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7 Answers

IFR currency in both ASEL/AMEL

Asked by: 12826 views Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, General Aviation, Instrument Rating

Confused about this one fellas. I'm CPL,ASEL,AMEL,IFR I've been actively shooting Approches in single engines for the past 7 months and have not flown twin in approximately 7 months as well. I understand I cannot act as PIC in the twin but do my IFR privileges due to me being current on single engine carry over to a twin?

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7 Answers



  1. John D Collins on Oct 04, 2014

    Your Commercial Certifiocate, Section XII Ratings reads as follows:

    Airplane Single and Multi-Engine Land; Instrument Airplane

    61.57(c) reads as follows and only prescribes that you maintain currency in the category of aircraft, for example Airplane:

    (c) Instrument experience. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, a person may act as pilot in command under IFR or weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR only if:

    (1) Use of an airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, or airship for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks and iterations in an airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, or airship, as appropriate, for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained in actual weather conditions, or under simulated conditions using a view-limiting device that involves having performed the following–

    (i) Six instrument approaches.
    (ii) Holding procedures and tasks.
    (iii) Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems.

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  2. Jim F. on Oct 04, 2014

    Why can’t you be PIC in a twin? Just do 3 landings and you can also carry passengers…

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  3. nyc_pilot on Oct 04, 2014

    It’s just funny how my instrument privileges carry over to the twin but I can’t be pic if I haven’t done 3 to/ldgs. It’s better this way than to have to shoot 6 approaches in a single & twin

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  4. John D Collins on Oct 04, 2014

    The only limitation on PIC is for carrying passengers if you haven’t made the three takeoffs and landings in the allotted time period. Don’t carry passengers, and you can be PIC. You can do the three takeoffs and landings by your lonesome.

    Heck, you can even carry a qualified flight instructor who is not current to carry passengers and conduct the flight as neither you or the instructor are considered passengers.

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  5. Best Answer


    Mark Kolber on Oct 05, 2014

    It’s just funny

    Apparently, the accident history that usually leads to these types of currency regulations showed that single vs multis make no difference on instrument approaches (unless of course it’s a single-engine approach in a multi) but that it does in landings.

    So instrument acting PIC currency is “category” specific, while landing currency for acting as PIC with passengers is “category and class” specific.

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  6. nyc_pilot on Oct 05, 2014

    Sorry about the misconception with the PIC carrying passengers guys. Now I can shoot approaches in a 152 and it’ll count towards the Seneca. Won’t mean I’m as proficient as I should be but okay!

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  7. Mark Kolber on Oct 06, 2014

    Currency is a minimum and usually a minimal regulatory standard. It should never be equated with proficiency. I think of it as an FAA limitation on PIC authority – limiting the decisions a pilot is authorized to make.

    Instrument currency is a great example. Without currency a pilot is not allowed to fly “in the system” even on a CAVU day. With currency, a pilot has the authority to determine how proficient he or she is and what forecast weather he or she is capable and willing to fly in.

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