Your flight review’s the one thing standing between you and another two years of legal flying. It’s not technically a “checkout” or “test” – more like a proficiency check to make sure you haven’t developed terrible habits. But honestly? If you’re not prepared, it’ll feel like a checkride.
Quick Answer: Flight reviews (formerly called BFR – Biennial Flight Review) are required every 24 months to maintain pilot privileges. You need 1 hour ground instruction and 1 hour flight instruction minimum, covering Part 91 regulations and maneuvers from your certificate level. There’s no pass/fail, but instructors won’t endorse you if you’re unsafe. Most flight reviews take 2-3 hours total and cost $300-500. Currency requirements (takeoffs/landings) are separate – you need both flight review AND currency to be legal. Reviews are due by the end of the month two years from your last review or checkride.
Why Flight Reviews Exist
Look, the FAA knows pilots get lazy. You pass your checkride, then spend two years doing the same local flights, developing bad habits, forgetting regulations. The flight review’s supposed to catch that before you kill yourself.
It’s actually a decent system. Every two years, you sit down with an instructor who evaluates whether you’re still safe. They’ll call out the sloppy stuff you’ve been getting away with. That lazy traffic pattern altitude control? They’ll notice. Those sketchy crosswind landings? Yeah, they’re watching.
The regulation’s in FAR 61.56. It’s required for ALL pilots – private, commercial, ATP. Doesn’t matter how experienced you are. Even airline captains need flight reviews if they fly GA aircraft recreationally. Only active flight instructors and pilots who’ve taken a checkride within the past 24 months are exempt.
When It’s Due
Flight reviews are due every 24 calendar months. The clock starts from the END of the month your last flight review or checkride was completed. Get a flight review on June 5th, 2023? You’re good through June 30th, 2025. After that, you’re not legal to act as PIC.
Your last checkride counts as a flight review. Pass your instrument rating checkride? That resets your flight review clock for 24 months. Same with commercial, CFI, ATP checkrides. Any practical test with an examiner counts.
But here’s what DOESN’T count: recurrent training, safety seminars, online courses, simulator time (unless it’s part of a formal flight review with an instructor). Has to be actual flight instruction with an authorized instructor who endorses your logbook.
Ground Instruction Requirements
You need minimum 1 hour of ground instruction, but most take longer. Instructor will review Part 91 regulations and anything relevant to your flying. What they typically cover:
Airspace: Class B, C, D, E, G definitions, VFR weather minimums, ATC communication requirements. Most pilots are fuzzy on the exact numbers. Can you recite VFR weather minimums for Class E above 10,000 feet? If not, expect to review this.
Currency requirements: 90-day passenger currency (3 takeoffs and landings in 90 days), night currency (3 night landings to a full stop for carrying passengers at night), instrument currency if you’re rated. A lot of pilots miss the nuances.
Medical certificates: When yours expires, what class you need for your flying, BasicMed requirements if applicable. Third-class medical expires in 60 months if you’re under 40, 24 months if you’re over 40 (for private pilot privileges).
Required documents and inspections: ARROW (Airworthiness certificate, Registration, Radio station license for international, Operating limitations, Weight and balance). Plus inspections – annual, VOR (if IFR), altimeter/static system (if IFR), transponder, ELT.
Recent regulation changes: ADS-B, BasicMed, anything new since your last review. Regulations change constantly. Your instructor should update you on what’s changed.
Risk management: Personal minimums, IMSAFE checklist, ADM (aeronautical decision making). Basically are you making smart decisions or pushing limits foolishly.
Instructors will tailor ground instruction to your flying. VFR pilot who never flies cross-country? They’ll focus on local operations and airspace. IFR pilot doing long trips? They’ll focus on weather, alternates, instrument currency. The idea’s to make it relevant.
Flight Instruction Requirements
Minimum 1 hour of flight instruction, though most take 1.5-2 hours. You’ll fly maneuvers from the private pilot practical test standards – basically proving you still remember how to fly safely. Typical flight review includes:
Preflight planning and preparation: Weight and balance, performance calculations, weather briefing, risk assessment. Some instructors do this on the ground, others make you do it before you meet. Bring your flight planning work ready.
Takeoffs and landings: Normal, short-field, soft-field (if applicable), crosswind. They’re checking your technique – proper speeds, stable approaches, centerline control, smooth touchdowns. Bouncing landings or porpoising? They’ll make you practice till it’s smooth.
Slow flight: Both clean and landing configuration. Hold altitude within 100 feet, heading within 10 degrees, airspeed within 10 knots. Demonstrates you understand airplane behavior near stall.
Stalls: Power-off stalls (landing configuration) and power-on stalls (takeoff configuration). Recognize the stall, recover with minimal altitude loss. No secondary stalls, no spins. They want smooth, confident recovery technique.
Steep turns: 45-degree bank turns in both directions. Maintain altitude within 100 feet, airspeed within 10 knots, roll out on the entry heading within 10 degrees. Tests your coordination and planning.
Ground reference maneuvers: Depending on your skills and the plane’s performance – turns around a point, S-turns, rectangular course. Shows you can manage wind drift and maintain awareness of position.
Emergency procedures: Simulated engine failure, emergency landing approach. They’ll chop power somewhere and see how you handle it – pick a field, run checklists, set up an approach. Doesn’t have to be perfect, but shows good judgment and procedure.
Navigation: Pilotage, dead reckoning, or GPS navigation. Can you get from point A to point B without getting lost? Can you use your avionics effectively?
What If You’re Rusty?
Honestly? Most people are rusty. If you haven’t flown much in the past two years, schedule some practice flights before your flight review. Show up proficient and the review’s easy. Show up rusty and it becomes remedial training.
