Practical Logging

On the heels of the controversy about logging time in a simulator, the FAA has given us an InFO that unequivocally provides clear guidance about when we can log an approach. Thats guidance that weve been lacking, so were glad to see it.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has issued new guidance (InFO) clarifying that logging simulated instrument approaches requires flying to minimums, and actual IMC approaches require IMC to persist at least to the Final Approach Fix (FAF).
The article emphasizes the distinction between legal pilot currency (meeting FAA minimums) and actual proficiency, arguing that merely meeting minimums does not guarantee a pilot is truly proficient.
Pilots hold the ultimate responsibility for judging and maintaining their own true proficiency, prioritizing it over simply fulfilling technical legal currency requirements.

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On the heels of the controversy about logging time in a simulator, the FAA has given us an InFO that unequivocally provides clear guidance about when we can log an approach. That’s guidance that we’ve been lacking, so we’re glad to see it.

As I was putting this issue to bed, though, I had a conversation with Belvoir Aviation’s Editorial Director, Paul Bertorelli. If you’ve read anything from Belvoir in the last few decades, you’ll recognize Paul’s name (and most likely, his influence).