You can't fail a flight review but...

SixPapaCharlie

May the force be with you
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
16,414
Display Name

Display name:
Sixer
My understanding is you can't "fail" a flight review.
But what would happen if you had your BFR and the instructor deemed you unfit to fly?
 
You continue to receive flight or ground instruction until the instructor deems that you're safe to fly.

Another option might be to try and find another instructor that has different expectations, if you feel the previous one is being unrealistic.
 
My understanding is you can't "fail" a flight review.
But what would happen if you had your BFR and the instructor deemed you unfit to fly?
If at first you don’t succeed......
 
My understanding is you can't "fail" a flight review.
But what would happen if you had your BFR and the instructor deemed you unfit to fly?

CFIs do not deem pilots unfit to fly. We record the training in your logbook, advise the pilot of areas they need more instruction and/or endorse a flight review when the Pilot demonstrates safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate.

If for some reason a CFI believed there was a fitness of flight issue, ie substance abuse, cognitive issues, ect, the CFI should get the local FSDO involved.
 
Last edited:
@Clip4 has it. And many believe no mention of a flight review at all hits your logbook until completion. No writing “Began Flight Review:” and then the training given die to liability reasons.

You either get a proper entry with only training activities completed and no mention of the flight review, or training activities completed and a proper FR endorsement as required by the regs and examples in the Advisory Circular.

Various boneheaded instructors will write a novel in your logbook or “Failed flight review” or whatever.

Smart ones simply decline to endorse that it was completed and offer more training to meet standards. That’s it.

There’s no such thing as a fail. Only a lack of the endorsement. Legally we have to write what training we provided during the flight. That’s IT. If done right.
 
I recently saw a logbook with about 10 hours of “flight review continued....” before it was finally signed off.o_O

Of course, there was another 40 hours of hood time after that prior to an IPC sign off.:eek:
 
My understanding is you can't "fail" a flight review.
But what would happen if you had your BFR and the instructor deemed you unfit to fly?
Let me guess, now that you're instructing, you're trying to figure out what to do when you give a flight review and the guy scares you more than you scare yourself?
 
I've been asked to do flight reviews with people I would not encourage a consenting adult to fly with. Instructors who refuse to sign off on poor airmanship are doing their job.

Nothing quite like a flight review applicant unable to do a W&B or explain airspace tell you he knows all about TFRs because he was intercepted.
 
Last edited:
I like to use different Cfi’s, for my flight reviews . Gives me a better perspective of how I’m doing.
 
Let me guess, now that you're instructing, you're trying to figure out what to do when you give a flight review and the guy scares you more than you scare yourself?


Just wait'll I ask you to do my BFR.... :D
 
My understanding is you can't "fail" a flight review.
But what would happen if you had your BFR and the instructor deemed you unfit to fly?
Then you haven't had your BFR. There's a minimum instruction requirement, but you're not done until the instructor says you're done.
 
What do CFIs do with the basket cases that are a potential danger to themselves and others due to poor flight planning and safety knowledge and questionable procedural awareness? Do you politely decline, or take them on with the idea that it's better to personally oversee their corrective training instead of having someone else sign them off without addressing deficiencies? I've known a basket case or two that I won't fly with anymore. Too scary.
 
What do CFIs do with the basket cases that are a potential danger to themselves and others due to poor flight planning and safety knowledge and questionable procedural awareness? Do you politely decline, or take them on with the idea that it's better to personally oversee their corrective training instead of having someone else sign them off without addressing deficiencies? I've known a basket case or two that I won't fly with anymore. Too scary.

Some get highly involved and try to help for long periods of time. Some get involved and have “a talk” with them and stop training. Some won’t bother at all. It’s really up to the CFI.
 
What do CFIs do with the basket cases that are a potential danger to themselves and others due to poor flight planning and safety knowledge and questionable procedural awareness? Do you politely decline, or take them on with the idea that it's better to personally oversee their corrective training instead of having someone else sign them off without addressing deficiencies? I've known a basket case or two that I won't fly with anymore. Too scary.

