Recreational Pilot Flight Proficiency

FAR 61.98 — Recreational Pilot Flight Proficiency

FAR 61.98 lists the flight proficiency areas of operation a recreational pilot applicant must train on with an authorized instructor before the checkride.

In Plain English

FAR 61.98 spells out the areas of operation you must train on — both ground and flight — with an authorized instructor to qualify for a recreational pilot certificate. The specific list depends on the aircraft category and class you're seeking (airplane, rotorcraft/helicopter, or glider-type training), but every applicant must log instruction in each applicable item.

For most airplane applicants, the required areas are:

Preflight preparation
Preflight procedures
Airport operations
Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds
Performance maneuvers
Ground reference maneuvers
Navigation
Slow flight and stalls (or hovering maneuvers for rotorcraft, or flight at slow airspeeds for some categories)
Emergency operations
Postflight procedures

Why it matters: this regulation is the syllabus backbone for your training. Your instructor must endorse that you've received and logged training in every applicable area before you can take the practical test, and the DPE will test you on each one during the checkride.

Regulation Text

14 CFR § 61.98

§ 61.98 Flight proficiency. (a)A person who applies for a recreational pilot certificate must receive and log ground and flight training from an authorized instructor on the areas of operation of this section that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought. (b)(1)(i) Preflight preparation; (ii) Preflight procedures; (iii) Airport operations; (iv) Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds; (v) Performance maneuvers; (vi) Ground reference maneuvers; (vii) Navigation; (viii) Slow flight and stalls; (ix) Emergency operations; and (x) Postflight procedures. (2)(i) Preflight preparation; (ii) Preflight procedures; (iii) Airport and heliport operations; (iv) Hovering maneuvers; (v) Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds; (vi) Performance maneuvers; (vii) Ground reference maneuvers; (viii) Navigation; (ix) Emergency operations; and (x) Postflight procedures. (3)(i) Preflight preparation; (ii) Preflight procedures; (iii) Airport operations; (iv) Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds; (v) Performance maneuvers; (vi) Ground reference maneuvers; (vii) Navigation; (viii) Flight at slow airspeeds; (ix) Emergency operations; and (x) Postflight procedures. [Docket 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 61-103, 62 FR 40902, July 30, 1997]

Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1What regulation governs the flight proficiency requirements for a recreational pilot certificate, and where do you find the areas of operation?

FAR 61.98 governs flight proficiency for recreational pilot applicants and lists the areas of operation that must be trained and logged with an authorized instructor based on the category and class sought.

Q2Name several areas of operation an airplane recreational pilot applicant must train on under FAR 61.98.

Per FAR 61.98(b)(1), areas include preflight preparation, preflight procedures, airport operations, takeoffs/landings/go-arounds, performance maneuvers, ground reference maneuvers, navigation, slow flight and stalls, emergency operations, and postflight procedures.

Q3Who must provide the ground and flight training required by FAR 61.98, and must it be logged?

FAR 61.98(a) requires the training be received from an authorized instructor and that both the ground and flight training be logged in the applicant's records.

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Related Sections in Part 61

§ 61.1

Part 61 Definitions