Currency and Checkouts

Recently, I've talked to a few pilots who had a few questions about currency and checkout requirements.  Currency and checkouts come in a few different forms, and where each has its roots is often confusing.  Hopefully, this post will help to clear some of it up.

Currency

Currency is often required by a couple different entities.  The FAA, of course, is the most important one to satisfy, and the requirements are pretty basic.  First, you need a review every two years, which we all know and love as the biannual flight review, or BFR.  The secondary requirements are currency for passenger carriage and instrument flight.  Broken down by numbers, the FAA side looks like this:

Flying, in general: BFR within 24 months
Passenger carriage (day): 3 takeoffs and landings within 90 days
Passenger carriage (night): 3 TO/LND, full stop, at night, within 90 days
Instrument flight: 6 approaches within 6 months, to include tracking and holding
(or an Instrument Proficiency Check if not within 12 months)

Other requirements for currency come from other entities like flight schools, flight clubs, and insurance companies.  As an example, the flight school I rent from requires 3 takeoffs and landings within 60 days to remain current in their aircraft.  A lot of the pilots I know actually get confused by that.  This particular requirement was set by the flight school (and likely their insurer), not the FAA.  As far as the FAA is concerned, if you're flying VFR without passengers, you could go 729 days without flying and still legally fly for one more day.


Checkouts

In the realm of flying different aircraft, again, there is a difference between the requirements of different operators and the FAA.  As in the case of currency requirements, the FAA offers more room.  First, you have to be rated for the aircraft type.  Second, you have to be rated for the number of engines.  Third, you have to be endorsed for anything other than standard.  Broken down, the FAA side looks like this:

Type:  Airplane, seaplane, rotorcraft, and so on
Engines:  Single, or multi
Endorsements:  Tailwheel, high performance, complex, and so on

Other requirements come from other entities like flight schools, flight clubs and insurance companies.  As an example, the flight school I rent from requires a specific checkout by aircraft type.  In order to fly one of their aircraft, you need to fly with one of their CFIs.  After that point, you can fly any of that aircraft type provided you maintain the aforementioned 60 day currency.  Since I had my BFR in a C172, I can fly any of their C172s (though I did need to get checked out on the G1000 - again, flight school requirement, not FAA).  In order to fly any of the other aircraft, I'd have to fly with one of their CFIs.  As far as the FAA is concerned, however, as long as it's a single engine aircraft with tricycle landing gear and 200 horsepower or less, it's fair game.  Even though I've never flown one, if my friend had a Diamond 20 and was going to let me borrow it, I could do so without having anyone fly with me beforehand and still meet FAA requirements.

The only "checkouts" you need from the FAA are called endorsements, and I'm sure the puzzle pieces are falling into place now.

That's the long and short of it.  Hopefully that clears up some of the confusion.


Just to cover my own rear, here's a generic disclaimer:
The content provided here is informational only, and is not in any way, shape, or form legal guidance.  If any doubts exist, please contact your local FSDO, the administration, or an aviation lawyer.