Biennial Flight Check

Top reasons why pilots must take their biennial flight review

Being a certified pilot doesn’t mean that one already knows how to properly fly a plane for the rest of his/her life. After all, seasons change, skills deteriorate, and aeronautic innovation is constantly taking place every now and then. To maintain safe flights in all aircrafts under his/her command, a pilot must constantly hone his/her aviation skills. One way to do this is to take a biennial flight review.

 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States requires all pilots to take a flight review every twenty-four months—or two years—to be able to solely command an aircraft, thus this review is commonly referred to as biennial.

 

Before a flight review, the biennial flight review preparation process should determine the pilot’s familiarity both in the air and on land. In the actual assessment, the pilot up for review is tested for an hour of flight instruction and another hour for ground instruction. Both the pilot and the flight instructor should understand the details of the review—basic content and the areas included in the oral and flight operations—before the exercise commences.

 

During the biennial review, the instructor assesses the pilot’s flying skills to check if there are any areas of improvement that need to be addressed as it affects the overall safety of the flight.

After careful evaluation from the flight instructor, he/she will determine if the pilot is capable to handle the plane or not. If the pilot passes, the instructor will issue an endorsement to the FAA, certifying the pilot capable of flying an aircraft for the next two years until the next flight review. In case the instructor is dissatisfied with the pilot’s performance, the instructor will postpone the logbook endorsement until further assessment.

 

This endorsement by the flight instructor is the pilot’s ticket to solely command his aircraft. If the endorsement was not acquired nor current, the pilot may assume the second in command and as a backup pilot even if he/she is certified.

 

Another reason pilots should take a biennial review is so that they can be regularly updated on the current regulations as well as the operating practices and relearn and expand their flight skills. It is the sole responsibility of the pilot to carry passengers and other valuable items safe from takeoff to landing. This is the reason it is necessary to have them assessed and closely monitored by the FAA.

 

In short, the definition of biennial flight review means that the pilot should be able to complete a series of tests conducted by his/her flight instructor every two years. This is necessary for them to be granted an endorsement as the pilot in command of an airplane.

 

It is good to be reminded of the essential flight elements. This way, all pilots would be proficient in flying planes. For more flight refreshers and exciting flight experiences, read Gene Fish’s Ol’ Shakey: Memories of a Flight Engineer. Visit his website at www.olshakeyflightengineer.com. To get recent blog updates, like his page on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter and Goodreads.

 

References:

 

Landsberg, Bruce. 2006. “Pilot’s Guide to the Flight Review.” Air Safety Foundation. Accessed on May 2, 2018. https://download.aopa.org/epilot/2007/sa03.pdf.

 

Matt. December 8, 2016. “What to Expect on a Biennial Pilot Revalidation Flight.” Digital Pilot School. Accessed on May 2, 2018. http://digitalpilotschool.com/biennial-pilot-ravalidation-flight/.

 

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