Has PPL & medical, needs flight review

[Anne]

Can a private pilot, holding a PPL and a current medical, but is more than 24 months outside of a flight review, log PIC time for sole manipulation of the controls when flying with a current PPL certificate holder, who can act as PIC? I know the acting PIC can't log the time when not manipulatiang the controls. Does 61.51 imply the pilot is current as far as a flight review goes, or does rated mean just rated, as this pilot is?

 

[bobbysamd]

BFR

14 CFR 61.56 sets forth the requirements for the flight review. Specifically, 14 CFR 61.56(c) states that a flight review must have been accomplished within twenty-four calendar months for an individual to act at PIC:

[N]o 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.

(emphasis added)

Thus, if the person is outside the twenty-four calendar months requirement, he/she cannot cannot act as pilot-in-command, much less log PIC time, because he/she is out of license.

Hope that helps.

 

[Anne]

I just got off the phone with AOPA. A pilot with a certificate and current medical and is rated in the plane, may log PIC for sole manipulation of the controls with a current PIC on board. The pilot who is more than 24 months beyond a flight review may not act as PIC, as 61.56 states. But he may log PIC.

 

[midlifeflyer]

AOPA's answer is correct. This is the same old "acting" vs. "logging" issue.

The 61.56 FR currency requirement is a rule about authority to "act" as PIC.

61.51 controls "logging" and, simply stated,

Rule 1 If you are a recreational, private or commercial pilot, you may log PIC any time you are the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft you are rated for.

"Rated" means the category and class (and type, if a type rating is necessary for the aircraft) that is listed on the back of your pilot certificate. Nothing else matters. Not instrument ratings. Not endorsements for high performance, complex, tailwheel aircraft. Not medical currency. Not flight reviews. Not night currency. Nothing.