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3 Answers

CFI Ride DOES Count as a Flight Review

Asked by: 7768 views ,
FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor

Not really a question;  information for CFIs and CFI candidates of a recent FAR chaMost of you probably know of the "disconnect" in 61.56, the flight review rule. Under the regulatory language and FAA Chief Counsel interpretations, a CFI Practical Test did not count as a flight review replacement.

As of November 15, that will no longer be the case. In a Final Rule published in the Federal Register September 15, 2013,  day - 61.56 (d) was amended to read:

(d) A person who has, within the period specified in paragraph (c) of this section, passed any of the following need not accomplish the flight review required by this section:

(1) A pilot proficiency check or practical test conducted by an examiner, an approved pilot check airman, or a U.S. Armed Force, for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege.

(2) A practical test conducted by an examiner for the issuance of a flight instructor certificate, an additional rating on a flight instructor certificate, renewal of a flight instructor certificate, or reinstatement of a flight instructor certificate. * * *

Note that to count as a FR, "renewal" must be via a Practical Test. I'm not sure why that needs to be pointed out but in a couple of other discussions it was asked.

You can read the Rule (which covers some other items as well) here: http://goo.gl/fd4ges

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3 Answers



  1. Wes Beard on Sep 19, 2013

    Great News and it should have been this way a long time ago.

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  2. Sam Dawson on Sep 20, 2013

    The FAA put in an end around for the Chief Counsel opinion for those who have signed up for the FAA Wings program. If you look under the Wings program you receive enough credits for any instructor ride for it to count as a flight review. You still must request the credits.

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  3. Mark Kolber on Sep 20, 2013

    There have always been ways around it. The endorsing instructor would be more than willing to sign a flight review. DPEs would so it separate from the Practical Test.

    The biggest problem has probably been that, even though the Chief Counsel opinion made sense from a regulatorystandpoint, it made none practically, and, except for people who hang around in online forums, way too many simply assumed a CFI ride counted and had no idea what the rule actually was.

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