The Aeroplane Flight Review

The basic idea of the Flight Review (FR) has not altered since it was introduced. That is for a flight instructor to check that in their assessment the candidate is safe and competent to exercise the privileges of the licence held. 

An FR is something that a pilot should look forward to. To be able to talk with an instructor and also to leave the FR with more knowledge than they had at the start. 

A pilot cannot fail a flight review. If the flight instructor is not happy with the standard shown, they inform the candidate that they should get some flight training to address the areas of concern. 

If flight training is involved then the FR should be done through an AOC holder. 

If no flight training is to be done an independent flight instructor, a G1 or approved G2, can do the review. An independent instructor can conduct FRs but needs to retain the record of the assessment for seven years. An FR is good for 24 months and runs to the end of the month that it expires in. 

Some flight schools will only do an FR in an aircraft that they have maintenance control over. A problem when an owner-pilot turns up. 

In days gone by the FR was signed off in the candidate’s logbook. But after an accident or incident CASA and ATSB often had no idea if the subject pilot was legal to fly at the time as the logbook was not always available. In Australia and the US, there are numerous cases where the pilot’s logbook cannot be found to check hours and the flight review. In more recent times the sign off for the flight review is made on a form that is sent to CASA to record. That allows CASA and ATSB to find out if the pilot was legal to fly on a certain date and secondly, to be able to find the instructor to ask questions regarding their review with the subject pilot. 

The flight review is also recorded on the pilot’s licence such that a CASA ramp check could show if the pilot held all the correct credentials. 

One thing that is disappointing is that this writer cannot recall CASA ever running flight review workshops for instructors. They would be good to advise changes and to ensure that all instructors are on the same page. 

For any instructor conducting an FR it is vital to make an ongoing record of the flight. That ensures that they have covered all needed items. CASA has a check sheet as appendix B to the Flight Review Civil Aviation Advisory Publication (CAAP) but an instructor could also make up a check sheet that better covers the review flight. 

Note that Part 61 and the Manual of Standards spell out the fine detail that is too much for this column. 

The regulations state that an FR should be at least an hour in the air and an hour on the ground. For active pilots that is possible, while not-so-active pilots may take longer. Some schools doing flight reviews will have the candidate do what amounts to a full licence test and take up to a whole day. Sometimes that long assessment is run by an instructor who is not licensed to do a flight test. 

“An FR is something that a pilot should look forward to. To be able to talk with an instructor and also to leave the FR with more knowledge than they had at the start”

That can be expensive and is what discourages pilots staying as pilots. A good instructor will know within 20 minutes how good the candidate is. 

The CAAP is outdated and as a result is incorrect in parts 

One problem that has surfaced in recent years is the lack of flight schools and therefore instructors who can do an FR. Inland flight schools have been costed and regulated out of existence and that means people who fly inland in Australia can find it difficult to find an FR instructor. 

Note that there have been subtle unheralded changes to the requirements over the years. The 61-9FR flight review form that an instructor needs was changed in June 2020. The 61-3DF design feature form was changed on 3 March 2020. 

The CASA CAAP 5.81-1(1) notes that a single seat aircraft can be used in the review. It also notes that an aircraft endorsement is good for an FR sign off. The CAAP again notes that the review should be carried out in the aircraft that the pilot made the most flights in the last 10 flights. 

There is one drawback. The current CAAP 5.81-1(1) is dated September 2010, which is long before Part 61 and the MOS came into being on 1 September 2014! 

Let us also not forget that an FR on a VH registered aircraft will also be valid for an RA aircraft pilot. 

The flight review should be an important part of a pilot’s flight experience considerations. Pick a suitable instructor and gain the most from the review. 

Instructor tip of the month 

Topping up oil without a funnel can be messy. Sometimes the oil filling neck is so deep in the engine bay that it is hard to get an oil bottle to it without spilling. Cut the bottom off an empty oil or drink bottle to make a funnel. Another way is to roll a sheet of A4 paper into a funnel. A simple in-field fix.