Biannual coming up, HELP!

KJ4CCH

Filing Flight Plan
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KJ4CCH
hey guys,

I have a question, what should I expect on my biannual? I am kinda nervous as my certificate is due last part of February.

I haven't touched an airplane in over 6 months :/ ( because of college)

should i practice ground ref and cross countries? or just do a million touch and gos?

I am planning to go up with another pilot to make sure I still can land takeoff and fly the thing before i go by my self. I am gonna fly chair for a while to get the hang of engine out sequences, as well as the normal startup ect..

thanks guys!
 
It's not a test, it's a learning experience. You already have your cert, so this is an opportunity to catch up, brush up, etc.
 
Just go fly. Worst case you'll need an extra hour before getting signed off, but I doubt it. Relax it is simple, even easier if you do it with an instructor you've flown with before.
 
oh ok. So its pretty straight forward. They guy I might fly with is a flight instructor, and if i do well enough, he might just sign off on it then.

I am very anxious with tests, but not situations. Ill get really nervous for a test, but awkwardly, i wont when an emergency happens, (I have tons of stories, seems like I got the short hand of the stick in that category. )

but thanks guys!
 
What you can expect with a good instructor is a discussion a few days or a week before the review to discuss what sort of flying you do so the flight review will be structured appropriately. and then some recommendations on what to study or practice.
 
Every flight you make is a test. A flight review though is a process to get you up to date on rule changes and to refresh your memory and flying skills, no big drama.
 
The BFR should be a learning experience ,with updates of the current airspace regs. You should have had a conversation with the instructor before the flight. Relax enjoy the flight and review,we can always learn something.
 
14 CFR 61.56 requires a minimum of one hour of flight training and one hour of ground training. The only specific requirement is a review of the current general operating and flight rules of 14 CFR Part 91 and, at the discretion of the person giving the flight review, those maneuvers and procedures necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate.
 
You can't fail it. Biannual Flight Review is just that a Review not a test. The one hour Flight is the minimum required it might take more or the Ground portion might take more than 1 hour they are minimum times required. This is your chance to catch up on what you forgot about flying not a test you have to pass use it to improve yourself to the fullest. When BFR first started I can remember Pilots who had no idea of what a TCA or Class "B" airspace was or just what VFR min. was and they would blunder into control airspace under IFR not knowing what they were doing. Times have changed every 2 years now a least someone updates them. It is probably the one positive thing the FAA has done to make things better.
 
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I was in your situation last summer. College kept me away from the airplane and I had no idea what to expect.

Like everyone else said, you cannot fail it. If after the hour of ground and an hour in the air the instructor thinks you need more, no big deal. Just use it as a learning experience, and make sure to ask lots of questions.

As for the content, most of my ground portion covered airspace regulations and restrictions, as well as some of the newest FAR changes since I got my licence. The flight portion covered short/soft field takeoffs and landings, steep turns, slow flight, stalls, one engine out, and your overall control over the aircraft.

Try not to stress too much about it! :wink2:
 
If anything stress out about your own goals. I took a BFR a few years back after a 5 year hiatus from the expensive hobby and he must have been busy or thought he was doing me a favor because he passed me in the minimum time. I did fine on the flight portion but felt out of practice. However, I bombed the ground portion. He was very hard and asked tons of great questions. That was the only reason I didn't ask for more time because it was clear that I needed to brush up on the FAR/AIM and do a ton of home-study. Just treat it like a 2+ hour refresher course. Find your weak spots and fix them.
 
Look at the experience as supplemental instruction and not a check ride. If you approach a BFR as a opportunity to learn and not as an opportunity to to screw up, (you can't), you will fare much better. I must admit however that for me it is tough to be required to prove competency to someone who has less time logged that I have flying backwards. :D
 
Hi, there. I just had mine after 2 years of not flying. Like many others have said. It is a *review*, not a test. It's your chance to remember what you learned and to learn a little more. Mine took a little longer because I got my TW while I was at it, but it's nothing to be nervous over. :)
 
Don't sweat it, even if you don't perform you won't loose your ticket. Worst case is you find you need some work on something, you clean that up and you get signed off for another 24 months of PIC.


Honestly the harder it is the better, my last one was a multi ticket, but my best is still the one I took at night, in marginal VFR after a 12hr work day.
 
If I did it after a 41 year break, you can do it. Well...I did need a few extra hours of instruction to clear out the cobwebs (and learn So. Cal. ATC...which is harder than flying itself). Still, if it's fun and assuming you love it, enjoy it. Find the right instructor and realize this is for your safety too and not just red tape. Have fun!
 
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