Pilot Proficiency

By Bill Hughes

Are you legal to make this flight? Have you had a biennial flight review (BFR) within the past 24 calendar months? Take the date today, subtract 2 years and back up to the first day of the month. Within that period you must have a BFR or a legal substitute.

If you have a BFR is it a legal BFR, meaning was it done correctly so that it counts? FAR Part 61.56 states that the flight must be a minimum of one hour long. Many pilots have their BFR entry put in a separate section of their logbook from their flight log section. If so, the BFR entry will likely have no flight time entered as an integral part of the entry. I have witnessed FAA Inspectors search the flight log section to confirm that the BFR flight did indeed last a minimum of one hour, and sometimes it didn’t.

Does the BFR entry show one hour of ground instruction also accomplished? If not, you have not met the requirements and are not legal to fly. If you are missing the ground instruction portion you can correct that be getting the instruction and getting it logged. The ground instruction need not be done by the same person doing the flight instruction. If you attend a safety seminar and a qualified instructor reviews Part 91 and balloon maneuvers and procedures during the seminar it would meet the requirements. But for it to count you need to get a signed entry from that person. Your seminar attendance certificate will not cover you.

There are a number of things that will substitute for a BFR and reset the clock for you. A practical test (flight check) in any aircraft is one. This could be your initial practical in a balloon or in any other aircraft. Pilot proficiency checks by Inspectors, Examiners, Check Airman, or by a US Armed Force will also substitute for a BFR. For example; a charter pilot who is also balloon rated takes a proficiency check in a multi-engine airplane – he is now legal for 24 calendar months in the balloon.

Completing a phase of the FAA Pilot Proficiency Award Program (aka Wing Program) starts the clock for you. If you look into this route you will discover that each phase requires two hours of instruction in addition to attendance at seminars and so most people opt for the one hour BFR. Some safety seminars have gotten Wings Program approval for their presentation, if you attend then all you need to add is the flight portion. A fine point here is that the Wings flight training is not a pass/fail situation, only a completion of the instruction. This brings up this scenario: what if the instructor who gives you a BFR does not believe that you performed satisfactorily? Can they write in your logbook that you failed? No - they can only refuse to write a positive entry.

A student pilot’s solo endorsement is an exemption from the BFR requirement. Understand that the exemption is only valid for the valid period of the solo endorsement, it doesn’t necessarily start the 24 month clock. This is where the instructor must exercise good judgment. When a student is safe to solo, make the entry very specific so that the student isn’t free to fly whenever and wherever he pleases. I always make the entry to specify that they may only solo when approved for each individual solo flight by me.

You have a current valid BFR. Now you need recent flight experience required by FAR Part 61.57 if you are going to fly with passengers. It makes no difference if they are paying or non-paying, relatives, or any other category, if you carry passengers you need the recent experience. Within the past 90 days you must have made 3 takeoffs and 3 landings in the same category and class. What category of aircraft do we fly? Lighter-than-air. What class aircraft do we fly? Free balloon. Accomplishment in the same type is not required.

If you will be carrying passengers at night the takeoffs and landings must be done at night. This “night” is one of three FAA definitions of night and is the period from one hour after sunset until one hour prior to sunrise when used for recent flight experience. This is how pilots do Dawn Patrols without becoming night qualified. Just make sure you takeoff within one hour of sunrise. If you ever decide to get “night” qualified the landings must be to a full stop.

The rest of your “legal to fly checklist” would include: Pilot’s certificate and a photo ID issued by a government agency, familiar with all available information concerning the flight, and you have no known medical deficiencies that would prevent you from acting as PIC. Have a great flight!