Flight Review (BFR) and IPC: What to Expect

If you already hold a certificate, two things keep you legal and current: the flight review every 24 calendar months, and, if your instrument currency has lapsed, an instrument proficiency check (IPC). Neither is a test you pass or fail in the usual sense. Both are about flying with an instructor, knocking off the rust, and walking away sharper than when you arrived. Here is what each one involves and what to expect when you fly with us.

What the flight review actually is

The flight review used to be called the biennial flight review (BFR), and a lot of pilots still call it that. Under FAA Part 61, every certificated pilot needs one every 24 calendar months to keep acting as pilot in command. The rule itself is short:

• At least 1 hour of ground instruction. We review regulations, airspace, weather, and anything that has changed since you last flew, plus topics that fit the kind of flying you actually do.
• At least 1 hour of flight instruction. We go up and work through normal and emergency maneuvers, takeoffs and landings, and basic aircraft control.
• It ends in a logbook endorsement, not a grade. There is no pass or fail score. The instructor either endorses your logbook when you have demonstrated safe proficiency, or we keep flying until you are there.

That last point matters. A flight review is not a checkride. The instructor's job is to make sure you are safe and current, and to help you get there, not to catch you out. If a maneuver needs more polish, we simply spend a little more time on it.

What to expect on the day

A typical flight review with us runs something like this:

• Ground first. We sit down and talk through the rules and scenarios over coffee. Bring your logbook, your certificate, and your medical. Expect a relaxed conversation, not an interrogation.
• A preflight and briefing. We plan the flight together, look at the weather, and set expectations for what we will cover in the air.
• The flight. Steep turns, slow flight, stalls, ground reference work, a simulated engine failure, and several landings are common. We tailor it to your experience and your typical missions.
• A debrief. We talk about what went well and what to keep working on, and we make the endorsement when you are ready.

There is no fixed clock. The one hour each of ground and flight is a minimum, and most reviews stay close to it when a pilot is current and comfortable. If it has been a while, plan for a little more time, and that is completely normal.

The instrument proficiency check (IPC)

Instrument currency is separate from the flight review. To file and fly under IFR, you need to have logged specific approaches, holding, and intercepting and tracking courses within the preceding 6 calendar months. After that window closes, you have a further 6 calendar month grace period to regain currency on your own by practicing those required tasks. Once both of those windows have passed, you can no longer self-certify your way back to current. At that point you need an instrument proficiency check.

An IPC is a structured flight (and ground discussion) with an instructor that covers the tasks in the FAA's instrument standards: a selection of approaches, holding, partial-panel work, recovery from unusual attitudes, and instrument procedures from departure through arrival. Like the flight review, it ends in a logbook endorsement rather than a score, and it restores your ability to act as pilot in command under IFR.

We fly the IPC in our Piper Cherokee 180, which carries dual Garmin G5s, a GPS navigator, and an autopilot. That panel is well suited to working approaches, and flying glass during your IPC is good practice for the way most modern cockpits are equipped.

Rusty is fine, and welcome

A lot of pilots put off a flight review or an IPC because they feel out of practice. That is exactly the situation these flights are built for. We see pilots who have not flown in a year or two, pilots coming back after a long break, and pilots who simply want to sharpen up before a big trip. None of that is a problem.

• No judgment. Rust is normal. Getting current again is the whole point.
• At your pace. If you need an extra session to feel solid, we schedule it. Better to fly a little more now than to launch undercurrent.
• A clear plan. You will leave knowing what to practice and what to watch for next time.

Winston is a CFI, CFII, and MEI, so whether you need a flight review, an IPC, or both in the same stretch of flying, we can take care of it. All of this happens under FAA Part 61 out of Oconee County Airport (KCEU), about two miles from Clemson, which keeps scheduling simple and the drive short.

The bottom line

The flight review and the IPC are not hurdles, they are tune-ups. The flight review keeps every certificate holder current every 24 calendar months with an hour of ground, an hour of flight, and an endorsement. The IPC brings your instrument privileges back when currency has lapsed. Both are friendly to pilots who feel a little rusty, and both are about flying well, not chasing a grade.

If you are due for either one, this is part of what we do for already-certificated pilots on our Fly Better page, and we are happy to fly them with you in the Cherokee. Reach out and we will set up a time, and if you would like to get reacquainted with the airplane first, you can reserve a discovery flight and we will go from there.