Do some pattern work beforehand – knock off the rust on landings. Practice slow flight and stalls with an instructor if you haven’t done them in years. Review airspace and regulations online or with a ground school refresher. The more prepared you are, the smoother it goes.
Good instructors will schedule an initial flight to assess your proficiency, then a second flight for the actual review once you’re ready. That way you’re not paying for multiple flights trying to get signoff. Be honest about your currency and skill level upfront.
What If You “Fail”?
There’s technically no pass or fail for a flight review. But if you’re unsafe, the instructor won’t endorse your logbook. You just schedule more training until you’re proficient, then complete the review.
This is actually better than a checkride. No examiner, no permanent failure on your record, no pink slip. Just keep practicing with an instructor till you’re good. Then they sign you off.
Most issues are simple: rusty landings, forgotten procedures, sloppy altitude control. An extra hour or two fixes it. Major safety issues (like dangerous stall recovery technique or complete loss of basic skills) require more remedial training, but that’s rare.
Finding an Instructor
Any CFI can do flight reviews. You don’t need to go back to your original instructor or flight school. Find someone who’s thorough but reasonable. Ask other pilots for recommendations.
Some instructors are sticklers who’ll make you repeat maneuvers endlessly till they’re perfect. Others are more relaxed, looking for safe-enough proficiency. Neither’s wrong – depends on your skill level and what you want. Rusty pilot benefits from the demanding instructor. Proficient pilot just needs the sign-off.
Do NOT shop for the easiest signoff. Flight reviews are for YOUR safety. An instructor who rubber-stamps reviews without actually evaluating you is doing you a disservice. Find someone who’ll honestly assess your flying and help you improve.
Cost
Typical flight review costs $300-500 total, depending on your area and airplane rental rates. That’s usually:
– 1-2 hours ground instruction ($50-80/hour)
– 1.5-2 hours flight instruction ($50-80/hour)
– Airplane rental (varies widely – $120-200/hour typically)
If you need extra training to get proficient, add more cost. But doing it right’s cheaper than having an accident because you’re not proficient.
Some flight schools offer flight review packages at a slight discount. AOPA offers a rusty pilot seminar (online ground school) that covers the knowledge portion, then you just need the flight portion with an instructor. Can save a little money.
Wings Program Alternative
The FAA Wings program is an alternative to traditional flight reviews. Complete a certain number of online courses plus flight training activities with a CFI, earn your Wings, and that counts as a flight review.
Wings emphasizes continuous learning rather than the boom-bust cycle of biennial reviews. You’re encouraged to do training activities throughout the two years. Each Wings level requires 3 knowledge courses and 3 flight activities. Complete Basic Wings and your flight review’s done.
Some pilots love Wings – keeps them engaged with ongoing training. Others find it complicated and prefer the simplicity of a traditional flight review. Either option’s valid. Check out FAASafety.gov if you’re interested in Wings.
Currency vs. Flight Review
Here’s where people get confused. Flight review and currency are separate requirements. You need BOTH to act as PIC carrying passengers.
Flight review: Every 24 months, covers regulations and maneuvers, 1+1 hour minimum instruction.
Currency: Three takeoffs and landings in the same category and class within 90 days to carry passengers. Night currency requires 3 full-stop landings at night in 90 days to carry passengers at night.
You can be current on flight review but not current for passengers. Or current for passengers but expired on flight review. Need both to be legal. If you’re expired on both, do the flight review first (which includes takeoffs and landings to get you current again).
IPCs for Instrument Pilots
If you’re instrument-rated, you also need instrument currency to fly IFR. That’s separate from flight reviews. Instrument currency requires 6 approaches, holding, and intercepting/tracking courses every 6 months.
If your instrument currency lapses more than 6 months, you need an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) with a CFII. IPCs are like flight reviews but for your instrument rating – ground instruction and flight instruction covering instrument procedures.
Some pilots combine their flight review with an IPC if both are due. Knocks out two requirements in one session. Check with your CFII – they can structure a combined review/IPC if you want.
Special Emphasis Areas
The FAA publishes “special emphasis areas” for flight reviews – topics they want instructors to focus on. Recent ones include:
– Runway incursions and surface operations
– ADS-B technology and traffic awareness
– Collision avoidance and right-of-way rules
– Low-altitude stalls and loss of control
– BasicMed and medical certification
– Cockpit distractions and divided attention
Your instructor should incorporate these into your review. They’re based on accident trends – areas where pilots keep screwing up. Worth paying attention to.
After Your Review
Instructor will endorse your logbook: “I certify that [your name], [certificate number], has satisfactorily completed a flight review of §61.56 on [date].” They’ll sign it, put their CFI number, and date it.
That logbook endorsement is your proof of currency for the next 24 months. Some people scan it or take a photo in case they lose their logbook. FAA doesn’t send you a new certificate or anything – it’s just the logbook entry.
Mark your calendar for when the next one’s due. Set a reminder 2-3 months before expiration so you can schedule it without rushing. Don’t let it expire and ground yourself.
Making It Worthwhile
Look, you’re spending the time and money anyway. Might as well make it useful. Think about what areas you’re weak in and ask the instructor to focus there. Uncomfortable with short-field landings? Practice them. Rusty on navigation? Do a cross-country.
Some pilots use flight reviews to try new things – fly to an unfamiliar airport, practice approaches they don’t normally do, learn new avionics. It’s a chance to expand your skills with an instructor watching. Take advantage.
Don’t view it as a hassle. It’s a chance to get better and stay safe. The pilots who treat flight reviews as annoying requirements? They’re usually the ones who need them most. Stay humble, keep learning, stay proficient. Flight reviews are part of that process.
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