First BFR

[traumachicken]

On tuesday, I have to conduct my first BFR, and I guess I am looking for some tips, or past expereinces on how these went. I know I have to give a min, of 1 hour of ground, and 1 hour of flight, but what do I cover in that 1 hour of ground. He is commercially rated. I dont think it would be appropriate to pull out the commercial oral guide and start asking him questions for an hour.

 

[Blackhawk]

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/media/flight_review.pdf

1. Have them do the FAA Flight Review course at faasafety.gov. This course can replace the entire ground, but I usually also cover a few additional areas, such as recent accidents in the area and in the type of airplane you are flying. I also have the pilot look at the courses at the AOPA Air Safety site and do one of them. For example, when I taught in El Paso, if the person was new to flying there I would have them do the mountain flying course.
2. Find out the type of flying the pilot normally does. What are his strengths and weaknesses? Does this person normally fly IFR or VFR? How much are they flying? When was the last flight? What type of airplane do they normally fly verses what are you flying for the flight review?
3. Based upon your interview with them come up with a course of action that includes a cross country flight and a weight and balance problem. Let them use any means for planning the flight (I encourage electronic means), as well as weather. I do not necessarily fly the route unless they want to. It is more a means of checking their planning process and risk analysis. For example, I will often give a pilot a scenario where we depart for a high elevation airport in the morning and return in the afternoon. The idea is to see if they plan on the performance for departure based upon morning conditions or afternoon conditions. If the pilot is instrument rated I will give them a scenario where, if we depart in the afternoon at max GW we can not meet the climb gradient specified in the ODP.
4. Again, select maneuvers based upon your discussion with the pilot. Commercial pilot? When was the last time they did a chandelle? Steep turn? Spot 180 landing? No recent instrument flying, maybe an approach?
5. Try to make it fun.
6. Encourage them to use the FAA Wings program.
Remember, one of the leading reasons for the high GA accident rate is the lack of recurrent training. Flying Magazine recently had a very good article on how drsmitally the MU-2 accident rate has dropped since the FAA mandated annual recurrent training. I encourage all pilot I encounter to have recurrent annual training verses training every 24 months and to avail themselves of the courses available through the Wings program.

 

[moxiepilot]

Definitely talk with them to find out what kind of flying they do and tailor the BFR to the most common type of flying. Try to identify weakness and help educate them in that area. Remember it is not a check ride, check ride prep, a 141 training program or the like. It is for you to determine if they need additional training to be safe. Otherwise (and always), it should be a fun learning experience.

 

[traumachicken]

thanks guys, I really do appreciate it.

 

[USMCmech]

First call and ask them about their typical flying. What they fly, where they useually go, who flys with them?

I generally have them plan a flight to a nearby airport that has a diner. We fly there and I observe. If they are instrument rated I'll have them do a no failure approach. Over a hamburger we talk about flying for an hour. I try to steer the conversation to cover any of their weak areas. On the way back we do some manuvers and landings that I think will help them.

Sign their logbook, and you're done.

 

[tlewis95]

+1 on tailoring it to them. I have only done about a dozen FR's but they were all quite different from each other. Focus on areas that they feel that they are weak on, and ask them if there is anything in particular that they want to go over. We also talk about anything new that may have come up in the regs or the local area since their last FR. A lot of the time I am doing the flights with then in airplanes that they own and with that I always make sure that they bring the logbook in so that they can prove that it is legal to fly.

I also ask for a W+B and if it is an airplane with performance charts, have them calculate a takeoff/climb performance problem for some hot and high airport out west.

For the flying, I usually just have them take me to a nearby towered airport (if the airplane has a radio) for some landings (instructing from a grassroots airport, a lot of people are timid about towered stuff and appreciate the review). Generally review the basic slowflight/stalls/steep turns with an engine failure between the airports, and if the airplane has gyros, some hood work and unusual attitude recoveries. For current instrument pilots, I will usually throw a hold and a partial panel VOR approach on the way back into the home airport as well. I also try to taylor the flight to try to cover things that they aren't comfortable with or havent practiced in a while. For a lot of people that is things like crosswind or grass landings, emergencies, spins, flying from whatever seat they usually don't fly in.