First BFR...what should I expect?

It's almost time for my first ever BFR, what should I expect?

"GE" wrote in message
...
It's almost time for my first ever BFR, what should I expect?

http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/sa03.pdf

It's almost time for my first ever BFR, what should I expect?

That depends on four things:

1. How much you fly.
2. How much your CFI *sees* you fly.
3. Your relationship to your CFI.
4. How far behind in his car payments your CFI is.

I've had BFRs that amounted to a trip around the patch followed by a
trip to the local pub. (This with a good friend CFI, who knew that I
flew every few days.)

I've also had the "pull you through a keyhole" BFR that takes a couple
of hours, and involves ground school as well as flying. (This with a
total stranger CFI, in a new city and state, right after we moved to
Iowa.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I talk to the pilot and try and find out what kind of flying he does
and what his experience is. This is fairly typical: We review airspace,
and have him get a weather briefing (and have him look at the weather
computer and find out where the IFR is). Then we go fly, go up and do
stalls and landings, get an in flight weather briefing and give a Pirep
to FSS. Go land at a towered airport then fly back to the base. If he
hasn't done much cross country I have him use the naviads in the plane
to navigate and proove he knows how to use them. If I can I try and get
some crosswind landing experience.

It usually takes 2 hours. One on the ground and one in the air.

Check out the FAA Learning Center at www.faasafety.gov.
They've recently added an online course for the Flight Review. They've
advertised it as a course a pilot can take that will qualify for partial
credit towards the BFR. Take the test results to your CFI. This should
link you to the course registration site:
http://www.faasafety.gov/ALC/course_...er.aspx?cId=25
Jim

"GE" wrote in message
...
It's almost time for my first ever BFR, what should I expect?

Had one where I thought I was excellent at everything and still the CFI
took me for a ride that lasted almost three hours. Had one where I
thought I wasn't very smooth at anything, but the CFI must have wanted
to go somewhere real bad because it was only a little over half an hour
long.

The Monk

To get your money's worth, make a list of items you haven't practiced
lately. CFI's I've used have generally asked for input as to what I
think we should cover.

Go get your FAA "Wings" profiecency certificate - it counts as a BFR and may
get you some reduction in your insurance costs.

Don

"GE" wrote in message
...
It's almost time for my first ever BFR, what should I expect?

Jay and Paul, and others...

You have admitted on line to violating 61.56, which MANDATES a minimum of
one hour of ground and one hour of flight. You can either hope no FSDO
inspector is reading this newsgroup OR start practicing your "I was just
kidding" story.

I'm not sure that a newsgroup message would hold up in an investigation, but
I'd probably be a bit more circumspect in the future.

Jim



"GE" wrote in message
...
It's almost time for my first ever BFR, what should I expect?

You have admitted on line to violating 61.56, which MANDATES a minimum of
one hour of ground and one hour of flight. You can either hope no FSDO
inspector is reading this newsgroup OR start practicing your "I was just
kidding" story.

I'm not sure that a newsgroup message would hold up in an investigation,
but I'd probably be a bit more circumspect in the future.

Well, my "abbreviated BFR" occurred five BFRs ago, so I suspect the statute
of limitations may come into effect here somewhere?

And, of course, I flew with that good ol' CFI buddy of mine better than
weekly, back then, just going places and doing things. He knew my flying
skills (or lack thereof) better than anyone, and didn't need any "2 hours of
this & that on a certain date" to figure it out. Heck, he could even say
that my BFR was "26 hours long, conducted over the previous 180 days".

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"