New regulations regarding instrument approach currency

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RonCraighead
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:23 am
Location: San Diego, CA

New regulations regarding instrument approach currency

Post by RonCraighead »

Hi gang!

My flying club just posted this... It seems like the wave of common sense at the FAA continues!

In short, new final rulings. Pilots that use approved ATDs (sims) to fly their approaches no longer need to have an instructor present. And the time is increased to six months, if I haven't read this wrong. The rule for using a complex aircraft for commercial and CFI checkrides is gone (that was a couple months ago), so you can now fly your commercial ride in a 152 or SportCruiser!There are also rules about sport pilot instructors... But that doesn't matter here.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documen ... -and-other

That said... Do I think that an IFR pilot that spends a couple years just using a little Elite sim for currency is safe? Probably not. BUT, in conjunction with a decent X-Plane\PilotEdge setup the pilot would be a WHOLE lot better off... And it will cut the cost of currency a ton. In flying, every little bit helps. Annual flight reviews, ForeFlight subscriptions, medical exams, etc all add up to become aviation speed-bumps for many pilots.

All the better would be a certificated home simulator, based on X-Plane and using PilotEdge... I believe this one works. ( http://www.flythissim.com/products/fixe ... er-sd.html
) When I get back from deployment, I'm considering buying one and leasing it back to my flying club (I fly out of KSEE most of the time), with a PilotEdge subscription attached. I'm betting the thing will get non-stop use, until students figure out that they can build a good sim for their house. Imagine sitting in an office at KSEE, flying a certificated sim out of KSEE and talking to ATC just like a real flight... Then stepping out for your afternoon lesson and validating your skills in flight.

Anyway, these common sense rules are good news for aviation, for sure! Just thought I'd share.

Cheers,
Ron Craighead
VFR and IFR Pilot, High Performance and Complex Endorsement (AT-6 Texan), Tailwheel Endorsement (Cessna 170), Spin Endorsement (Great Lakes) and survived some acro!
FAA Advanced Ground Instructor, Instrument Ground Instructor.
Keith Smith
Posts: 9939
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: New regulations regarding instrument approach currency

Post by Keith Smith »

Yep, it's a big deal. Sim manufacturers should be tripping over themselves to get BATD's out the door. AFS-800 (the group within the FAA that approves certified sims) is going to be SWAMPED with requests.
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