The Biennial Flight Review

The flight review has been an FAA requirement since 1974. The flight reviews main purpose is to help reduce accidents caused by pilot-error. The flight review is not intended to be a checkride or a test. The sole objective of a flight review is to determine if the pilot can safely handle an aircraft and does so with good judgment. The review is meant to be more of an instructional thing than a test.

A pilot must complete a flight review every 24 calendar months, which must consist of a minimum of 1 hour of ground training and 1 hour of flight training. The completion of a checkride with an FAA Inspector or FAA Designated Pilot Examiner for a new certificate or rating counts as a flight review. §61.56 lists the requirements of a flight review. A review of general operating rules outlined in part 91 is a required part of the flight review.

There are several ways to complete a flight review. Pilots should not look at a flight review as a painful experience, but should look forward to a flight review to enhance weak areas or learn something new. When a pilot is completing a flight review, they may also attempt to gain an additional endorsement at the same time. An example might be getting a high-performance endorsement or a complex aircraft endorsement at the same time.

A new endorsement or an instrument proficiency check does not by itself count as the flight review. The flight training must begin with the intention of being used toward a flight review. A new endorsement or instrument proficiency check may be done at the same time; however, additional items must be completed to count toward the flight review.

See the FAA Guidance for Conducting an Effective Flight Review.

What I can do for you

As an FAA certificated ground instructor, I am authorized to give ground training for a flight review. See my Ground Instructor Certification page for discussion. The ground element and flight element do not have to be done by the same instructor.

If you have been out of flying for a while, and anticipate having to relearn a lot of material, I will be glad to work with you to bring you back up to speed on various federal aviation regulations and aeronautical knowledge subjects.

For my endorsement on completing the required ground training toward a flight review, I may have you complete a Practice Exam appropriate to your certificate level and maybe an Air Safety Institute Interactive Safety Course ahead of time. The minimum 1 hour ground training may be a discussion of the results, and correcting to 100%. More items may be discussed if I feel they are an area of aeronautical weakness.

For our rates, see our Rates page for current pricing

Completion of a flight review: section 61.56(a) and (c).
I certify that (First name, MI, Last name), (pilot certificate), (certificate number), has satisfactorily completed a flight review of section 61.56(a) on (date).
 
/s/ [date] J. J. Jones 987654321CFI Exp. 12-31-05
 
NOTE: No logbook entry reflecting unsatisfactory performance on a flight review is required.