Updated November 24, 2007

Keeping Current to Fly

"What do I do to keep my pilot's license up-to-date?"

    I appreciate all of you who have taken time to write. Recently I received an e-mail asking what a pilot has to do to keep his license from expiring. The following was my reply to him:

    In the United States, a pilot’s license is issued with no expiration date. Once a person is licensed, he remains so, unless his license is revoked for some serious violations, or he voluntarily surrenders his license. Both of these circumstances are very rare.

    Even though the pilot certificate never expires, there are three things the pilot must keep up-to-date, "current" to fly.

1. All pilots of powered aircraft, except when exercising Sport Pilot privileges, or flying motorized gliders, must have a current medical certificate issued by certain doctors which are certified as Airman Medical Examiners. For private pilots under age 40, a Third Class certificate is good for three years. After that it’s good for two years. Most commercial pilot activities require a second class medical issued during the past 12 calendar months, and Airline Transport Pilots need a first class medical issued during the past 6 months.

2. All pilots are required to complete a Biennial Flight Review every two years. This is a flight , and oral review, with a flight instructor to confirm that the pilot is safe to exercise the privileges of his certificate.  A flight check for a new license or rating gives you a new two years, and certain other check rides can also count as the Biennial Flight Review.

    Another way, and probably the best way, to meet this requirement is to participate in the FAA-sponsored "Wings Proficiency Program." This requires attending a safety seminar - usually 2 or 3 hours, and then obtaining 3 hours of addition flight instruction in the following several months.

    Some Internet courses, available through the AOPA Air Safety Foundation can be completed to meet the attendance requirement mentioned above.

3. To be legal to carry any passenger, a pilot must have made three landings in the preceding 90 days.
If the flight, carrying passengers, is to be at night, the pilots is required to have made at least three landings at night, to a full stop, during the preceding 90 days.

    If the flight involves a tail wheel airplane at least three landings must have been to a full stop in a tailwheel airplane in the preceding 90 days. A pilot who does not meet these requirements for landings can go fly solo to bring himself up-to-date before carrying passengers.

    Of course these are minimum legal requirements, and it is often wise to get some additional instruction if a pilot hasn’t flown for awhile, or if flying a different airplane, or under some unfamiliar circumstances.

E-mail me:
David H. Hersman