How to maintain your instrument rating currency.

Instrument currency and proficiency checks are required to exercise the privileges of your instrument rating.

You are required to maintain instrument currency to exercise the privileges of your instrument rating as per Advisory Circular (AC) No. 401-005. Instrument currency is maintained with 6 hours of instrument flying, 6 approaches to minimums, in the 6 months preceding the proposed flight. Beginning on the 1st day of the 13th month after an instrument flight test or any other permittable method found in 5.0 Overview of the Program 2(a) of the AC. If you are beyond 24 months (to the day) of your last instrument flight test or any other permittable method found in 5.0 Overview of the Program 2(a) of the AC you are not current and you will need to renew. This is possible with a Transport Canada examiner by any permittable method found in 5.0 Overview of the Program 2(a) of the AC.

(Wow! That was a mouthful.)

An Example Instrument Rating Recency Scenario

For example, Jane Doe did her instrument flight test on June 21st 2021. She is legal to file and fly instrument flights until July 1st 2022 without doing any instrument flying in between. If on July 1st she has not completed 6 hours of instrument flying, 6 approaches to minimums, in the previous 6 months, she is not current and not legal to fly instrument flights.

If she wishes to make an instrument flight in the 13th month she will need to complete the 6-6-6 requirement with a safety/check pilot before she is able to conduct IFR flights. She decides to do 6 hours of instrument flying and 6 approaches in the Compass Flight Transport Canada approved ALSIM 250. She logs the FSTD (flight simulation training device) time in her log book and she is good to go until the 24th month when she will need to fulfill the 24 month recency requirements.

Jane Doe will need to meet one of the recency requirements found in the AC after 24 months since any permittable recency method found in 5.0 Overview of the Program 2(a) of the AC. The cheapest way to meet the 24 month recency requirements is in an FSTD with an IPC (instrument proficiency check). After complete the 24 month cycle starts all over again. You get 12 months after your flight test or IPC and then you must meet the 6-6-6 requirement in the 13th to 24th months.

 Who is a qualified person able to supervise instrument recency?

If you are flying IFR often you will likely meet the 6-6-6 requirement and will not need anyone in the airplane to supervise your 6-6-6 recency; it will be recorded in your logbook.

If you are still within the 24 months but beyond the 1st day of the 13th month and do not meet the 6-6-6 requirement you will need a qualified person to supervise your 6 hours of instrument flying. (or however many hours you need to meet the 6-6-6 requirement) Stated in the CARs Recency Requirements 401.05(3.1)(b)(i) you must be under the supervision of a person who holds the correct qualifications. These qualifications are referred to in subsection 425.21(9). This is someone who has a CPL or an ATPL. However they must also have a flight instructor rating, OR 500 hours PIC time with no less than 100 hours on the aircraft group. In the case of Group I aircraft, not less than 10 hours shall be on the type of multi-engine aeroplane used for the training.

The good news about IFR recency!

Compass Flight Institute has a Transport Canada approved FSTD and flight instructors who meet the qualifications to do you recency requirements. If you are outside of 24 months and need an IPC we can provide a Transport Canada flight examiner to validate your instrument rating in our ALSIM 250 Transport Canada approved simulator.