What to Expect on Your Flight Review (FAR 61.56)

A flight review under 14 CFR 61.56 must include at least one hour of ground training and one hour of flight training. Those are minimums — a CFI can require more based on how the session goes. The ground portion covers Part 91 regulations and any topics the CFI determines are necessary. The flight portion covers maneuvers and procedures the CFI selects.

There is no pass or fail. A flight review is not a checkride. The CFI either endorses your logbook or does not. If the CFI is not satisfied with your performance, they won't sign you off — but they'll typically continue training until you're ready rather than simply refusing. If your CFI endorses you, you're current for another 24 calendar months.

The ground portion is not a quiz on every regulation you've ever learned. Most CFIs focus on Part 91 rules relevant to the type of flying you do — VFR weather minimums, airspace requirements, pilot currency, aircraft airworthiness, and any areas where regulations have changed since your last review.

Practical CFIs also discuss decision-making: go/no-go thinking, fuel planning, weather evaluation. The intent of the ground portion is to confirm that you're current on the regulatory environment and making sound decisions — not to test obscure knowledge.

Common ground topics: VFR weather minimums by airspace class, currency requirements (61.57), required equipment and inspections (91.205, 91.409), right-of-way rules (91.113), and any recent changes to airspace in your area.

The flight portion is not a maneuver checklist. An experienced CFI is looking at the whole picture: how you organize the flight, how you manage the aircraft, how you communicate, and how you handle unexpected situations.

Common flight elements: a cross-country or local flight with traffic pattern work, slow flight and stalls, emergency procedures, and any maneuvers specific to your aircraft or the type of flying you do. If you fly IFR regularly, the CFI may include instrument work. If you fly to mountain airports, terrain and density altitude may come up.

What stands out positively: organized preflight, good situational awareness, clear communication, and the ability to recognize and correct errors. What stands out negatively: complacency, sloppy checklist use, and hesitation in the face of non-standard situations.

A flight review is an opportunity, not just a requirement. Pilots who approach it as a learning exercise get more out of it than pilots who treat it as a box to check.

Tell your CFI what type of flying you do and what you want to focus on. If you haven't flown in months, say so. If you've been doing mostly local pattern work and want to sharpen your cross-country skills, ask for that. A good CFI will tailor the session to where you actually are.

Review Part 91 and your aircraft POH before the ground session. Brush up on VFR weather minimums and airspace requirements. The ground portion goes faster and more productively when you've already refreshed the fundamentals.

Pilots who haven't flown in 6 months or more should expect a longer session — not because the CFI will be harder on them, but because building back the automaticity of flight takes time. Rusty pilots often have solid knowledge but degraded scan, delayed reactions, and rougher aircraft control.

Consider a few dual hours of currency flying before your formal flight review. The review will be more productive and the experience less stressful if you're not shaking off rust at the same time.