228 field notes
Short answers to real pilot questions.
Plain-language guidance built on primary FAA sources, with the review date printed on every article.
Reviewed August 2026
How do I get back into flying after five years?
A practical sequence for separating legal status, passenger recency, aircraft readiness, and real proficiency.
Read article →Reviewed August 2026
Flight review vs. pilot currency: four questions, not one
Why flight review, passenger recency, instrument recent experience, and proficiency belong on separate lines.
Read article →Reviewed August 2026
Am I legal to carry passengers? Build the answer correctly
A disciplined way to check takeoff-and-landing recency without overlooking flight-review, medical, aircraft, or night conditions.
Read article →Reviewed August 2026
What happens when instrument currency lapses?
How to separate current, reestablishable, and IPC pathways using the full current text of 14 CFR 61.57.
Read article →Reviewed August 2026
How the new CFI recent-experience rules work in 2026
A plain-language map of 61.197 and 61.199 after removal of flight instructor certificate expiration dates.
Read article →Reviewed August 2026
What should I bring to a flight review?
A practical packet for status, aircraft, goals, and honest self-assessment before meeting the instructor.
Read article →Reviewed August 2026
Private pilot checkride documents checklist: how to verify it
Organize applicant, knowledge-test, logbook, aircraft, and IACRA evidence against the current rules and ACS.
Read article →Reviewed August 2026
How Part 61 pilots can obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate
The current FAA pathway for eligible Part 61 pilots, plus recurrent training and operating-system follow-through.
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