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4 Answers

Wording of Instrument Currency in 61.57

Asked by: 10221 views ,
FAA Regulations, Instrument Rating

I'm trying to resolve the wording of the instrument currency regulation, which states that the usual currency tasks must be accomplished "Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight."  Suppose the following scenario:

Month    Number of approaches
1           4 approaches
2           3 approaches
3
4
5
6
7          
8           No longer current

If I do three (or even six) approaches sometime in August, a strict reading of the regulation would seem to indicate that I still would not be current for the month of August, since if you look at the 6 calendar months preceding August, only three approaches had been done.  

Is there a reason why the regulation is worded in this manner or am I missing something?  If it read "...preceding the flight" instead of "...preceding the month of the flight" it would seem to make much more sense.  Thanks.

 

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4 Answers



  1. Micah on Mar 13, 2012

    This description is changed from the previous description: “within the preceding 6 calendar months”
     
    The good news is that this clarifies/extends the experience to the month’s end (the norm for FAA timelines). For isntance, if you complete 6 approaches January 15 – 16, your currency extends to July 31 and not just to July 16. (Likewise, 6 approaches on 1 January makes you current though 31 July, up to 7 months of currency).
     
    The bad news is that it does appear to read that current calendar month experience does not count. This language is carried also the the IPC (61.57(d))–which is most distressing to me. I am inclined to think that an IPC carries forward as with any other endorsement (and as with the practical test); it should carry forward immediately from the date of the endorsement and not wait for the following calendar month to be legitimate.

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  2. Micah on Mar 13, 2012

    *My presumption is that this is unintentional language and the FAA does not intend to prohibit same-month experience from currency calculations, but as it reads it does prohibit this experience.

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  3. Russell on Aug 23, 2012

    Jan- 1 approach
    Feb- 1 approach
    Mar- 0 approach
    Apr- 0 approach
    May- 0 approach
    June- 0 approach
    July- 4 approaches on July 1

    If you plan an IFR flight on July 15th, “Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight means”
    Jan to June or
    Feb to July or
    Jan to July

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  4. Ishan on Nov 16, 2017

    Scenario 1.

    Lets say you did your instrument rating on Jan 15 th 2017, and you are current till July 31st 2017, Then.,

    Jan- 20 – 1 approach
    Feb 02 – 1 approach
    Mar. – 0 approach
    Apr. – 0 approach
    May. – 0 approach
    June. – 0 approach
    July 01. – 4 approaches

    * within your currency period you did 6 approaches and holding/ tracking etc. so July 15 “ yes” you are current ,
    *Now you have to do another 2 approaches within the month of July for you to be current for the next incoming 6 calendar months, which ends the 6 month period on the Jan 31 of 2018.

    *Now you have to do 6 approaches, holding/ tracking etc before the 31st of Jan 2018 for you to be current for the next six months ending July 31 , 2018.

    Scenario 2

    *Looking back 6 months,

    Let’s say Dec 21, you wanna see you are IFR current or not, look back 6 months to the date, which is June 21, 2017 and you found out you have only 4 approaches and holding/tracking etc.

    # From June 01 to 21 – 0 approaches (not current)

    # From June 01 to 21- 2 approaches (current)

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