# SESTi^FUeK T S 1:-!^^: ^ U.S
. Departmen t

o f Transportation , Docke t Operation s ^ ^ rn'^^€ ^ Wes t Buildin g Groun dFloor , Roo mW12-14 0 > 5^ ^ 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , SE
. _^ , bg ^ Washington , D C 2059 0 ^ '^, ^ 1 8 Apri l 201 1 " ^
Dea r Sir/Madam : 

### Explanatio n an d Purpos e Tid e 1 4 o f

th e Cod e o f

Federa l Regulation s §61.5 6 describe s aflight revie w administere dt o eac hpilo t every twenty-fou r

calenda r months
. Th e revie w require s "th e pilo t t o demonstrat e th e saf

e exercis e o f

th e privilege s o f

th e pilo t certificate, " (th e "saf

e exercise " standard)
. Th e regulatio ngoe s o nt o describ e alternat e mean s o f compliance
. I writ e t o petitio nth e Federa l Aviatio nAdministratio nt o amen dth e wordin g o f 1 4 CF R61.5 6 t o clarif

y it s tex t i naccor dwit hit s intent
. Th e curren t wordin g o f

§61.56(d ) i s ambiguous , leadin g som e (mysel f included ) t o believ e tha t

aCF I Initia l Practica l Tes t i s sufficien t

t o mee t th e requirement s o f

aflight review
. Th e custo mwithi nth e agenc y ha s bee npreviousl y (althoug hdocumente donl y i nFAQs ) t o accep t aCF I Initia l Fligh t Tes t a s a nalternativ e mean s o f complianc e wit h§61.56
. Th e FA A Chie f Counsel' s offic e ha s interprete dotherwis e i nit s Lev y interpretatio ndate d0 7 Februar y 2008
. Change s suggeste dbelo w woul d alleviat e thi s ambiguity
. f 

### Propose d Languag e I propos e tha t

§61.56(d ) b e modifie da s follows : 

### (d ) Aperso n wh o has , withi n th e perio d specifie d i n paragrap h (c ) o f thi s section , passe d a pilo t proficienc ychec k conducte d b yan examiner , an approve d pilo t chec k airman , o r a U.S . Arme d Force , fo r a pilo t certificate , fligh t instructo r certificate , rating , o r operatin g privileg e nee d no t accomplis h th e fligh t revie wrequire d b ythi s section . Discussio n Th e first paragraph s o f

th e regulatio nestablis hth e purpos e o f th e flight

review : t o confir mtha t th e pilo t i s capabl e o f

safely exercisin g th e privilege s o f hi s o r he r flight certificat e a s describe di n§61.56(a)(2)
. Th e element s o f

aflight revie w ar e lef

t t o th e discretio no f

th e perso nadministerin g th e review
. Th e regulatio nfurthe r

recognize s a s alternat e mean s o f complianc e othe r

chec k ride s whos e standard s o f performanc e ar e significanfl y highe r tha nth e "saf

e exercise " standard
. On e exampl e i s th e Commercia l practica l test . I f th e ora l an dpractica l tes t fo r th e Commercia l Pilo t

Certificat e ar e sufficien t t o mee t th e requirement s fo r

a flight review , an dth e requirement s fo r aCF I ora l an dpractica l tes t specif y knowledg e an dproficienc y t o th e Commercia l standard , the ni t follow s tha t

aCF I ora l an dpractica l tes t woul dmee t

th e requiremen t

fo r aflight review
. Bes t i nFligh t Morristown , 9 Airport

Road , Morristown,N J 0796 0 (973 ) 683-900 2 ^^^^-^v-lK^s11ll^VL^.^)l l lu r lWantToFly@bestinflight.ne tHado w 1 8 Apri l 201 1

