A couple of questions about IPC

I've only done one approach in the last 6 months. I've let my currency
lapse, so as I read the regs I now have to do an IPC, right? What does an
IPC consist of? Just 6 approaches and a hold, or is there more to it?
Can it be fewer than 6 approaches?

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"You're one of those condescending Unix computer users!"
"Here's a nickel, kid. Get yourself a better computer" - Dilbert.

Paul Tomblin wrote:
I've only done one approach in the last 6 months. I've let my currency
lapse, so as I read the regs I now have to do an IPC, right? What does an
IPC consist of? Just 6 approaches and a hold, or is there more to it?
Can it be fewer than 6 approaches?

[from memory] don't you have another 6 months after your currency lapses in
which you can regain your currency by flying with a safety pilot? ...not that an
IPC is a bad idea.

Dave

You have 6 months after your currency lapses to become current, without
having to do an IPC... You are not legal to fly IFR, but you may take
a safety pilot up with you and become current again. If you miss the 6
month window to become current, you will have to perform an IPC.

I'm sure if I stated that incorrectly or unclearly, someone will jump
in to correct me... ;-)

Best Regards,
Todd

"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
You have 6 months after your currency lapses to become current, without
having to do an IPC... You are not legal to fly IFR, but you may take
a safety pilot up with you and become current again. If you miss the 6
month window to become current, you will have to perform an IPC.

I'm sure if I stated that incorrectly or unclearly, someone will jump
in to correct me... ;-)

No error, but one addition may be useful: another alternative is to fly IFR
and do the approaches in IMC, but with another pilot (who's IFR-current)
acting as PIC.

--Gary

On 02/09/06 07:45, Gary Drescher wrote:
"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
You have 6 months after your currency lapses to become current, without
having to do an IPC... You are not legal to fly IFR, but you may take
a safety pilot up with you and become current again. If you miss the 6
month window to become current, you will have to perform an IPC.

I'm sure if I stated that incorrectly or unclearly, someone will jump
in to correct me... ;-)

No error, but one addition may be useful: another alternative is to fly IFR
and do the approaches in IMC, but with another pilot (who's IFR-current)
acting as PIC.

--Gary



Wait a tick ;-) Are you saying that if you're beyond the 6-month
currency, that you can fly in actual IMC and all you need is an IR-
current safety pilot - not a CFII?

Can you show the FAR or chief counsel opinion which shows this?
This would be yet another place where my instructor taught me incorrect
information ;-(

--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

On 2/9/2006 10:52 AM, Mark Hansen wrote the following:

Wait a tick ;-) Are you saying that if you're beyond the 6-month
currency, that you can fly in actual IMC and all you need is an IR-
current safety pilot - not a CFII?


Sure. The IFR-current pilot would be PIC and could legally let a
monkey handle the controls if he chose to, so why not an IA rated pilot?

On 02/09/06 09:02, Mitty wrote:

On 2/9/2006 10:52 AM, Mark Hansen wrote the following:

Wait a tick ;-) Are you saying that if you're beyond the 6-month
currency, that you can fly in actual IMC and all you need is an IR-
current safety pilot - not a CFII?


Sure. The IFR-current pilot would be PIC and could legally let a
monkey handle the controls if he chose to, so why not an IA rated pilot?

Yes, but I didn't think this 'monkey' was allowed to use the time toward
IR currency.


--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

"Mark Hansen" wrote in message
...
On 02/09/06 07:45, Gary Drescher wrote:
"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
You have 6 months after your currency lapses to become current, without
having to do an IPC... You are not legal to fly IFR, but you may take
a safety pilot up with you and become current again. If you miss the 6
month window to become current, you will have to perform an IPC.

I'm sure if I stated that incorrectly or unclearly, someone will jump
in to correct me... ;-)

No error, but one addition may be useful: another alternative is to fly
IFR and do the approaches in IMC, but with another pilot (who's
IFR-current) acting as PIC.

--Gary

Wait a tick ;-) Are you saying that if you're beyond the 6-month
currency, that you can fly in actual IMC and all you need is an IR-
current safety pilot - not a CFII?

In this case, the IR-current pilot isn't functioning as "safety pilot".
That's the term for a traffic-spotting pilot in VMC when the pilot doing the
flying is wearing a hood. In my scenario, there's no hood and no safety
pilot--just another pilot acting as PIC.

--Gary

On 02/10/06 05:20, Gary Drescher wrote:
"Mark Hansen" wrote in message
...
On 02/09/06 07:45, Gary Drescher wrote:
"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
You have 6 months after your currency lapses to become current, without
having to do an IPC... You are not legal to fly IFR, but you may take
a safety pilot up with you and become current again. If you miss the 6
month window to become current, you will have to perform an IPC.

I'm sure if I stated that incorrectly or unclearly, someone will jump
in to correct me... ;-)

No error, but one addition may be useful: another alternative is to fly
IFR and do the approaches in IMC, but with another pilot (who's
IFR-current) acting as PIC.

--Gary

Wait a tick ;-) Are you saying that if you're beyond the 6-month
currency, that you can fly in actual IMC and all you need is an IR-
current safety pilot - not a CFII?

In this case, the IR-current pilot isn't functioning as "safety pilot".
That's the term for a traffic-spotting pilot in VMC when the pilot doing the
flying is wearing a hood. In my scenario, there's no hood and no safety
pilot--just another pilot acting as PIC.

Yes. My confusion was that my instructor told me that when the IR pilot
was not IMC current, and wanted to perform the actions to regain currency
in actual IMC (not simulated) that the person in the right seat had to
be a CFII.

However, after the discussions in the other parts of this thread and more
looking through the FARs, I see no evidence for this and now believe that
my instructor was wrong. Perhaps what he meant to say was "A CFII would
be more experienced in that situation, and so it would be safer, etc.".

.... it wouldn't be the first time I was given an opinion by the CFII
which was represented a fact/rule.


--Gary




--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

The IPC can consist of whatever you want to make yourself current. 6
approaches, tracking VOR's and holding, which you can do with a safety
pilot. However since you have the CFII in the plane with you, it could
be something else you'd like to work on such as timed turns or partial
panel, along with a couple of approaches and a hold or so.

The CFII is going to assess whether you are safe and competant to fly
IFR and signs the log book to that effect. I do an IPC with my CFI
whenever I haven't flown in the gauges for a while and want to make sure
that I haven't picked up any bad habits.

Technically you don't need to do the IPC until 1 year after you lose IFR
currency but you don't have to do just the minimum required to get by.

Robert

Paul Tomblin wrote:
I've only done one approach in the last 6 months. I've let my currency
lapse, so as I read the regs I now have to do an IPC, right? What does an
IPC consist of? Just 6 approaches and a hold, or is there more to it?
Can it be fewer than 6 approaches?