Finally: Revised REGs

Back in May 2016, the FAA issued a notice proposing changes to Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, commonly referred to by pilots as the FAR. They were generally favorable to pilots. Many had been discussed in the aviation press and by pilot groups earlier. In late June 2018, the FAA published the Final Rule incorporating the changes, some with modifications based upon comments received. Lets look at some of the changes, paying special attention to those relevant to instrument training and instrument currency.

Mark Kolber

Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Spike Aerospace

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's 2018 Final Rule significantly simplified instrument currency requirements by increasing the permitted use of flight simulation devices (FFS, FTD, ATD) and allowing pilots to log instrument currency time in these devices without a CFII endorsement.
The rule clarified that a CFII holding only an instrument rating can provide instrument training in an aircraft, provided they possess the corresponding commercial pilot certificate category and class ratings.
Commercial pilot training requirements were updated, allowing 10 hours of complex training to be satisfied using complex, turbine-powered, or Technically Advanced Airplanes (TAA).
For career pilots, the rule expanded options for logging Second-in-Command (SIC) time in approved Part 135 professional development programs, which can count towards ATP requirements.

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Back in May 2016, the FAA issued a notice proposing changes to Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, commonly referred to by pilots as the FAR. They were generally favorable to pilots. Many had been discussed in the aviation press and by pilot groups earlier. In late June 2018, the FAA published the “Final Rule” incorporating the changes, some with modifications based upon comments received. Let’s look at some of the changes, paying special attention to those relevant to instrument training and instrument currency.

Background and Dates

Modifying federal agency regulations is procedurally the same as making new ones. With a few exceptions, the agency must publish notice of the proposed changes and permit public comment before making them final. The comment period for this rule change ended in August 2016. The two-year delay in Final Rule publication was at least partly due to the current Administration’s federal regulation reduction policies. For those interested, the Final Rule includes a discussion of these policies.