If longer trips are what you crave, a faster airplane will open up a lot of options. Before you can jump in and go, however, there are some training requirements to meet. If your flight school offers a high-performance airplane—one with more than 200 horsepower, such as a Cirrus SR22—you’ll need a high-performance endorsement to act as pilot in command. If the airplane has retractable gear, flaps, and a controllable-pitch propeller, you will need a complex endorsement. Some airplanes qualify as both—think Beechcraft Bonanza or Cessna 210—so you could knock out the two endorsements at the same time by logging ground and dual flight instruction with a flight instructor, who will then endorse your logbook to certify you have received the appropriate training and are proficient to fly the airplane.
Checklist ...
- Some airplanes meet the definition of both complex and high performance (Beechcraft Bonanza, Cessna 210). But a fixed-gear Piper Cherokee Six or a Cirrus wouldn’t qualify as complex, even though they have flaps and controllable-pitch propellers. Some Mooney models have retractable gear, but may not qualify as high performance because their engines are 200 horsepower or fewer.
- FAR 61.31(e) covers complex aircraft; FAR 61.31(f) refers to high-performance aircraft. Neither regulation specifies a minimum amount of ground or flight time.
- The regulations allow for the requirements to be met in a flight simulator or flight training device that is representative of the aircraft, but flying the actual airplane with an instructor in the right seat is always a good idea.
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If longer trips are what you crave, a faster airplane will open up a lot of options. Before you can jump in and go, however, there are some training requirements to meet. If your flight school offers a high-performance airplane—one with more than 200 horsepower, such as a Cirrus SR22—you’ll need a high-performance endorsement to act as pilot in command. If the airplane has retractable gear, flaps, and a controllable-pitch propeller, you will need a complex endorsement. Some airplanes qualify as both—think Beechcraft Bonanza or Cessna 210—so you could knock out the two endorsements at the same time by logging ground and dual flight instruction with a flight instructor, who will then endorse your logbook to certify you have received the appropriate training and are proficient to fly the airplane.
Checklist ...
- Some airplanes meet the definition of both complex and high performance (Beechcraft Bonanza, Cessna 210). But a fixed-gear Piper Cherokee Six or a Cirrus wouldn’t qualify as complex, even though they have flaps and controllable-pitch propellers. Some Mooney models have retractable gear, but may not qualify as high performance because their engines are 200 horsepower or fewer.
- FAR 61.31(e) covers complex aircraft; FAR 61.31(f) refers to high-performance aircraft. Neither regulation specifies a minimum amount of ground or flight time.
- The regulations allow for the requirements to be met in a flight simulator or flight training device that is representative of the aircraft, but flying the actual airplane with an instructor in the right seat is always a good idea.
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