specified in paragraph (a) of this section. (g) The requirements of this section may be accomplished in combination with the requirements of Sec. |61.57| and other applicable recent experience requirements at the discretion of the authorized instructor conducting the flight review.
The first part of the regulation specifies minimum time requirements for the review, 1 hour of ground training and 1 hour of flight instruction. In my experience, once a pilot is engaged in the review they are happy that they are learning and refining their skills. Consequently, I’ve never done a review in two hours. Most of them last around three to three and one-half hours. Don’t be worried if your review lasts longer than 2 hours; just remember that it’s your time to help yourself become a better pilot!
Section (a)(1) and (a)(2) of the regulation specify what exactly you must accomplish. It says that we must go over Part 91, which as you know is airspace and weather minimums, equipment minimums, right-of-way rules, and other general operating and flight rules. Notice that is says review and not test. You are not required to know everything! In my opinion, the most important part of the review is that you walk away with a complete understanding of Part 91 and weight and balance as it affects the aircraft. As long as you complete the above there is no need to study before the review. Also I would expect you to know basic knowledge of the aircraft you will be flying. Some of you who haven’t flown in a while will need to do a little studying, but if you just got your pilots license a few years ago don’t sweat it! All anyone needs to study is FAR Part 91, perhaps the medical requirements of Part 61, and the Pilot Operating Handbook for the aircraft that you will be flying. Remember, you do not need to know everything, but by the end of the review you will have surely learned a lot. If you didn’t learn anything in a flight review then I would start looking for another flight instructor.
The next section, (a)(2) says that we must go out and do some flying. Basically, we need to go out and do some maneuvers at the discretion of the flight instructor, me. Don’t panic, this is nothing like an FAA check ride. We’re not going to go out and waste time with turns around a point or s-turns across a road. My job is to assess your piloting skill and ensure your continuing safety in as little time as possible.
First, we’ll start off on a planned cross-country just to make sure you still remember that Ded-Recko-what? That’s right, Ded-Reckoning is a skill you just might have let slip away so that you could sit back and fly the map of that Garmin 295. Ded-Reckoning involves navigating by calculation. Basically, figuring out a heading and flying it. We’ll make sure you remember that, as well as basic pilotage skills (using the map), such as identifying landmarks and diverting to an alternate airport. All of this shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes, at which point I get to see you fly for the first time in two years without autopilot. Don’t worry I’ll refresh your memory on a good leveling-off technique to help you peg those altitude assignments.
While we are practicing our navigation techniques, I’ll be assessing your turning skills, including your use of rudder. After I’ve determined you can sit back and let the plane fly itself straight-and-level we’ll start the maneuvers. I like to focus on the “what-if” times in our lives, so our maneuvers won’t be wasting time on things we do everyday anyway. Our maneuvers/procedures will include: Stalls, Steep Turns, Emergency Descents, Engine Failure, an Emergency Landing, and electrical failure. All this will take about 35 to 45 minutes, at which point we’ll do a little hood-work and head back to the airport for some touch-n-gos. One Short and Soft field Takeoff and Landing, a few regular takeoffs and landings, and we can call it a day!
Again, I can’t stress this enough, you don’t have to remember how to do all of this. By the end of the lesson you will feel comfortable with each maneuver, and will be able to accomplish each one on your own when necessary. Don’t worry about perfection or anything of the sort. I’m here to help you (sorry to borrow a motto from the army, but) “Be All That You Can Be.”
After we have completed the ground and flight portion and I’ve determined that you can operate safely as Pilot in Command, I’ll endorse your logbook and you’re good to go for another 24 calendar months!
“Wait a minute, calendar month, what the heck is that?” Ok, Now I know it’s been a while, but here is the deal. Our medical certificates, recent experience requirements, and the flight review are all based on calendar month expirations. A calendar month simply means that you have until the last day of the month of expiration to complete your flight review, renew your medical certificate, or complete the recent experience requirements to act as pilot in command. That means that if you got a flight review on January 1st of 2003, you’ll need another one by January 31st, 2005. That’s why its good to satisfy your requirements at the beginning of the month. It gives you an extra 30 days or so to get the job done. Even if you completed a review on January 30th of 2003, you would still need one by January 31st of 2005.
 There are only two things that can help you get out of a review or part of it anyway. AN FAA approved ground instruction equivalent such as the WINGS program will allow you to skip the ground and just do the flight portion of the review. Keep in mind however that many of these WINGS programs are I’m sorry to say, an absolute joke, talking about things as ridiculous as “How to operate a GPS”, or “Mountain Flying.” Ok, don’t get me wrong, mountain flying is a great topic, but do you think that’s going to help you navigate safely in Los Angeles Class Bravo after losing all? Excuse me for the vivid example, but seriously, as complicated as airspace is, do you think doing a WINGS program every two years on Mountain Flying is going to help you here? Many pilots attend these WINGS programs because of a misplaced fear for the flight review. They are afraid that they need to know everything and so they take their little GPS class to get out of it. The WINGS programs won’t help you understand airspace (unless it’s an airspace specific class), won’t teach you loss-communication procedures such as light-gun signals, and won’t teach you the minimum fuel requirements for operating during VFR day. All of this is explained in Part 91, and would be reviewed during your ground portion of the flight review. Use your good judgment. By all means I encourage you to attend the WINGS program to learn something new, or refresh your memory on some specific topics, but don’t use it to skip the ground portion of your flight review. There is simply too much a pilot forgets in two years to warrant not reviewing this information.
Remember, a review is not a test. Consider it a lesson or a refresher course. As a flight instructor, we are here to help you become a safer pilot, clean off some rust, nip bad habits in the bud, and elevate your confidence. That is what a review is all about. If your flight instructor has a different perception of it, have him or her give us a call so we can straighten them out.
Good luck and Safe Flying to Everyone! |
