What to expect on a flight review

For every pilot, maintaining proficiency is not just about keeping your license current—it’s about ensuring the safety of yourself, your passengers, and the aircraft. One essential part of this process is the Flight Review required under FAR 61.56 which must be completed every 24 calendar months. While it’s not a test or a checkride, it’s an opportunity to sharpen your skills and stay up to date with regulations. So, what should a pilot expect during a flight review?

Purpose of the Flight Review

The flight review is intended to evaluate a pilot’s knowledge and proficiency to ensure that they can safely exercise the privileges of their certificate. It’s more about collaborative learning and less about a pass/fail examination. The goal is to identify areas that may need improvement and ensure that the pilot is confident in operating an aircraft within safe parameters.

The goal of the flight review is to identify areas that may need improvement.

Components of the Flight Review

A flight review has two main parts:

1. Ground Instruction – A minimum of one hour (could be in-person, online or combination)
2. Flight Instruction – A minimum of one hour

The review must be conducted by a CFI and should be tailored to the pilot’s individual needs and experience.

Ground Instruction

The ground portion usually involves a review of aeronautical knowledge and regulations. Topics typically covered include:

• Airspace: Familiarity with different types of airspace, including controlled, uncontrolled, and special use airspaces, along with recent changes in airspace classification or operation.
• Weather: How to interpret weather reports and forecasts, including TAFs (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts), METARs, and PIREPs. You’ll also review the effects of weather on flight and decision-making.
• Regulations: A review of any updates to the regulations, particularly those affecting pilot recency of experience, flight operations, and medical requirements.
• Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM): This involves evaluating a pilot’s approach to decision-making, risk management, and use of checklists in various scenarios.

Many pilots use this opportunity to ask questions or discuss areas where they may need clarification. The ground review is also a great time to go over recent changes in technology or procedures that may not have been covered in your original training.

Flight Instruction

The flight portion of the review will be tailored to the type of flying you do most frequently. If you mainly fly VFR, you’ll focus on maneuvers and procedures related to VFR flight. If you frequently fly IFR, expect some instrument work. Here’s what you can typically expect:

• Preflight Procedures: Your instructor may observe how you prepare for a flight (weather, performance, weight and balance) and verify that you are using proper procedures for ensuring aircraft airworthiness.
• Basic Maneuvers: You will likely perform a variety of standard flight maneuvers such as steep turns, stalls, slow flight, and pattern work. These exercises assess your fundamental skills and ensure that you maintain control of the aircraft in various scenarios.
• Emergency Procedures: Be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge of emergency protocols, such as handling engine failure, electrical failures, or other in-flight anomalies. The CFI may simulate emergencies to assess how you respond under pressure.
• Navigation and Communication: Pilots may be asked to perform basic navigation tasks, including GPS and autopilot management, as well as demonstrate proper radio communication, including towered and non-towered airport operations.

This flight portion is where your instructor evaluates your operational skills, ensuring you can handle the aircraft safely and respond correctly to any issues.

The flight portion is where your instructor evaluates your operational skills.

Tips for a Successful Flight Review

1. Prepare Ahead: Refresh your knowledge on key topics, especially those you may not encounter frequently. Study up on airspace, weather interpretation, and regulations before your review. Great resources to get started with are Sporty’s Flight Review, Sporty’s Instrument Proficiency Check and AOPA’s Rusty Pilots Course.
2. Bring Documentation: Make sure to bring your pilot’s license, photo ID, medical certificate or basic med, and logbook to review your flying activity.
3. Be Open to Feedback: The flight review is a learning experience, not a test. Take constructive criticism as an opportunity to grow as a pilot.
4. Tailor the Review: If you fly in specific environments—mountainous terrain, congested airspace, or IFR conditions—ask your instructor to focus on those areas. This ensures that the review is relevant to your flying habits.
5. Stay Current: Although the flight review is only required every two years, consider periodic training or checkouts with an instructor to keep your skills sharp, especially if you have long gaps between flights.

Refresh your knowledge on key topics, especially those you may not encounter frequently.

After the Flight Review

At the end of the review, the instructor will sign your logbook, signifying that you’ve completed the requirements for the flight review. Keep in mind that completing the review does not automatically renew your privileges for carrying passengers under night conditions—separate currency requirements apply.

The flight review is an invaluable opportunity to refresh your skills and ensure you’re flying safely. Approach it with the mindset of continuous improvement, and you’ll walk away a more confident and proficient pilot. Rather than seeing it as a hurdle, view it as a chance to engage with a CFI, address any gaps in your knowledge, and stay up-to-date with aviation best practices. Safe flying!

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Eric Radtke

It was his first airplane trip at age seven that made Eric decide to become a pilot. "While boarding the airplane, a flight attendant noticed my interest in the flight deck and urged me to go talk to the pilot. I give a lot of credit to that pilot for my career choice." He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to an airline career. He learned to fly at Sporty’s as part of the University of Cincinnati’s Professional Pilot Program, an initiative he later directed. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to an airline career. Eric now manages Sporty’s media network including FlightTrainingCentral.com. In addition, Eric serves as a Captain in a Cincinnati-based corporate flight department.

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