FAR Part 61

 

The FAA proposed a massive rewrite of FAR Part 61 in 1995, which took effect two years later. The purpose of this rewrite was to clarify and simplify the rules and regulations that govern pilot certifications, flight instructors, and ground instructors. This re-write included many important changes the aviation industry. Some of the major changes are summarized below (FAR Part 61).

 

61.1. Applicability and definitions.

The first change has to do with updating the definition of some new terms and changes to the old terms. The most important new term from this regulation is “Authorized Flight Instructor”, which is a certified flight or ground instructor who holds the certification to conduct the flight or ground training. Updating terms in aviation is a simple, albeit important change to keep current and have clarity with what specific roles entail.

 

61.3. Requirement for certificates, ratings, and authorizations.

This change is made to require pilots to have their physical pilot’s license on hand when flying. Prior to this, the law was more lenient and allowed for pilots to fly when they left their license at home. This measure is an important change as it increases the security level for travel.

 

61.4. Approval of flight simulators and flight training devices.

This section says that flight simulators and flight training devices need to be approved by the FAA before they can be utilized to log training time. This is a necessary and important change as technology has advanced over the years in aviation to include sims and FTDs.

61.5. Certificates and ratings issued under this part.
Under this update, a new aircraft category known as the “powered-lift” was added to the four main aircraft categories—airplane, rotorcraft, glider, and lighter-than-air.

This law was instrumental to the aviation industry because it requires a certification and standard in order to operate an aircraft. Anyone operating aircraft should know what is required of them and everyone should be held to the same standard. This law was also important as it factored in the use of updated technology, such as flight simulators and flight training devices, to be used for logging training time. This can reduce the risk of flight was also increasing efficiency. This law has helped to shape the aviation industry as sims and FTDs are now used throughout aviation to train pilots with lessened risk and provide more experience before operating an actual aircraft (FAR Part 61).  

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References

Highlights of FAR Part 61 Changes. (1997, October 15). AVweb. https://www.avweb.com/features/highlights-of-far-part-61-changes/