Can passing the IFR written count as the "book" portion of my BFR?

VWGhiaBob

VWGhiaBob

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VWGhiaBob
I just passed the IFR written, but have not yet passed the practical. Can I use this as my BFR "book" component and just do the BFR flight?
 
Nope, and it's no longer BFR, just FR.

Here's the AC on Flight Reviews. A lot of good info to brush up on is here. CFIs have a lot of discretion on how to conduct a FR, some brush it off to hard ones. Myself I tailor it to what and how the pilot typically flys. Minimum one hour ground and one hour of flight is required. Numerous ways to get the ground training credit though, WINGS, AOPA course, etc.

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_61-98C.pdf
 
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Ask your CFII. If you pass the oral and flying thrn the whole thing supercedes the BFR.
 
Might just be the CFI's call, but Every time I've gotten one there seems to be an item that's "in" that year. I get them yearly. A couple years ago it was emergency descents. Once it was airport markings. Once, use of aircraft lights. There always seems to be the AC du jour. Could be CFI's are required to cover certain things. Lots of CFI's around here, we should have the answer shortly.
 
Sure wouldn't want to do more than the minimum. Amazing, but the Cirrus has a chute and is so safe so you will be ok.
 
mscard88 said:
Nope, and it's no longer BFR, just FR.
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Never was anything but, really, but it's never ever been anything other than every two years (the annual flight review provision never went into effect).
 
flyingron said:
Never was anything but, really, but it's never ever been anything other than every two years (the annual flight review provision never went into effect).
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Used to be called a BFR, Biennial Flight Review. I forget when they (FAA) shortened it to FR.

For holders of pilot certificates issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration a flight review (previously the FAA referred to this as a biennial flight review, usually abbreviated BFR) is a review required of every active holder of a U.S. pilot certificate at least every 24 calendar months. The flight review consists of at least 1 hour of ground instruction and 1 hour in-flight with a qualified flight instructor,[1] although completion of any Phase of the FAA WINGS program also satisfies the requirement for a flight review.[2]
 
In 1973 the FAA passed rulemaking adding the requirement that the flight review be done annually for those with less than 400 hours and no instrument rating. It NEVER went into effect. They kept rolling the effective date forward until they finally did away with it. The whole purpose, by the way, wasn't really safety related so much as a bone thrown to the flight instructor lobby to counter the great loss of revenue they were crying about when the Recreational Pilot Certificate was added at the same time. Of course, we know how wonderfully successful that was (I think there were less than 200 recreational certificates ever issued).

However, I'm not convinced (and I'm drawing a blank finding it), that the 61.56 ever had a title other than FLIGHT REVIEW.

But the truth is, it has never been other than biennial.
 
There is a great class at KCMA on 3/25 that will count towards you ground for the FR... and if you're doing the Wings program, you'll get credit...

Here is the schedule http://ennect.com/e2848/p22596.aspx

Also, Saturday is Tri-Tip day at the Waypoint Cafe :)
 
flyingron said:
However, I'm not convinced (and I'm drawing a blank finding it), that the 61.56 ever had a title other than FLIGHT REVIEW.
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Yeah I think when I became a CFI in '78 FAR 61.56 was titled Flight Review. I don't have any old FAR books as I threw them away or recycle now as I purchase a new book or use online.
 
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mscard88 said:
Used to be called a BFR, Biennial Flight Review. I forget when they (FAA) shortened it to FR.
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Probably because too many people couldn't figure out the difference between the words "Biannual" and "Biennial."
 
That says nothing about when they made the change or if it ever was listed as anything other than "Flight Review" even though people (including the FAA) colloquially called it a BFR. Your 2015 date is certainly bogus. It has been a FLIGHT REVIEW since at least 1973. I'm looking for older versions of the regs.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
I just passed the IFR written, but have not yet passed the practical. Can I use this as my BFR "book" component and just do the BFR flight?
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There is nothing in the FR reg that talks about a "book component." There is a ground component that, except for requiring coverage of Part 91, leaves it to instructor discretion.

To me that means discretion as to form as well as subject-matter. I have used quizzes as part of the ground, both my own and having pilots take ones available from the AOPA Foundation and other providers. I've participated in group FR presentations.

Would I accept the IR written test as a satisfactory substitute? My own instrument student? Probably. I'd have a pretty good idea the breadth of his overall knowledge and we probably covered far more than that anyway.

From someone not my student? Not 100% without at least a brief discussion. I'd want to satisfy myself the instrument student hasn't fallen into the instrument trap of forgetting the rules of visual flying.
 
Ah, the old "Nyah, nyah. It's not a BFR" silliness. Excuse me while I take a nap.

@flyingron, I'm pretty sure you are correct. I have a copy of the Final Rule that introduced it. The regulation itself has never used the term "biennial" but from the very beginning, including the commentary to the Final Rule that created it, it has been referred to extensively and (somewhat) descriptively as the "biennial flight review."
 
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There is no "book portion," nor is there any formal requirement for the IFR written to count as ground.

However, the instrument checkride DOES count as a complete WINGS phase. It also resets the BFR clock, but WINGS might be nice for your insurance.

Don't try to shortcut the BFR. If well done, they can be quite valuable. Your CFII ought to be able to give you one AND explain the rules.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
I just passed the IFR written, but have not yet passed the practical. Can I use this as my BFR "book" component and just do the BFR flight?
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Are you actively working with an instructor towards your instrument rating? If so, I have to imagine they'd have no problem signing you off for a flight review based on the flight and ground work already completed. I know I've done this once or twice - an instrument student (or commercial, etc.) faces some delays in training and isn't able to schedule their checkride until after their previous FR would expire. But I have flown with them multiple times, doing all the kinds of stuff you would do in the FR, plus we've already done plenty of ground time on similar topics to those discussed during a FR as well. I'll just sign them off based on training already completed. BUT, it's training that I've personally conducted, know the details of, and have documented in their logbooks.

It would seem silly to me if I have been flying for the last 20 hours with somebody, doing maneuvers, stalls, hood work, approaches, emergency procedures, etc., as well as many hours of discussion about regulations, part 91, weather, flight planning, etc., to then say "You want a Flight Review? Sure, let's go talk about the same stuff for another hour and go flying doing basically the same stuff we've been doing for yet another hour, then I'll sign you off."
 
RussR said:
Are you actively working with an instructor towards your instrument rating? If so, I have to imagine they'd have no problem signing you off for a flight review based on the flight and ground work already completed. I know I've done this once or twice - an instrument student (or commercial, etc.) faces some delays in training and isn't able to schedule their checkride until after their previous FR would expire. But I have flown with them multiple times, doing all the kinds of stuff you would do in the FR, plus we've already done plenty of ground time on similar topics to those discussed during a FR as well. I'll just sign them off based on training already completed. BUT, it's training that I've personally conducted, know the details of, and have documented in their logbooks.

It would seem silly to me if I have been flying for the last 20 hours with somebody, doing maneuvers, stalls, hood work, approaches, emergency procedures, etc., as well as many hours of discussion about regulations, part 91, weather, flight planning, etc., to then say "You want a Flight Review? Sure, let's go talk about the same stuff for another hour and go flying doing basically the same stuff we've been doing for yet another hour, then I'll sign you off."
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Agree, I'd do that too, and have done so in the past.
 
flyingron said:
That says nothing about when they made the change or if it ever was listed as anything other than "Flight Review" even though people (including the FAA) colloquially called it a BFR. Your 2015 date is certainly bogus. It has been a FLIGHT REVIEW since at least 1973. I'm looking for older versions of the regs.
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I checked to back in '78 and it was just Flight Review.
 
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