A flight review is a periodic evaluation of a pilot’s skills, typically conducted by a certified flight instructor. It is a licensing requirement in many countries and is intended to ensure continued proficiency and safety. The structure and requirements of flight reviews vary by country.
Flight reviews in the United States
In the United States, flight reviews are required every two years, and thus were formerly called biennial flight reviews (BFRs).
For holders of pilot certificates issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a flight review is required of every active holder of a U.S. pilot certificate at least every two years. The flight review consists of at least 1 hour of ground instruction and 1 hour in-flight with a qualified flight instructor, although completion of any Phase of the FAA WINGS program also satisfies the requirement for a flight review.
Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 61.56 specifies that the review must include:
A flight test (administered by an FAA representative Designated Pilot Examiner) that leads to a new certificate or rating may be substituted for the flight review. A proficiency check conducted by a Certified Flight Instructor for an additional Sport Pilot privilege may also be substituted for a flight review.
Completion of a proficiency check administered by a check pilot (typically air carrier pilots) can also be used.