IFR currency question.

[stratobee]

I should know this but I don't.

So, in 2 months I need to be current to be good for another 6 months. Weather is ****ty here today so might go do some approaches today and get it done. If I do, am I good for another 6 months from today, or from when the initial 6 months are up? Not sure if I'm making sense here.

 

[JasonM]

Within the past 6 months 6 approaches, holds and tracking. If you do all this today, you are good for the next 6 months.

 

[flyingron]

From the month of your proposed flight you look back six months and count approaches. If you have six, you're OK (provided you've done the holding procedures and tracking courses as well).

So yes, if you do six approaches tomorrow, that will be good for six months.
If you have one approach from five months ago and you do five more, you'll be out of currency when that first approach gets more than six months old.

 

[frfly172]

From the month of your proposed flight you look back six months and count approaches. If you have six, you're OK (provided you've done the holding procedures and tracking courses as well).

So yes, if you do six approaches tomorrow, that will be good for six months.
If you have one approach from five months ago and you do five more, you'll be out of currency when that first approach gets more than six months old.

+1 don't forget the hold.

 

[Sam D]

If I do, am I good for another 6 months from today, or from when the initial 6 months are up? Not sure if I'm making sense here.

I believe the answer is neither. Your new currency will expire 6/30/15*. (December 3rd is within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of 6/15 but not 7/15). 61.57(c)

* Assuming you do all the currency requirements this month.

 

[petrolero]

I should know this but I don't.

So, in 2 months I need to be current to be good for another 6 months. Weather is ****ty here today so might go do some approaches today and get it done. If I do, am I good for another 6 months from today, or from when the initial 6 months are up? Not sure if I'm making sense here.

From today.

 

[James331]

I should know this but I don't.

So, in 2 months I need to be current to be good for another 6 months. Weather is ****ty here today so might go do some approaches today and get it done. If I do, am I good for another 6 months from today, or from when the initial 6 months are up? Not sure if I'm making sense here.

If you haven't shot 6 approaches in half a year, are you sure you want to go into actual to get current?

 

[midlifeflyer]

From today.

To be technical, not "6 months from today" (6/3) but "6 calendar months from today" (6/30)

 

[midlifeflyer]

If you haven't shot 6 approaches in half a year, are you sure you want to go into actual to get current?

I didn't get the idea he has not flown an approach in 6 months.

 

[John Collins]

If you meet all of the IFR currency requirements on a flight today, Dec 3, 2014, then the first day your currency will lapse will be July 1, 2015 or just a few days shy of 7 months from now.

 

[azure]

I should know this but I don't.

So, in 2 months I need to be current to be good for another 6 months. Weather is ****ty here today so might go do some approaches today and get it done. If I do, am I good for another 6 months from today, or from when the initial 6 months are up? Not sure if I'm making sense here.

The answer depends on how many approaches you shoot today, and how many you have flown in the last 6 months. It's always whether you've flown at least 6 in the last 6.

Here's an example from my own recent experience. I flew 6 approaches with a CFII on 5/24/14 and so was IFR current until the end of last month. In June I logged one approach and then none at all up to October. In October I logged 4 approaches in actual, and then none until nearly the end of November. If I hadn't flown any approaches in November, then looking back over the last 6 months I would have had the 1 approach in June and the 4 in October. That's only 5, and I needed 6 to remain current. If I'd flown only 1 approach in November, then I'd be able to count 6 in the last 6 months up until the end of December, but logging 2 would keep me current through the end of April.

It's actually a little more complicated since I didn't do any holding on that 5/24 flight and the last holding I had done before that was on 12/28/13. So my currency was actually set to expire at the end of June regardless of the 6 approaches I flew in May. Fortunately the June approach included a hold, so I was still current all summer and through November. My October approaches did include holding, so extending my legal currency to the end of April depends only on flying >=2 approaches by end of November.

Does that make sense?

The question is always, how many approaches (including holding*) have you flown in the last 6 calendar months? If the answer is at least 6, then you're legal to file.

*and intercepting/tracking, yes I know. I never just go out and fly ASRs.

 

[stratobee]

Thanks for clarification.

Yes, I did 3 approaches today, all pretty much to minimums. Pretty tiring work. Asked for hold in lieu of procedure turn and to extend that for a full racetrack, but she was slammed and couldn't accommodate it. Try to squeeze one in next time. Did a Loc, ILS and a non-precision circling.

I'm still new to it and this is only the second time I've been in actual IMC by myself. Good experience, did a few mistakes, but nothing too bad. Was briefly below MDA on the Loc as I was looking for airports and had to correct after controller reminded me. Could see the ground, but was going in and out of clouds.

I have done other approaches in the last 6 months, but none as low as this. One was in gin clear skies and the other just had a little fuzz, so barely counts. I guess I owe 2-3 more ones and a hold to be legal. Thankfully I have until end of Jan.

 

[azure]

Thanks for clarification.

