IFR Currency, How to Count Months?

[201er]

"61.57© Instrument experience. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, a person may act as pilot in command under IFR or weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR only if:

(1) Use of an airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, or airship for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks and iterations in an airplane..."

 

"Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight," what the heck does that mean? Someone who fully understands the wording and rule, can you help me with some examples for being able to count out the months to test for currency?

 

For example, if 6 approaches (and everything else required) are completed on January 1st of 2013, what is the last day on which you can fly IFR? Can you confirm that if those approaches were logged on January 31st, the last day to fly IFR would be the same?

 

I can imagine the last day of currency being June 31st or July 31st depending on how you count (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June) or (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July). But also there is that gotcha phrase "6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight," that sounds like you in effect get a 7th month??? Please, someone who knows their stuff?

[Cruiser]

you are current for six months after the end of the month that you completed your last currency.

 

It doesn't matter which day of the month, you are current until the end of that month plus six more.

If you didn't complete all the requirements on the same date, you are current from the earliest date you use currency requirements. If you flew three approaches and all the holds and tracking on Jan. 26th. then waited a week and completed the addition 3 approaches on Feb. 3rd. you are good for six months after Jan. 31st. However, if you then fly another three approaches (and holds/tracking) say in May, your currency would extend one month. The 3 approaches in Feb plus the 3 in May would be good for six months after the end of Feb.

[Hank]

It's now mid-May. To file legally, your logged holds, approaches, etc., must be in the six months before May, which are April, March, February, January, December and November. If so, you're good until at least the 31st.

[PTK]

The way I see it Mike, is as Hank said, count backwards flights and months in the log book from the end of present month. Must be able to count at leat six approaches and holds before the six months count runs out.
If say a flight is on the first of this month the whole month would count. So conceivably you could view it as one extra month. But you could be current today but out of currency tomorrow if, hypothetically, flight was say the last day of the month.

[danb35]

Must be able to count at leat six approaches and holds before the six months count runs out.

To be clear: six approaches, at least one hold, and "intercepting/tracking courses".

[midlifeflyer]

 

For example, if 6 approaches (and everything else required) are completed on January 1st of 2013, what is the last day on which you can fly IFR? Can you confirm that if those approaches were logged on January 31st, the last day to fly IFR would be the same?

 

Think of the FAA's "calendar months" simple as "whole months." Forget about what day of the month it is; it's irrelevant. Change "f 6 approaches (and everything else required) are completed on January 1st of 2013" to "f 6 approaches (and everything else required) are completed in January of  2013"

 

 

I can imagine the last day of currency being June 31st or July 31st depending on how you count (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June) or (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July). But also there is that gotcha phrase "6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight,"

 

That so-called "gotcha" is telling you something very, very simple: count months backwards, not forwards.

 

"Today is in the month of May (not 'May 19th'). Six months before May is Apr, Mar, Feb, Jan, Dec, Nov. The approaches (and other requirements) I've flown from November on count toward my currency today."

[Cris]

Mike- IFR currency, like most forms of both aircraft and pilot currency (with the exception of landing currency) is counted in "calendar months" or, as I like to think of it, as "whole" months without regard to the day within the month. So, for example an approach that was done any time in Jan., 2013 counts until the very last day of July, 2013.

The second piece is that currency - all forms of currency - are "look backs." If you are going to fly IFR tomorrow, which is any day in May, you look back 6 months - to November - and see if you have at least 6 approaches (plus the required hold and nav tracking) logged between then and now.

Lastly, as Allsmiles and others said said, if you look at the currency reg, you could look at it as 7 months if you did the approach on Jan 1st as the last day of currency assuming an additional 5 approaches is midnight on July 30th.

[PTK]

To be clear: six approaches, at least one hold, and "intercepting/tracking courses".

To be clear: are you not "intercepting/tracking courses" by executing an approach and/or going missed to the holding fix and flying the hold? 

[Ron McBride]

Remember this is the Legal minimum requirements.  Are you safe with this much flying?    I am not current and if I was, it does not make me safe. Even after passing my check ride, I never felt comfortable with IFR,  the clouds don't bother me, it is all of the procedures.

 

Ron

[201er]

You have to stay equally instrument current whether you're gonna fly IFR on clear days, just some high clouds, or down to minimums. Proficiency is a separate thing all together. But sometimes instrument currency is required for certain operations or you just want the convenience of filing IFR in VMC for airspace.

[midlifeflyer]

To be clear: are you not "intercepting/tracking courses" by executing an approach and/or going missed to the holding fix and flying the hold? 

 

Most of the time, yes.

 

But consider a no-gyro approach - no interception or tracking involved. I think that's one of the reasons the FAA decided to specify it as a requirement.

[danb35]

To be clear: are you not "intercepting/tracking courses" by executing an approach and/or going missed to the holding fix and flying the hold? 

In addition to midlifeflyer's post, I'd add only that it's a separately-identified requirement in the FARs, and best practice would probably be to log it separately when applicable.  If the issue came up, I'd think that a logged ILS or GPS approach would probably satisfy the requirement, but having that fact logged would erase all doubt.  Zululog has a checkbox for this, which I think is convenient.

[jlunseth]

The point of making clear that holds and "intercepting and tracking courses" are necessary, is so that pilots know to put those in the log entry for the approach(es). Most any approach probably does include intercepting and tracking, but it is important to put that language "intercept and track course" in your log entry. Not likely you are ever going to be asked to prove currency, but if you need to, the language should be there.

[thinwing]

I believe the only approachs that do not involve intercepton and tracking is a military PAR approach...I make a point to do at least one approach a month ,winter months usually 3 a month in actual,this month 1 probable in actual to crescent city...than since the weather is so good I just do a ipc with my cfii...ps...last year I got a hold going into Cranbrook bc...I am navigating Gps direct and out of the blue the controller orders a hold on a vor radial....talk about dial twisting on the 530..ha ha....maybe my third hold in 30 years !!So thats why we practice them..