Smilin' Jack
Well Known Member
Instrument proficiency
While it is true that an instrument flight test can not be conducted in a GPS only aircraft. You can do all the flight test up to the ILS,VOR and NDB approaches then use another aircraft.
That being stated there is nothing in the regulations that prevent you from maintaining IFR proficiency.
Part 61 states
(1) Use of an airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, or airship for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks and iterations in an airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, or airship, as appropriate, for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained in actual weather conditions, or under simulated conditions using a view-limiting device that involves having performed the following?
(i) Six instrument approaches.
(ii) Holding procedures and tasks.
(iii) Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems.
Those 6 approaches can be any combination GPS approaches.the holding can be done at any intersection even a fix on a GPS approach it does not specify a published holding pattern it is not like the old days when you had to shoot different types of approaches and have 6 hours.
The interception and tracking a course also can be a GPS derived course. Such as taking off And the intercepting your course line enroute. Tracking a course line on an approach procedure. There is nothing that states this has to be an enroute course.
So IFR proficiency can be maintained.
It is also a divided FAA FSDO community about experimental aircraft using
non certified GPS receivers for LNAV approaches.
Receivers being used for GPS approaches could legally be either certified or non certified provided they demonstrate they can shoot the approach and verify it in their approved procedures and accepted by the local FSDO Atlanta stated they had to be certified.. Wichita stated either but had to be approved
in documentation. Even If you use a certified receiver you have to have it documented that you can shoot what ever approach you will do in your approved maneuvers to be able to use it in your experimental aircraft according to both FSDO offices.. They told me that you are basically doing all the test requirements that any manufacture has to do and we're very specific about the documentation. So I would check with your local FSDO to make sure you comply.
However they are very specific that you may not shoot an LPV approach with out a WAAS GPS receiver. What about RNP approaches? Now your going into an big mess as far as requirements.. We could not even get approval in our Challenger because it could not do the turning radius required on some RNP approaches in a catagory D aircraft even though it met the RNP .1 requirement for the equipment.
I personally believe the regulations will change in the future as more and more
VOR's and NDB's become decommissioned..
Smilin Jack
CFI-AI MEL
ATP
While it is true that an instrument flight test can not be conducted in a GPS only aircraft. You can do all the flight test up to the ILS,VOR and NDB approaches then use another aircraft.
That being stated there is nothing in the regulations that prevent you from maintaining IFR proficiency.
Part 61 states
(1) Use of an airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, or airship for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks and iterations in an airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, or airship, as appropriate, for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained in actual weather conditions, or under simulated conditions using a view-limiting device that involves having performed the following?
(i) Six instrument approaches.
(ii) Holding procedures and tasks.
(iii) Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems.
Those 6 approaches can be any combination GPS approaches.the holding can be done at any intersection even a fix on a GPS approach it does not specify a published holding pattern it is not like the old days when you had to shoot different types of approaches and have 6 hours.
The interception and tracking a course also can be a GPS derived course. Such as taking off And the intercepting your course line enroute. Tracking a course line on an approach procedure. There is nothing that states this has to be an enroute course.
So IFR proficiency can be maintained.
It is also a divided FAA FSDO community about experimental aircraft using
non certified GPS receivers for LNAV approaches.
Receivers being used for GPS approaches could legally be either certified or non certified provided they demonstrate they can shoot the approach and verify it in their approved procedures and accepted by the local FSDO Atlanta stated they had to be certified.. Wichita stated either but had to be approved
in documentation. Even If you use a certified receiver you have to have it documented that you can shoot what ever approach you will do in your approved maneuvers to be able to use it in your experimental aircraft according to both FSDO offices.. They told me that you are basically doing all the test requirements that any manufacture has to do and we're very specific about the documentation. So I would check with your local FSDO to make sure you comply.
However they are very specific that you may not shoot an LPV approach with out a WAAS GPS receiver. What about RNP approaches? Now your going into an big mess as far as requirements.. We could not even get approval in our Challenger because it could not do the turning radius required on some RNP approaches in a catagory D aircraft even though it met the RNP .1 requirement for the equipment.
I personally believe the regulations will change in the future as more and more
VOR's and NDB's become decommissioned..
Smilin Jack
CFI-AI MEL
ATP