Th e preambl e t o th e CF I PT S (FAA-S-8081-6C ) say s withou t ambiguit y tha t

th e candidat e shal l demonstrat e "competenc y i nal l element s o f knowledg e and/o r

skil l unles s otherwis e noted. " Th e examine r i s furthe r require dt o chec k

th e candidate' s "abilit y t o perfor mth e procedure s an dmaneuver s include di nth e standard s t o th e COMMERCIA LPILO T skil l leve l whil e givin g effectiv e flight instruction. " I t appear s the ntha t

aCF I practica l tes t

exceed s th e requirement s fo r aflight review
. If , arguendo ^ th e agenc y take s th e positio ntha t asuccessfu l CF I Initia l Tes t describe db y CF I PT S (FAA-S

8081-6C ) i s insufficien t

t o demonstrat e tha t

a ninstructo r

candidat e i s abl e t o safel y exercis e th e privilege s o f hi s o r he r certificate , the nth e agenc y mus t als o believ e tha t

ther e ar e ne w flight

instructor s wh o ar e unqualifie dt o safely operat e withi nth e privilege s o f thei r pilo t certificates
. Thi s conclusio ni s eithe r illogical , o r point s t o seriou s inadequac y o f th e safety provide dth e publi c b y th e curren t instructo r

testin g regime
. 

### Benefit s t o Societ y Member s o f

th e publi c wh o desir e fligh t trainin g hav e areasonabl e expectatio ntha t thei r fligh t instructo r shal l b e abl e t o safely exercis e th e privilege s o f aCommercia l o r

AT Pcertificate
. Unde r th e curren t interpretation , aCF I pfarticjj l tes t HOP S pn t

dfmnnsi-fqr p hi s c\r he r abilit y t-ng?f<°1 y r.p^rof f g nairpf^f

^ yh p _ publi c ha s every reaso nt o expec t tha t ane w flight

instructo r

ha s demonstrate dhi s o r he r ability t o safely operat e a naircraf

t prio r t o bein g allowe dt o giv e instruction
. 

### Benefit s t o Fligh t Instructor s A Fligh t Revie w require s n o les s tha non e hou r o f flight instructio nan don e hou r o f groun dinstruction
. Fo r ane w flight

instructor , wh o a t

th e very beginnin g o f

hi s o r he r professiona l career , thi s i s asubstantia l cost . 

### Recordkeepin g Burde n Reduce d Recognizin g tha t

aCF I Initia l Tes t

meet s th e requirement s o f aFligh t Revie w reduce s recordkeepin g burden
. First , th e FA A wil l hav e apermanen t recor do f

th e flight

revie w i nth e for mo f

th e ne w instructo r

certificate , instea do f

th e logboo k

recor da s currenti y obtains
. Second , n o recor dkeepin g i s require dfo r th e separat e flight revie w i nth e pilot' s logbook
. Thi s proposa l require s n o additiona l recordkeepin g b y th e FAA
. 

### Regulator yburde n o n smal l businesses , smal l organizations , smal l governmenta l jurisdictions , an d India n tribe s Burde no nflight

instructor s an dfligh t

school s i s reduce db y th e reductio no f tw o trainin g event s —

Instructo r Practica l Tes t

an dFligh t

Revie w - int o one . 

### Qualit yo f th e natuj-a^l aji d socia l envlronrnent s ____________ _ Reducin g tw o trainin g event s int o on e reduce s th e amoun t o f fuel consume dan dnois e generated
. 

### Contac t I writ e yo u a s a nindividua l an doperato r o f afligh t school
. I ca nb e reache da t Rober t Hadow , Bes t

i nFlight , 9 Airpor t Road , Morristown , N J 07960 , (973 ) 683-9002 , lobcithff/'bcsrinnighr.nct
. Sincerely ,

Rober t Hado w

Bes t i nFligh t Morristown , 9 ,\irpor t

Road , Morristown , N

J 0796 0 (973 ) 683-900 2 -.vw w lH-iint1i^h

t lu t rWantToFly@bestinflight.net