Yes, I did 3 approaches today, all pretty much to minimums. Pretty tiring work. Asked for hold in lieu of procedure turn and to extend that for a full racetrack, but she was slammed and couldn't accommodate it. Try to squeeze one in next time. Did a Loc, ILS and a non-precision circling.

Sounds like you had some good practice! BTW, one way to make sure you get in a hold-in-loo is to do the full approach from a direction from which it's required. There's also no need to extend the hold for it to count (I assume you meant go more than once around) -- but if you really want a hold, ask for the published miss. Of course if they're REALLY busy they might insist on vectoring you, or even not be able to accommodate you at all, in which case I'd do my practice approaches somewhere else.

I'm still new to it and this is only the second time I've been in actual IMC by myself. Good experience, did a few mistakes, but nothing too bad. Was briefly below MDA on the Loc as I was looking for airports and had to correct after controller reminded me. Could see the ground, but was going in and out of clouds.

If I can see the ground but have no forward visibility as I'm approaching the MAP, that's a miss in my book. I might see the airport as I pass over it, but that's too late to make a normal landing.

I have done other approaches in the last 6 months, but none as low as this. One was in gin clear skies and the other just had a little fuzz, so barely counts. I guess I owe 2-3 more ones and a hold to be legal. Thankfully I have until end of Jan.

What do you mean, "barely counts"? It either counts or it doesn't. If you were under the hood, it counts. If not and you didn't NEED to be on the gauges, it doesn't.

It's good, though, to have the extra time to do what you have to to stay current.

 

[poadeleted20]

Asked for hold in lieu of procedure turn and to extend that for a full racetrack, but she was slammed and couldn't accommodate it.

If you got the HPILPT but not an extra "full racetrack," I think you filled the 61.57(c) holding square. As the AIM says, "The holding pattern maneuver is completed when the aircraft is established on the inbound course after executing the appropriate entry."

 

[stratobee]

That's good to know Ron. I thought you had to complete a full track.

What do you mean, "barely counts"? It either counts or it doesn't. If you were under the hood, it counts. If not and you didn't NEED to be on the gauges, it doesn't.

Well, we've talked about this before on here. What constitutes an IFR approach for the purposes of currency is ambiguous and non-defined. It's basically up to your conscience. This particular approach I did was on an ILS and I did pass some fuzz, but it was scattered and I was out of it very quickly. Certainly above VFR minimas. Yes, for a brief moment I had to be on instruments, but for like 10-15 secs. As I said, ambiguous.

 

[poadeleted20]

Well, we've talked about this before on here. What constitutes an IFR approach for the purposes of currency is ambiguous and non-defined. It's basically up to your conscience. This particular approach I did was on an ILS and I did pass some fuzz, but it was scattered and I was out of it very quickly. Certainly above VFR minimas. Yes, for a brief moment I had to be on instruments, but for like 10-15 secs. As I said, ambiguous.

Agreed. The Chief Counsel was very clear on how far the approach must be flown (generally, all the way to MDA/DA), but mum (purposely, I think) on the issue of exactly how much had to be in actual/simulated instrument conditions.

 

[azure]

That's good to know Ron. I thought you had to complete a full track.

I think there is one CFII on this board who argues that unless you do a full track, it's not really holding. I don't know of any regulation or interpretation of same that supports that position. It seems to be mostly a case of "I don't think it's enough practice to count as holding practice, so I don't log it as holding, and therefore you shouldn't either."

Well, we've talked about this before on here. What constitutes an IFR approach for the purposes of currency is ambiguous and non-defined. It's basically up to your conscience. This particular approach I did was on an ILS and I did pass some fuzz, but it was scattered and I was out of it very quickly. Certainly above VFR minimas. Yes, for a brief moment I had to be on instruments, but for like 10-15 secs. As I said, ambiguous.

I did an ILS like that about a year ago at KCMH. I was back and forth with myself whether to log it or not. I think eventually I logged it but decided to make sure I didn't NEED that approach to count for currency.

Like Ron said, this one is up to your conscience.

 

[poadeleted20]

I think there is one CFII on this board who argues that unless you do a full track, it's not really holding. I don't know of any regulation or interpretation of same that supports that position. It seems to be mostly a case of "I don't think it's enough practice to count as holding practice, so I don't log it as holding, and therefore you shouldn't either."

I think that is accurate on all counts. And from what I can tell, checking to see if you did an additional lap beyond the entry maneuver with a view towards a 61.57(c) violation enforcement action isn't something which the FAA is doing, has ever done, or has any interest in doing. But if someone really has to know, the address is FAA AGC-200, 800 Independence Ave., Washington DC., although I hope nobody is that bothered by the issue.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Agreed. The Chief Counsel was very clear on how far the approach must be flown (generally, all the way to MDA/DA), but mum (purposely, I think) on the issue of exactly how much had to be in actual/simulated instrument conditions.

I agree. And not just the Chief Counsel. In 1997, when the FAA did a wholesale revision of Part 91, there was a discussion about a proposal to define an instrument approach as one that went down to minimums. Concerns were raised by various public commenters, some of which pointed out safety considerations and others logging issues.

The FAA left it alone.