Safety Spotlight

Safety Hot Spot: Pilot Proficiency and the Flight Review

It's a beautiful Saturday morning, the airplane's practically begging to be flown, and you can hardly wait to get off the ground—at least until you remember that your flight review expired two weeks ago.

Oops! It's important to maintain currency, but it's more important to stay proficient. Check out this Safety Hot Spot for tips on keeping your skills sharp and making the flight review more than just a biennial exercise in box-checking.

Getting Started

Here's a review of what you need to know—and bring—before you go.

Pilot Proficiency and the Flight Review Safety Checkup
Kneeboard format (PDF file — 30KB) | HTML format

Great Learning Tools

Articles and other online resources from AOPA and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation to increase your knowledge about summer weather.

Publications

Safety Advisors:
- Pilot's Guide to the Flight Review (PDF file — 213KB)
- Operations at Nontowered Airports (PDF file — 1097KB)
- Operations at Towered Airports (PDF file — 696KB)
- Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings (PDF file — 251KB)
- Single-Pilot IFR (PDF file — 564KB)
- Do the Right Thing: Decision Making for Pilots (PDF file — 1097KB)
ASF Instructor Report Articles:
- The Joy of Flight Reviews: Helping Pilots to Keep Proficient
- ASF Hangar Talk: The Flight Review Exposed
AOPA's Pilots' Guide to Getting Back into Flying
AOPA Pilot and Flight Training articles:

Other Resources

Online Courses
Visit the ASF Online Safety Center and take one of their free online courses. Then see how to use your personalized course completion certificate to qualify for safety seminar credit in the FAA Wings Program.
- ASF Online Safety Center
- The FAA Wings Program—how to qualify for safety seminar credit