Guide to the Flight Review for Pilots & Instructors

Complete preparation for issuing or taking a flight review including both the ground and flight requirements

Jackie Spanitz

• Publisher: Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781619549234
• eBook ISBN: 9781619549241
• Edition: 8
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Aviation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Newly revised to reflect the latest procedural and regulatory changes mandated by the FAA, this "Guide to the Flight Review" informs both pilots and flight instructors about the exam, and lists questions with succinct answers that will help them pass their flight review. It is also useful for FAA-designated examiners for keeping track of how to conduct a flight review, and the steps and requirements laid out by the FAA.

Answering the most commonly asked questions — many of them excerpted from the Oral Exam Guide Series by Mike Hayes — the guide also clarifies the requirements of the written and oral flight-review portions. Lists of study materials to refer to for test preparation are included. Also includes regulations and advisory material from the FAA and an "FR checklist" to help pilots stay organized. Staying organized and practicing the question-and-answers ahead of time are key to staying focused on test day and passing the flight review and checkride.

1

Introduction

What is the Flight Review?

This guide to the flight review (previously called “Biennial Flight Review” or BFR) is a comprehensive guide to prepare for taking or issuing a flight review. The flight review has been an FAA requirement since 1974 and was developed to curb pilot-related accidents. Although it has accomplished this objective, there is still room for improvement. A standard flight review should offer an effective learning experience that will further reduce pilot-related accidents. The FAA’s guidance document reprinted in Appendix 3 provides some excellent and very specific recommendations on how to use the flight review in this capacity.

The flight review is not intended to be another checkride, but rather an assessment of the pilot’s skills. The sole objective is to determine if the pilot is safe in the operations he/she usually conducts.

Again, the flight review is meant to determine your ability to handle the airplane safely and with good judgment. It is not meant to be like the checkride, but rather instructional. The maneuvers performed in the flight should reflect the pilot’s experience and type of flying; the actions should be predictable to the instructor and conform to local procedures, with safety being the main concern. The flight review should be considered an opportunity. It could be performed annually, as recurrent or refresher training, or biennially, as required by 14 CFR §61.56.

Flight Review Candidates

14 CFR §61.56 states that every pilot must take a flight review every 24 calendar months. This means every pilot must take a flight review in order to maintain pilot-in-command (PIC) privileges.

Requirements (14 CFR 61.56)

The conduct of the flight review is at the discretion of the flight instructor, but the FAA does state minimum requirements necessary for the satisfactory completion:

• 1 hour of flight training and 1 hour of ground training

• A review of 14 CFR Part 91

• A review of those maneuvers and procedures necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate

• A logbook endorsement stating the satisfactory completion of the check

See Appendix 1 for the complete 14 CFR §61.56, and Appendix 3 for the FAA’s recommendations on content and best use of time during the flight review.

Options for Completing the Flight Review

With safety in mind, the flight review can be completed in a manner beneficial to the pilot:

• A flight review wi...

Table of contents

• 1: Introduction
• 2: Q & A: Questions Most Commonly Asked About the Flight Review
• 3: Ground Instruction Requirement
• 4: Flight Instruction Requirement
• Appendix 1: 14 CFR Part 61 Excerpt
• Appendix 2: AC 61-98D Excerpt
• Appendix 3: FAA Guidance Document–Conducting an Effective Flight Review
• Appendix 4: AC 61-91J
• Appendix 5: Flight Review Checklist