Is an IPC a substitute for 6 approaches?

"Bill Zaleski" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:08:11 -0500, Ben Jackson wrote:

On 2006-08-30, Jim Macklin wrote:
61.57 says an IPC makes you current, it does not say an IPC
and 6 approaches.

You're wrong.

Jim is right. I spent a week at the FAA examiner certification school
at Oak City. All the teachers/FAA managers concurred that the initial
instrument checkride, as well as an IPC alone, resets the clock to
zero on instrument currency. FAR 61.57 (d) sets the requirements to
act as PIC if (c) is not met. It does not state that (c) must also be
met. (d) is the controlling paragraph for one out of currency, not
(c). Paragraph (c) is the recency of experience requirements to
operate IFR. Beyond 6 months, paragraph (d) now applies, as it
contains the verbiage of what is required after the first 6 month
period (6 more months to complete (c) OR IPC only beyond that).
Paragraph (c) becomes a moot point after the time that you are allowed
to comply with it passes. (d) takes over and stands alone. This is
how it was explained to me. It was also brought up, (without need, I
feel), that one can complete an IPC at any time, and not have to be
out of currency to do so. If one can assume that 6 approches are also
needed, then the verbiage of (d) could also be construed to mean that
you must be 6 months out of currency in order to do an IPC. (Silly)

There are questions in the instrument knowledge test question pool
whose correct answers support this. The faq's, that by letter of
memorandum were once stated as FAA policy, used to support this.
Advisory Circular 61-98A, although out of date, supports this. Sure
the FAR's are vague at times, but there have been plenty of references
to policy that make the case. If you just understand that one
paragraph is for maintaining currency, and the other to get back
current, if you are not, the regulation's intent is clear.


I concur. My reference is thirty years dealing with the local GADO &
FSDO.

Al G