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Pilots have requested clarification and legal interpretations regarding what constitutes a “loggable” instrument approach.  

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 61 § 61.57(c) requires a pilot, rated to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR), to remain current in order to act as pilotin-command (PIC) of a flight conducted under IFR or flight conditions less than the minimums prescribed for visual flight rules (VFR).  Accordingly, § 61.57(c)(1)(i) specifies that an instrument-rated pilot must conduct and log a minimum of six IAPs every 6 months in order to maintain his or her IFR currency.  This requirement ensures instrument-rated pilots exercise IFR privileges to an acceptable level of proficiency and safety.   To meet this requirement, pilots must understand the conditions that permit logging an IAP.

Section 61.57(c)(1-5) permits a pilot to use one of four methods to conduct and then log IAPs:

1. Actual instrument flight conditions flown in an aircraft;
2. Simulated instrument flight conditions, using a view-limiting device, flown in an aircraft with a safety pilot;
3. Simulated instrument flight conditions conducted in any FAA approved:
• Flight Simulator/Full Flight Simulator (FFS),
• Flight Training Device (FTD),
• Aviation Training Device (ATD), or
4. A combination of methods 1 through 3 as prescribed by § 61.57(c)(4), or (5)

» InFO (Information for Operators) #15012

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta today announced the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

The task force will be composed of 25 to 30 diverse representatives from the UAS and manned aviation industries, the federal government, and other stakeholders.  The group will advise the Department on which aircraft should be exempt from registration due to a low safety risk, including toys and certain other small UAS.  The task force also will explore options for a streamlined system that would make registration less burdensome for commercial UAS operators.

The task force may make additional safety recommendations as it deems appropriate.  Secretary Foxx directed the group to deliver its report by November 20, 2015.

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Official airport, navigation and chart data for the FAA's 56-day cycle beginning 10/15/15 became current today as of 09:01Z.  This includes updated georeferenced data for airport diagrams and instrument approach procedures available in iFlightPlanner for iPad.

Anytime you access iFlightPlanner.com or mobile.iFlightPlanner.com you can be confident that you are seeing the most current and accurate data available.  To ensure that iFlightPlanner for iPad is current, simply tap "Check for Updates" in the upper-left corner of the Downloads tab.  The app will quickly tell you which packages need to be updated!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.

By Dan Namowitz, AOPA

The National Weather Service said the weather product, long familiar to pilots as a major component of preflight weather briefings, will be discontinued for the continental United States and Hawaii in the second half of 2016.  Area forecasts will continue to be issued for Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico.

The FAA, in a June 2014 Federal Register notice of a proposed transition to digital and graphical alternatives, explained that area forecasts “tend to produce a broad forecast of limited value. While the Area Forecast (FA) met aviation weather information needs for many years, today NWS provides equivalent information through a number of better alternatives.”

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iFlightPlanner for iPad users may now download airport and navigation data as well as aeronautical charts, georeferenced airport diagrams and terminal procedures for the FAA Data Cycle that goes into effect on October 15, 2015.  Simply tap the button in the upper-left corner of the Downloads tab to "Check For Updates".

Pilots using iFlightPlanner.com or mobile.iFlightPlanner.com from their smartphones will see the iFlightPlanner Cloud automatically make the transition to the new data at 9:01Z on October 15.

Andy Matthews is a competitive innovator who is not afraid of following his passion. He’s not afraid of heights either, and has the pilot’s license to prove it.  After spending nine years as a professional golfer, Andy co-founded iFlightPlanner, an Ann Arbor-based company that provides aviation weather and cloud-based flight planning resources for private and corporate pilots. He recently met with the University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship’s Eric Bacyinski to talk about how taking risks has taken him around the world, and why he turned his passion for aviation into a startup.

» Risk Without Fear: How U-M Alum Andy Matthews Jumped from Links to Aviation

Icom America recently introduced their new A220 VHF air band radio for the avionics market, featuring enhanced squelch control, a bright white display, and easy installation.

The IC-A220 builds upon the manufacturer's celebrated A210 panel mount transceiver.  Like its predecessor, the Mil-Spec A220 features easy "flip-flop" channel selection to switch between main and standby channels. It also retains the A210's intercom functions and GPS memory functionality (when connected to an external receiver).

The Icom IC-A220 features a large, bright organic light emitting diode (OLED) display with white key backlighting, and an auto-dimmer function adjusts the OLED's brightness for ideal daytime or nighttime operation. It also has one-action squelch operation and automatic/manual squelch control, and offers a D-SUB 25 connector in its back panel promotes a flexible and easy installation.

Innovative features found in this next generation air band panel mount transceiver are why more pilots trust Icom as the one you add before flight.  For a complete list of highlights and detailed features, visit Icom's online product page for the IC-A220 or download the complete product brochure.