“Grace Period” Question

[AA5Bman]

I usually do IPCs for instrument currency, but lately have tried to maintain it through flying practice approaches with a safety pilot (we get very little flyable IMC where I live). I’m finding myself in this situation where I just got current again right at the end of the “six month grace period” but due to the timing of the approaches I’ve logged, my currency will expire again almost immediately. Does my six month grace period extend another six months, or am I needing to do an IPC?

My actual situation is not this extreme, but here’s a calendar illustration as an example:

December 31st Year 0 - IPC, 6-month (calendar month) currency starts

June 30th - Currency expires

July 1st - grace period begins, and fly 1 Practice approach, holds, etc

December 31st Year 1 - last day of Grace period, fly 5 approaches and holds, etc.

To me, it looks like this pilot is not current for the second half of Year one, regains currency for a day on December 31st, and then immediately loses it again on January 1 of Year 2. Does this pilot now have another grace period that extends out to roughly June 30th? Or do they have to do an IPC?

 

[midwestpa24]

Go fly 6 approaches in December and reset the clock entirely.

But yes in your scenario, the 5 approaches in December is tied to the one in July, so you lose currency once it's been six months since July, but you have another grace period. It's all based on a look back, in the last 6 months have you flown 6 approaches with holds, you are current. If in the last 12 months you have the 6 approaches and holds, you may go regain currency with a safety pilot. If you haven't had 6 approaches in the last 12 months, you are due for an IPC.

*Re-reading what I typed, I can see a little confusion. You have 6 months from the date you last had currency. Obviously flying 5 approaches in January, and 5 approaches in December would not grant currency nor reset the currency window.

 

[AA5Bman]

If in the last 12 months you have the 6 approaches and holds, you may go regain currency with a safety pilot.

I don’t really know - I mean, I asked the question, after all - but this doesn’t seem right. I think it would be true if at least some point in there you regained currency and you were within six months from whenever that currency expired, but if you had six approaches spread out over a 12 month period where you never regained currency at any point, then I don't think you’d be within the grace period.

But, the broader point seems to jive with what little else I can find on this subject - that the fact of becoming current, even if it immediately expires as in my example above, resets the clock on the grace period. But I feel like I haven’t really been able to confirm this.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I think it is an error is to think in terms of "reset" unless you got an IPC. There is no "reset." There is only "look back." Look back 6 calendar months. "Oops, no longer current." Look back 12 calendar months, "oh good, I was current during that time. I can regain currency without an IPC." Do some approaches. When done, look back 6 calendar months. "Great, I have everything I need. I'm current."

 

[midwestpa24]

I don’t really know - I mean, I asked the question, after all - but this doesn’t seem right. I think it would be true if at least some point in there you regained currency and you were within six months from whenever that currency expired, but if you had six approaches spread out over a 12 month period where you never regained currency at any point, then I don't think you’d be within the grace period.

But, the broader point seems to jive with what little else I can find on this subject - that the fact of becoming current, even if it immediately expires as in my example above, resets the clock on the grace period. But I feel like I haven’t really been able to confirm this.

In your scenario, you did regain currency, albeit for a day. Anything beyond that you are trying to read something into the regulations that wasn't there.

Now that being said, 6 approaches (with holds) in the last 6 months makes you legally current. Does it make you proficient?

 

[unsafervguy]

In your scenario, you did regain currency, albeit for a day. Anything beyond that you are trying to read something into the regulations that wasn't there.

Now that being said, 6 approaches (with holds) in the last 6 months makes you legally current. Does it make you proficient?

that depends, well no it doesn't, the answer is no.

 

[AA5Bman]

Yes, I get the difference between proficiency and currency, we don’t need to debate that here.

In your scenario, you did regain currency, albeit for a day. Anything beyond that you are trying to read something into the regulations that wasn't there.

I think what you’re saying is that once your currency expires - however it expires, and however long you were current for (in the example, a single day) - then you have six months to get current again with a safety pilot. If you never become current again during that six months, you’re in IPC territory.

I.e. the fact that this example pilot was current only for a single day is irrelevant from a regulatory standpoint vis-a-vis the six month grace period rule.

 

[midwestpa24]

I think what you’re saying is that once your currency expires - however it expires, and however long you were current for (in the example, a single day) - then you have six months to get current again with a safety pilot. If you never become current again during that six months, you’re in IPC territory.

I.e. the fact that this example pilot was current only for a single day is irrelevant from a regulatory standpoint vis-a-vis the six month grace period rule.

You got it!

 

[AA5Bman]

:thumbs up:

Seems kinda crazy, but I don’t make the rules!

 

[midlifeflyer]

:thumbs up:

Seems kinda crazy, but I don’t make the rules!

One can always come up with a "crazy" odd case within a rule. It's the nature of rules. You think its "crazy" someone who has not flown at night for 18 years should be able to set out with the wife and kids on a night cross country after three stop and goes at the home base they know like the back of their hand without ever leaving the pattern? Me too. But the rules, especially those establishing a baseline minimum standard, can't be expected to regulate proficiency or judgment.

 

[jayhawk74]

One can always come up with a "crazy" odd case within a rule. It's the nature of rules. You think its "crazy" someone who has not flown at night for 18 years should be able to set out with the wife and kids on a night cross country after three stop and goes at the home base they know like the back of their hand without ever leaving the pattern? Me too. But the rules, especially those establishing a baseline minimum standard, can't be expected to regulate proficiency or judgment.

What is even crazier is in the 121 world a pilot can go those 18 years of no night flights and then without any night takeoffs or landings take an airliner full of passengers and do a night takeoff and landing.

 

[AA5Bman]

@jayhawk74 really? How does that work - because there’s a SIC? I can’t imagine airline pilots are exempt from night currency requirements.

 

[dmspilot]

@jayhawk74 really? How does that work - because there’s a SIC? I can’t imagine airline pilots are exempt from night currency requirements.

They aren't exempt from night currency requirements because they don't exist. There's also no instrument currency per se. The requirement is 3 takeoffs and landings in type within 90 days. 121.439. If you lose currency, then the 3 must include an ILS to minimums and a v1 cut.

 

[TommyG]

This is where the electronic logbooks, for me is myflightbook comes in handy. Tells you when you are out of currency and what you need to get back up to speed.

 

[jayhawk74]

@jayhawk74 really? How does that work - because there’s a SIC? I can’t imagine airline pilots are exempt from night currency requirements.

As dmspilot said there is no requirement in 121 and it's not due to having a SIC as I currently fly 135 and 91K with a SIC and night currency is required. Another oddity in 121 is there no requirement for instrument currency, other than the annual checkride.