As the FAA kicks off a committee to study ways to refine launch and reentry regulations, two members of Congress are asking the agency to move even faster.
Nah, even the FAA recognized that this was an oversight; a situation that hadn’t been considered when writing the rule. They said as much in at least one response to a letter requesting clarification. This particular rule wasn’t written in blood. This one was written in “Whoops, I hadn’t considered that.”
It gets better: The flight review requirements are satisfied by the pilot obtaining a new rating. If our pilot completes his ballooning check ride, it resets the clock on his biennial flight review requirement. He is not required to get a separate flight review covering operation of the 747. That’s a bigger oversight, IMO, but a prudent pilot is going to get a review for their “highest” rating, and not exploit this technicality.
Correcting the original issue properly, any rated pilot should be considered a “student” when exercising any flight privileges in an aircraft for which they have never been rated. Every pilot is a “student” unless they have obtained every possible flight rating.
Nah, even the FAA recognized that this was an oversight; a situation that hadn’t been considered when writing the rule. They said as much in at least one response to a letter requesting clarification. This particular rule wasn’t written in blood. This one was written in “Whoops, I hadn’t considered that.”
It gets better: The flight review requirements are satisfied by the pilot obtaining a new rating. If our pilot completes his ballooning check ride, it resets the clock on his biennial flight review requirement. He is not required to get a separate flight review covering operation of the 747. That’s a bigger oversight, IMO, but a prudent pilot is going to get a review for their “highest” rating, and not exploit this technicality.
Correcting the original issue properly, any rated pilot should be considered a “student” when exercising any flight privileges in an aircraft for which they have never been rated. Every pilot is a “student” unless they have obtained every possible flight rating.