Bfr

[unreal]

I'm nearing BFR-time, but I have a question: Does my completion of my MEI in August of '04 meet the requirements of 61.56? Section (d) is a little vague:

"A person who has, within the period specified in paragraph (c) of this section, passed a pilot proficiency check...for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege need not accomplish the flight review required by this section."

So, should I base the 24 calendar month requirement on my commercial certificate from April '04, or my last checkride for an instructor rating in August of '04?

I really should know this...thanks in advance.

 

[Magic1872]

24 months from your last certificate or rating

 

[unreal]

24 months from your last certificate or rating

Is that based on precedence, or am I missing something in the regs?

 

[midlifeflyer]

Is that MEI as in multi-engine instrument or MEI as in multi-engine instructor?

If the former, that's the date. It's not a precedence issue. It's just that the FR rule "looks back" 24 calendar months.

Did you, with in the 24 calendar months before today, have a FR or FR replacement.

If it ME Instructor, that's a different issue.

Then it would be from your commercial certificate. This gets bandied about from time to time and there are even disagreements among FSDOs, but the safer view is that a CFI certificate or rating is not "a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege."

The short explanation is that the FAA treats "pilot certificates" and "operating privileges" differently than "instructor certificates" and "instructing privileges".

 

[Doozer]

Instructor certificates are not pilot certificates

unreal:

The short answer is no -- unless you prebriefed a flight review with your evaluator at the time of the MEI ride and he endorsed your logbook for a satisfactory flight review (they're not BFR's anymore).

Short explanation: The FAA's position is that an instructor practical exam is an evaluation of your ability to teach -- not fly.

I'm on my way to a lesson now, so I don't have time to dig up the reference; however, I'll try to find and reference it later today for the naysayers.

Back from my lesson; here's an excerpt from the FAA's FAQ database.

{Q&A-156}
QUESTION: The particular question is whether a flight instructor who passes a flight instructor practical test (for initial issuance or a CFI rating addition or for a reinstatement) is or is not exempt from needing a § 61.56 Flight Review for the next two years, since the reg. specifically says PILOT proficiency check.” § 6l.56 d - allows this exemption for a person who has"... passed a PILOT proficiency check.." not needing to accomplish a flight review for the next 2 years.

ANSWER: Ref. § 61.56(d); If the examiner also evaluates the applicant’s piloting skills then YES, “. . . a flight instructor practical test (for initial issuance or a CFI rating addition or for a reinstatement) . . .” would meet the requirements of a § 61.56 Flight Review. However, to make sure the applicant gets credit for successful completion of the Flight Review, the examiner should record that the § 61.56 Flight Review was satisfactorily completed in the applicant’s logbook.

§ 61.56(d) states:
(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.

 

[sjflyer]

Your MEI does not count for a BFR. The only way to have your MEI count as BFR is to have the examiner give you a BFR endorsement based on your check-ride. You could go to the examiner and ask him if he is willing to give a BFR endorsement based on your check-ride and backdated to the MEI checkride date.

 

[NYCPilot]

MEI doesnt count unless it's prearranged with examiner to count as a flight review.

2 yrs from your commercial.

 

[A Squared]

Here's an official interepretation on the matter from FAA counsel. It's a regional Counsel, not the chief counsel, but, still official.


Here's the relevant sentence from the letter:

"Accordingly, a CFI practical test will not per se fulfill the flight review requirement."

Per Se is Latin for "by itself"

1 Aviation Plaza
Room 561
Jamaica, NY 11434

RE: Interpretation of FAR 61.56(d)

Dear Mr. Dennstaedt:

This is in response to your letter dated August 25, 2001, wherein you ask whether an airman can satisfy the flight review requirement under 14 C.F.R. (Federal Aviation Regulation [FAR]) 61.56 by passing a practical test to become a certified flight instructor (CFI), as required by FAR 61.183.

Under FAR 61.56(c)(1), one may not act as pilot-in-command of an aircraft unless, within the preceding 24 calendar months, he has "accomplished a flight review given in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated by an authorized instructor." Under FAR 61.56(c)(2), the airman must receive a logbook endorsement from the authorized instructor certifying that he has satisfactorily completed the review. Under FAR 61.56(a), a flight review must include: (1) a review of the current general operating and flight rules of Part 91; 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.

Under FAR 61.56(d), however, the flight review requirement of FAR 61.56(c)(1) does not apply to one who has "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."





The issue you raise is whether passing a practical test to become a CFI can fall within the exception to the flight review requirement that is provided by FAR 61.56(d). Under FAR 183(h), to be eligible for a flight instructor certificate or rating, the applicant must "pass the required practical test that is appropriate to the flight instructor rating sought." The FAA Practical Test Standards (PTS) for the airplane flight instructor examiner (sic) requires that the examiner ensure that the flight instructor applicant has the "ability to perform the procedures and maneuvers included in the standards to at least the commercial pilot skill level."

Thus, the instructor has broad discretion in conducting a flight review. A CFI practical test encompasses the demonstration of various basic maneuvers that an instructor is likely to cover in a flight review. Incorporating a flight review into the CFI practical test could be accomplished, therefore, with little, if any difficulty.

Accordingly, a CFI practical test will not per se fulfill the flight review requirement. A practical test for a CFI rating under FAR 61.183, taken within 24 months of a prior flight review, can readily meet the flight review requirement of FAR 61.56(d), however, if the examiner is satisfied that a flight review endorsement can be given. To ensure that the CFI applicant gets credit for successful completion of the flight review, however, he or she should ask the examiner to conduct the CFI oral and practical test so as to satisfy the flight review requirements as well, and to make a logbook endorsement for the flight review upon completion of the examination.

If you have additional inquiries, please contact Zachary M. Berman of this office at (718) 553-3258.

Sincerely,


Loretta E. Alkalay

 

[RichardRambone]

Similar question...Does getting my CFII ride passed count as an IPC even though neither my examiner or instructor signed me off for an IPC?

 

[unreal]

Thank you everyone, that answers the question nicely. Time to go get a BFR next month...