Checking Your Check
By James Williams, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine
As we delve into all things instrument flight rules (IFR) in this issue, we see that currency and proficiency play a big part in flight safety. Many of us aren’t everyday aviators, so when we get a chance to take to the air, we want to use that time to do something fun, not just bore holes in the sky, pun intended. This can lead to an attempt to minimize the “work” we must do to stay proficient. Sometimes we clear the bar just enough to meet the legal standards and move on to more enjoyable endeavors, an approach that can put us in a potentially deadly situation. When it comes to flying, especially instrument flying, being just good enough isn’t good enough.
Where to Start?
Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), section 61.57(c) lays out the basic currency requirement to fly under IFR: six approaches, holding, and intercepting and tracking of courses, all within the last six calendar months. This would be the “easiest” way to stay current as these can be done using actual or simulated instrument conditions and don’t require evaluating your skills. You may need a safety pilot if you are meeting the requirements using a view-limiting device, but the safety pilot is not required to be an instructor. This is the equivalent of your take-offs and landings for passenger currency. So long as you do them, and the aircraft is airworthy after that, you’ve met the requirement. You may also complete the same tasks in paragraph (c) in an approved Aviation Training Device (ATD) without the involvement of an instructor.
The other path to IFR currency is found in 14 CFR section 61.57(d), the instrument proficiency check (IPC). An IPC may be accomplished instead of the requirements in paragraph (c) above but must be completed if currency lapses. Some pilots prefer to do an IPC because, from a time and cost perspective, they can be “cheaper.” Even the most efficient routing is unlikely to allow you to do six approaches, holding, etc., in less than a few hours of flying time, especially in busier areas where you may have to be sequenced in long queues. The requirements of an IPC include air traffic control clearances and procedures, flight by reference to instruments, navigation systems, instrument approach procedures, emergency operations, and postflight procedures. For more information on how to conduct an IPC, the FAA issued Advisory Circular (AC) 61–98D. While the AC covers many different checks, Chapter 5 is the most relevant to this subject. Chapter 5 is brief (less than four pages) but covers almost everything you need to know about an IPC from an instructor’s point of view. From there, we can extrapolate what will likely come up on an IPC as a participant.
Rather than trying to get away with the minimum, you should lean in and use the IPC as a real test of your skills.
Lean In
In the AC under Preflight Considerations, there is a key statement that may get overlooked: “The flight instructor should structure an IPC like that of the flight review, tailoring the check to the needs of the pilot.” [Emphasis mine]. It goes on to suggest that the instructor should analyze the pilot’s experience, background, and abilities utilizing realistic scenarios to ensure that the pilot is ready to encounter IMC on their own. The instructor is then supposed to review their plan of action with the pilot so that everyone agrees on the check terms. This is where it’s essential as the pilot receiving the check that you are really honest with the instructor. Rather than trying to get away with the minimum, you should lean in and use the IPC as a real test of your skills. It may make for a longer IPC, but the end result is a higher skill level and greater confidence, which may make the difference when things start to get rough.
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James Williams is FAA Safety Briefing’s associate editor and photo editor. He is also a pilot and ground instructor.
