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Is a practical test considered to be flight training?

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FAA Regulations

Suppose your airplane's ELT is inoperative, and you have been flying the airplane in flight training operations within 50 miles of the base airport per 91.207(f)(3): "(3) Aircraft while engaged in training operations conducted entirely within a 50-nautical mile radius of the airport from which such local flight operations began;"

Can you use this airplane on a practical test? That is, is the practical test considered to be "flight training operations" and thus covered by 91.207(f)(3)? Or would the ELT need to be working, or removed as permitted in subparagraph (10)?

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1 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Nov 13, 2016

    I think you are misreading the regulation. 91.207(f)(3) allows one to operate an aircraft without an ELT being installed. You have stated that there is an ELT installed, but it is inoperative. 91.207(f)(10) deals with an inoperative ELT. It allows an aircraft to be operated for a period up to 90 days with the ELT removed for repair or replacement.

    As to the practical test, Order 8900.2 explicitly forbids the examiner from providing any instruction during the practical test. As you cannot provide yourself with instruction, how could a practical test be considered flight training? If you have any doubt as to the meaning of “flight training”, there is a definition in 61.1(b).

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