Instrument Rating Checkride Equals Instrument Currency?

[juxtapilot]

"2. Absence of an installed clock."

Not out of 91.205, but good enough. Come to NJC and you get beer.

Now, because of this accident case we now know that the FAA expects the clock to be installed. PRIOR to that case, there was no such language in FAR 91.205 that used the word "installed." However, part 23 does go into some detail, although it may be quite vague as well, that the clock must be within the pilot's field of view...

So what we know is that the FAA expects us to have a clock installed (certified?) in the aircraft. The only place that I've found it specifies that the equipment must be installed is in the accident case. 91.205 does not say installed and in implying that it does is simply a means of portraying our opinion of what the reg means... It says "aircraft contains" which has a very different meaning than the word "installed." It's up to the pilot to know the regs and know where to look if there is something they don't understand. So we've seen the accident case where they say the pilot needed the clock installed. Prior to that, there was never a place where it was clear the clock needed to be installed in the aircraft.

See what I'm saying? I accept that the FAA requires a clock in the aircraft. However in the past it was a little more of a gray area of what was really required. There are lots of gray areas in the regs, some more gray than others. "That's what I think the reg means" isn't an answer I'd accept from a student. As a CFI I think I've asked myself "why" a million times making even the most obvious answer compicated. :dunno:

Like you said earlier, we can't just stop at the regs.. We need to read interpretations and legal cases etc. to get a real grasp on what they mean.

 

[inigo88]

Type Certificate Data Sheet. Most of the time the required equipment will be something like "CHT Probe must be installed on #5 Cylinder" or for all newer airplanes it will say that they must have a Serialized AFM on board.

Our flying club had two Cessna 152's, one was certified in late 1977 and the other in late 1978, one required a serialized AFM and the other didn't... got to explain that to a DPE once

I know I should have just googled that, but thanks for taking the time to re-explain it.

 

[moxiepilot]

Thanks Blackhawk.

The law doesn't say the clock has to be attached to the plane, so I don't see the problem with a wristwatch. However, it's a bit of a stretch to say that the passenger had a clock, so you're legal.

When you fly with Flava Flav, you know youve got a watch to use

 

[djackd]

I would have gone along with that logic until I came across the following from the FAA while doing some reading about Ground Instructors. Apparently the FAA ruled that being issued a Ground Instructor certificate does not meet recency requirements for teaching and one still needs to be signed off.

FAA Letter to Timothy Metzinger 18 May 2009

When I got my ground Certificate the inspector said I could teach immediately.