All you have is your integrity and signature. You cannot stop anyone from going elsewhere. Many times you are glad they did. Personally I work with anyone to get the squared away, but most don’t want to be.
 
Last edited:
What do CFIs do with the basket cases that are a potential danger to themselves and others due to poor flight planning and safety knowledge and questionable procedural awareness? Do you politely decline, or take them on with the idea that it's better to personally oversee their corrective training instead of having someone else sign them off without addressing deficiencies? I've known a basket case or two that I won't fly with anymore. Too scary.
I've done both. My preference is remedial work, and I'd rather not ever tell someone they can't fly, but there are times when you get to a point where you tell them that you don't feel right accepting their money.
 
FAA makes it easy for GA pilots.

Many countries CAA require annual checkrides for private pilots.
 
What do CFIs do with the basket cases that are a potential danger to themselves and others due to poor flight planning and safety knowledge and questionable procedural awareness? Do you politely decline, or take them on with the idea that it's better to personally oversee their corrective training instead of having someone else sign them off without addressing deficiencies? I've known a basket case or two that I won't fly with anymore. Too scary.

I've had two of those. One took a fair amount of retraining after he'd had a 10 year layoff. But he got up to speed after about 5 flights and now flies often in his own Debonair. The other I eventually signed off after about 10 flights with the strong suggestion that he continue to practice landings on his own. I believe he has given up flying as I've not seen the plane fly since. That was about 2 years ago. He actually told me he thought his PP cert was a bit of a gift from the DPE. Although I didn't say it, I didn't disagree.
 
This would be a great place to quote the post I made about the Flight review I did in a single-yoke A36 Bonanza, but I can't find it.
 
Bring three along on one flight. LOL. That’s an experience.
I brought 2 along once. I was training for my Multi. We take off and there's a tremendous banging from the right side of the plane, they check to make sure there's no seatbelt outside nothing obvious, plane flies fine, I fly the pattern and land, taxi in and we all hop out and start checking stuff out, I finally ask one of them "hey, did you put your keys in the door after we landed", sigh, they're lucky they didn't end up in someone's yard, it was a Duchess so it had 2 doors. And that's the story of how I always do one final walk around after loading passengers(provided the aircraft has sufficient doors to do that.)
 
I’m waiting for @SixPapaCharlie to do it and send my logbook back. He does Flight Reviews by mail now. A new CFI service he offers. LOL. :)
But isn’t your logbook more than half your value? You should just have him mail you a sticker to put in it. :)
 
But isn’t your logbook more than half your value? You should just have him mail you a sticker to put in it. :)

The rest of me is unairworthy at the moment and there’s no approved repair that’s acceptable to the Administrator, so the logs aren’t useful. :)

Wife is considering selling me off for a newer model. Would you guys recommend Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for top dollar? LOL.
 
The rest of me is unairworthy at the moment and there’s no approved repair that’s acceptable to the Administrator, so the logs aren’t useful. :)

Wife is considering selling me off for a newer model. Would you guys recommend Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for top dollar? LOL.

Recycling center or EBay.
 
Recycling center or EBay.

They told her you have to pay to get rid of faulty electronics these days. No money in recycling old electronics anymore. :)

Ebay, one piece at a time. She’ll do better if she’ll part you out.

While you’re correct, I’m still using most of them and they’re wear-limited parts. LOL.

Also strangely, if you pull certain ones out, all the other parts go bad in a few hours. Quite unlike airplanes. Strange.

Makes the logistics difficult with flakey eBay buyers and shipping arrangements. There was this dude named Trebek who wanted a pancreas but he flakes out and says he’s getting better and blah blah blah. You know how eBay buyers are.

I guess she’s stuck with me. :)
 
Sp you have to video your flight, post it to YT, and then pay the man, Shirley? ;)

Are overhead breaks required?
As long as you break wind and takeoff into the ground, you’re good.

Or is that the other way around?o_O
 
Back
Top