FAA Updates Flight Review Criteria

Before your next flight review or instrument proficiency check, you'll want to read over a new FAA Advisory Circular that contains guidance for instructors on special areas of emphasis for general aviation pilots.

The FAA is concerned that pilots' hand-flying skills might not always be up to acceptable standards and that many may suffer from an overreliance on automation and electronic systems.

"The FAA reminds CFIs conducting flight reviews and IPCs to ensure that a pilot under evaluation is proficient with the automated system and knows what to do if it fails," the AC says.

Loss of control and traffic pattern operations will be areas of special emphasis on flight reviews, with CFIs encouraged to ensure pilots can safely hand-fly in the most common phases of flight likely to lead to loss of control.

The FAA also recommends in the AC that pilots develop personal currency programs to ensure their skills don't erode between flight reviews.