FAA Filing Opens Up Operations for Logging Time

Some troublesome restrictions may be on the way out.

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Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The FAA has issued a final rule allowing pilots to credit more types of flight time toward civil regulatory requirements.
  • The new rule specifically permits flight training, testing, and checking in experimental, limited category, primary category, and experimental light-sport aircraft without requiring a letter of deviation authority.
  • It also enables pilots to log time from public aircraft operations and revises regulations related to logging recent flight experience and flight instructor privileges.
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The FAA on Wednesday announced a public filing in the Federal Register of a 118-page final rule that states it will open up several areas of operations enabling pilots to credit flight time toward civil regulatory requirements.

Notably, under the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, the final rule amends the operating regulations for “experimental aircraft to permit certain flight training, testing, and checking in these aircraft without a letter of deviation authority.”

Also, under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the “same relief will be extended to certain flight training, testing, and checking in limited category, primary category, and experimental light sport aircraft.” That ruling also revises certain amendments related to logging recent flight experience, flight instructor privileges, flight training in aircraft holding special airworthiness certificates, and the “related prohibitions on conducting these activities for compensation or hire.”

The new ruling also allows pilots conducting public aircraft operations to log that time toward their civil regulatory requirements, consistent with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

Effective dates for the changes are specified as 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.


Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

Mark Phelps

Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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