The FAA has published a final rule that will increase the allowed use of aviation training devices for flight training and proficiency maintenance. The changes are estimated to save pilots and operators up to $113.5 million over a five-year period. The rulemaking “relieves burdens on pilots seeking to obtain aeronautical experience, training, and certification.” The rule makes changes to other training areas as well including opportunities for military instructor pilots or pilot examiners to obtain civilian ratings based on military experience and expanded opportunities for logging pilot time.
A rule change affecting aviation training devices (ATD) removes the requirement to have an instructor present “when accomplishing flight experience requirements for instrument recency in an FAA-approved full-flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device.” The provision also reduces the frequency of instrument recency accomplished exclusively in ATDs from every two months to every six months, reduces the number of tasks, and removes the three-hour flight time requirement.
An additional rule change allows a pilot to log second-in-command (SIC) flight time in a multiengine airplane in a Part 135 operation that does not require an SIC. The option to utilize a single-engine turbine-powered airplane in an approved SIC pilot development program (PDP) is now added and the PIC is no longer required to be a Part 135 flight instructor. Crew pairing requirements to ensure the PIC is qualified and has undergone mentoring training have been added to the rule. Pilots can log SIC time obtained in Part 91 operations conducted in accordance with the certificate holder’s OpSpec. Pilots can also credit SIC time logged under a SIC PDP toward flight time requirements for ATP certification. Any combination of aircraft and FSTD is now allowed to satisfy the SIC instrument recency requirements and an option is included for Part 135 SICs to reestablish instrument recency.
For the single-engine commercial pilot certificate, a technically advanced airplane can now be used to meet some or all of the required 10 hours of training that must be completed in a complex or turbine-powered airplane. The requirement for instrument-only instructors to have category and class ratings on their flight instructor certificates to provide instrument training has been removed. New provisions for sport pilots have been added including allowing a portion of sport pilot training to be credited for certain aeronautical experience requirements for a higher certificate or rating.
A further rule change allows the addition of a flight instructor rating based on military competency to “simultaneously qualify” for the reinstatement of an expired FAA flight instructor certificate. An additional change allows pilots to “operate certain large and turbojet-powered airplanes (specifically former military and some airplanes not type certificated in the standard category) without a pilot who is designated as SIC.
Additional information about the changes and expected financial savings can be found in the FAA NPRM published on June 27. The rule significantly impacts Part 61 and the majority of changes will be effective July 27 with all changes implemented by December 24 of this year.
