How Common Is It for CFI’s to Not Be IFR Proficient/Current?
Posted by FlyHighLilly@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 17 comments
And how do CFI’s become or stay IFR proficient?
spacecadet2399@reddit
At my flight school, we'd just go in the sim if we were in danger of losing currency. Sim approaches count the same as real ones, as long as the sim meets the requirements.
Or, occasionally we'd just get random opportunities to log approaches... I got current getting my MEI, for example, and then my flight school would do kind of a proficiency check every year with another instructor so we'd just take turns shooting a couple approaches on that flight too. Ferry flight, do an approach. First flight with a new instrument student, demo an approach. Etc.
But I think once I did have to go in the sim and do a couple approaches there. I never let my currency lapse.
standardtemp2383@reddit
i hop in the sim and do some approaches boom i'm current
Murlau@reddit
It depends entirely on what kind of instruction you do. CFIs who do mostly private and commercial probably won't get much IFR practice. CFIIs who regularly file get a ton. I was always instrument current just by filing with students.
mtconnol@reddit
I am proficient at being in the system, but I can’t log any approaches the students fly, nor even a demo approach unless it was in actual (in which case they should be flying it) or I wore the foggles, which I’m obviously not doing. I have to go up and maintain my own currency.
Murlau@reddit
Yep, you can indeed log the approaches in actual. I filed plenty on VMC days too, but I never logged those. Days with a smooth overcast layer are awesome for keeping yourself current.
__joel_t@reddit
I'd prefer to do my aerobatic training and spins in VMC, please!
/s
AlbiMappaMundi@reddit
If it's in actual and they're flying it, you log it, per Levy LOI (2008).
mtconnol@reddit
Hey, that's great news! Looks like I have some entries to update in the logbook...
PilotC150@reddit
You only logged the approaches the student was flying if you were in actual conditions, right?
Murlau@reddit
Correct.
RW-One@reddit
Agreed.
lnxguy@reddit
Back when I was a very busy instructor, I could barely stay instrument current, so every six months, a fellow CFII would fly with me and we gave each other an IPC. We were both proficient and didn't cut corners, so it was a legit refresher for both of us.
Longjumping_Proof_97@reddit
Very common
SMELLYJELLY72@reddit
i’m a single i, so its hard to stay proficient. if i knew i had to go fly in imc soon, id probably go find a cfii and knock a couple approaches in an airplane. but for legality purposes, i just do 6HITS in a sim, brush up on some ifr regs, and call it a day.
baritone_mike@reddit
If I have instrument students, we will fly approaches every flight. I can’t log all of them but simply teaching/monitoring the student flying the approach keeps me proficient.
If the weather is right I can log enough approaches to stay current. If the weather isn’t right or I don’t have instrument students I get in the sim and fly approaches to stay current/proficient.
I would be concerned if my CFI wasn’t putting in the minimal effort to stay instrument current unless the flight school exclusively flew VFR only aircraft.
bhalter80@reddit
I fly compassion/PALS flights outside of instructing so I'm up in the soup plenty. I also seem to keep getting instrument students
rFlyingTower@reddit
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And how do CFI’s become or stay IFR proficient?
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