Pilot Qualifications

Question 1

What are your privileges and limitations as an instrument-rated pilot?

Answer 1

• Privileges: Private pilot privileges with the ability to file and fly IFR
• Limitations: Private pilot limitations with IFR privileges

Question 2

When is an instrument rating required?

Answer 2

• When acting as PIC under IFR or in weather conditions less than prescribed for VFR. (§61.3)
• When carrying passengers for compensation or hire on cross-country flights in excess of 50 NM or at night. (§61.133)
• For flight in Class A airspace (§91.135)
• For Special VFR between sunset and sunrise

Question 3

What are the recency-of-experience requirements to be PIC of a flight under IFR?

Answer 3

• 6 instrument approaches.
• Holding procedures & tasks.
• Intercepting & Tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems.

Question 4

If a pilot allows his/her instrument currency to expire, what can be done to become current again?

Answer 4

• You have an additional 6 months to regain currency by performing the “6 HITS” with a safety pilot (under simulated conditions), an instructor or examiner.
• An Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) is required. Administered by a CFII, examiner, or other approved person. Guidelines are in the ACS

Question 5

What are the required qualifications for a person to act as a “safety pilot”?

Answer 5

• Holds at least a private pilot certificate with the appropriate category and class.
• Have adequate vision forward and to each side of the aircraft.
• Aircraft must have a dual control system.

Question 6

What conditions are necessary for a pilot to log instrument time?

Answer 6

A person may log instrument time only for that flight time when the person operates the aircraft solely by reference to instruments under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions.

Question 7

What conditions must exist in order to log “actual” instrument flight time?

Answer 7

Weather less than VFR minimums

Question 8

What aircraft instruments/equipment are required for IFR operations?

Answer 8

A - Altimeter
T - Tachometer for each engine.
O - Oil temperature indicator for each engine.
M - Manifold pressure gauge for each altitude engine.
A - Airspeed indicator.
T - Temperature gauge for each liquid-cooled engine.
O - Oil pressure gauge for each engine.
F - Fuel quantity gauge for each tank.
L - Landing gear position lights (if retractable gear).
A - Anti-collision lights (for aircraft certified after March 11, 1996).
M - Magnetic direction indicator (magnetic compass).
E - ELT, if required by §91.207.
S - Safety belt / shoulder harness.
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G - Generator / alternator.
R - Radios. Two-way radio communication & navigational equipment suitable for the route to be flown.
A - Altimeter (sensitive, adjustable for barometric pressure)
B - Ball (slip-skid indicator).
C - Clock. Shows hours, minutes and seconds with sweep-second pointer or digital representation. Installed as part of aircraft equipment.
A - Attitude indicator.
R - Rate-of-turn indicator.
D - Directional gyro (heading indicator)

Question 9

What are the required tests and inspections to be performed on an aircraft? Include inspections for IFR.

Answer 9

A - Airworthiness Directive (AD) required inspections. (§39)
V - VOR check every 30 days. (For IFR; §91.171)
I - Inspections: (§91.409)
A - Altimeter, automatic altitude reporting (used by transponder) & static system every 24 calendar months. (For IFR in controlled airspace; §91.411)
T - Transponder every 24 calendar months. (§91.413)
E - ELT (§91.207)
inspected every 12 calendar months.
Battery must be replaced after more than 1 hour of cumulative transmitter use or
if 50% of its useful life has expired (or, for rechargeable batteries, 50% of the useful life of charge has expired).
S - Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) required inspections.