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What to expect on a flight review

September 19, 2024/in Tips and technique/by Eric Radtke

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?

Video Tip: How to Communicate when Arriving at a Class D Airport

September 18, 2024/in Video Tips/by Eric Radtke

Flying to and from an airport in Class D airspace is one of the more common communication scenarios a pilot will encounter. While no two airports will function exactly the same, here are some key tips for confidence and success.

What to expect on a flight review

September 19, 2024/in Tips and technique/by Eric Radtke

Video Tip: How to Communicate when Arriving at a Class D Airport

September 18, 2024/in Video Tips/by Eric Radtke

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

What to expect on a flight review

September 19, 2024/in Tips and technique/by Eric Radtke

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:

Ground Instruction – A minimum of one hour (could be in-person, online or combination)
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 FARs (Federal Aviation Regulations), particularly those affecting pilot certification, 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

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.
Bring Documentation: Make sure to bring your pilot’s license, photo ID, medical certificate or basic med, and logbook to review your flying activity.
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.
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.
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!

Video Tip: How to Communicate when Arriving at a Class D Airport

September 18, 2024/in Video Tips/by Eric Radtke

From Sporty’s VFR Communications online course

Know the Airspace Dimensions: Class D airspace typically extends from the surface up to 2,500 feet above the airport elevation, but it can vary. Always check the specifics for the airport you’re operating near, as depicted on the sectional chart.
Communication is Key: You must establish two-way radio communication with the control tower before entering Class D airspace. This means you need to contact the tower on the appropriate frequency and receive clearance to enter.
Read Back Clearances: When you receive instructions or clearances from the tower, read them back to confirm you’ve understood them correctly. This helps prevent miscommunication.
Be Aware of Traffic: Class D airspace is often busy, especially around airports with a lot of flight activity. Keep a vigilant lookout for other aircraft and listen carefully to the control tower’s instructions and advisories.
Practice Good Radio Etiquette: Monitor the ATIS before contacting the tower. Use clear and concise language, avoid unnecessary transmissions, and be courteous. This helps maintain efficient and safe operations.

Prepare for your arrival at a Class D airport by listening to the automated weather once in range during a quiet en route portion of the flight. Take your time and listen to all of the details. When you are 20-25 miles from the airport, you should listen again to see if the message has changed. If you hear a new phonetic identifier for the ATIS, note any changes. With the weather information and identifier in hand, contact the tower at approximately 15 miles out. You may not enter the Class D airspace until you have established radio contact with the controller. This means the controller must acknowledge you with your call sign.

Your entry into the traffic pattern at a tower-controlled airport may be on any of the four legs. The tower controller will advise his instructions based upon the runway in use and the direction from which you are approaching. Listen carefully and follow the instructions. Unless it will interfere with current autopilot operations, set the heading bug or HSI to the assigned runway. This provides a memory and visual aid to ensure your arrival on the correct runway.

At some point, the tower controller will clear you to land. Unless you hear this clearance and confirm it with a read back, do not land.

After landing and reaching taxi speed, you should exit the runway promptly at the first available taxiway or on an ATC instructed taxiway. Do not exit the landing runway onto another runway unless authorized by ATC. Do not stop or reverse course on the runway without ATC approval. Taxi clear of the runway and bring your aircraft to a stop unless otherwise directed by ATC.

Change to the ground control frequency when advised by the tower or after clearing the runway. The tower may omit the ground control frequency if the controller believes you will know the frequency. At slower times, the tower controller may be fulfilling the function of ground control as well. He may have you stay on the tower frequency during taxi operations. Follow his instructions.

Obtain your taxi instructions from the ground controller. Read back the instructions and comply with any hold short requirements that you are assigned. Compare the instructions to your taxiway charts and signs that you see after you have completed your read back. When taxiing, you must receive a specific runway crossing clearance to cross or operate on any active, inactive, or closed runway along your route.

Once you are clear of the movement area, you are no longer under the control of ATC.

VFR Communications is broken down into eight subject areas and 22 individual video segments. The course contains over 60 minutes of engaging 3D animations, in-flight video, and real-world communication scenarios just like this.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

What to expect on a flight review

Video Tip: How to Communicate when Arriving at a Class D Airport

What to expect on a flight review

Video Tip: How to Communicate when Arriving at a Class D Airport

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

What to expect on a flight review

Purpose of the Flight Review

Components of the Flight Review

Ground Instruction

Flight Instruction

Tips for a Successful Flight Review

After the Flight Review

Video Tip: How to Communicate when Arriving at a Class D Airport

From Sporty’s VFR Communications online course

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