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 expanded the use of flight simulation devices (FFS, FTD, ATD) for instrument currency, simplifying requirements and removing the need for a CFII endorsement to log instrument currency time in these devices.
Changes to commercial pilot requirements allow complex aircraft training to be completed in turbine-powered or technically advanced airplanes (TAA), broadening options due to the aging complex aircraft fleet.
The rule revised instructor qualifications, generally authorizing CFII-only instructors to provide instrument training in aircraft, and expanded second-in-command (SIC) flight time logging for pilots in Part 135 professional development programs towards ATP requirements.
Minor adjustments were made to instrument proficiency check (IPC) language, and sport pilot training credit and instrument instruction capabilities were expanded.

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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.