📘14 CFR §61.57 — Recent Flight Experience - Pilot in Command (PIC)
✏️ Plain-English Summary:
To legally act as PIC, you have to be current — meaning you’ve recently met specific flying requirements. These rules cover general recency, passenger-carrying, and instrument flight. If you're not current, you're not legal to fly solo or carry passengers.
This reg is the reason behind:
✅ The 90-day passenger landing rule
✅ The “66HITS” requirement for IFR
✅ The need for a Flight Review under §61.56
✅ Key Takeaways for PPL:
🚶 General PIC Currency:
✅ Must have a valid Flight Review within the past 24 calendar months (§61.56)
👨👩👧 Carrying Passengers (Day):
✅ Within the past 90 days, must have completed:
3 takeoffs and landings
As sole manipulator of the controls
In the same category, class, and type (if type required)
✅ Touch-and-go landings count for day
🌙 Carrying Passengers (Night):
✅ Between 1 hour after sunset and 1 hour before sunrise, you need:
3 takeoffs and landings to a full stop
In the same aircraft category/class/type (if type required)
❌ Day landings do not count toward night currency
✈️ Scenario:
You took a break from flying and haven’t landed in 4 months. You want to take your friend flying next weekend. ❌ Not legal to carry passengers — you haven’t done 3 takeoffs and landings in the last 90 days. ✅ Go fly solo and get current first!
🎓 CFI Teaching Tip:
Students often say “I’m current” — ask for what? Challenge them to:
"Explain your currency status today — for solo? For passengers? For night? For instruments?"
Also clarify that currency ≠ proficiency. Just because you're legal doesn't mean you're sharp.
You can also demo logging properly for instrument currency — label the approach type, location, and safety pilot (if applicable).
📚 References:
FAR: 14 CFR §61.57
AC 61-98D: Currency & Proficiency
AIM 4-3-11: Passenger-carrying operations and night currency
📺 Extra Help:
🎥 Pilot Institute: Are You LEGAL To Fly Passengers?
📰 Boldmethod: Are You Current? Here's What You Need to Know