Looking To The Sky

Completed My First Biennial Flight Review

Once you obtain your pilots license, you have it forever.  There are some requirements however that need to be done in order to keep flying.  One of those requirements is the Biennial Flight Review, and I was able to get it done in just the nick of time.

Regs

FAR 61.56 specifies that the review must include

• Be given in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated and by an authorized instructor.
• Include logbook endorsed from an authorized instructor who gave the review certifying that the person has satisfactorily completed the review.
• Include a minimum 1 hour of flight training.
• Include a minimum 1 hour of ground training.
• Include a review of the current general operating and flight rules of part 91.
• Include a review of those maneuvers and procedures that, at the discretion of the person giving the review, are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate.

Before being able to act as pilot in command (PIC) a pilot must have completed a flight review within the previous 24 calendar months. The FAA and instructors are quick to point out that it is not a test. There is no pass or fail criteria, although the instructor giving it can decline to endorse your log-book that a flight review has been completed.

My Review

I knew I had to get my flight review done before the end of the month was over, otherwise the 31st would have been my last day to fly until I got it completed.  Not wanting be grounded on some unexpected sunny day, I decided to get it finished up before the month of my licensing was out.  I received my license on 10/18/2014, so I had until the end of my 24th month (October 31st) to get this completed to avoid any delays.

I reached out to Steve, the instructor I ended up finishing my license under, and we lined up a day to get this knocked out.  The morning of the review I noticed that the weather wasn’t that great, but decided to make it happen anyways.

The winds at Troutdale were 15+ knots gusting 20+.  It was mainly in the direction of the runway, so it wasn’t too much of a factor.  The clouds were way too low to the East, but around Troutdale and to the West, things looked high enough to get things done.

My review consisted of the following:

• 1 hour ground reviewing a three page list of topics that I should know or be aware of.
• 1 hour flight review
  • Navigation using VORs
  • Steep turns (45 degree banks right and left for a complete 360)
  • Power off stalls
  • Landing back at KTTD

After the a smooth landing into KTTD, the review was completed and I went home knowing that I had two more years of uninterruped flying before having to go through this once again.

Compered to what it takes to get the license, this was a breeze.

Let’s keep flying!

Categories: Annual, Flights, Private Pilot Completion

Tags: Cessna 172, KTTD, Maneuvers, N79434, Slow Flight, Stalls, steep turns, Steve, Training, VFR, VOR

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