Flight Review

Under FAR 61.56, you must have completed a flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months to act as pilot in command. It is not a test. There is no pass or fail and no examiner, just a minimum of one hour of ground and one hour of flight with an authorized instructor, finished with a logbook endorsement once the instructor is satisfied that you are flying safely.

Gomez Aviation offers flight reviews at Long Beach Airport (KLGB) at $60 per hour of instruction, in one of the three Cessna 172s or in your own airplane.

Two things count in place of a flight review: passing a checkride for a new certificate or rating, or completing a phase of the FAA WINGS program, either within the last 24 calendar months. If you are not sure where you stand, send a photo of your most recent endorsement and we can check the dates together.

The ground hour is a review of the current general operating and flight rules of Part 91, weighted toward what has changed since your last review and toward the kind of flying you actually do. It is a conversation, not a lecture.

Typical topics include the airspace around KLGB and the Los Angeles basin, weather products and preflight briefings, aircraft performance and weight and balance, the currency rules that trip people up (passenger currency, night currency, medical and BasicMed), and a personal minimums and risk management check using the PAVE model. Recent changes to charts, procedures, or regulations get covered as they come up.

The flight portion is an ACS-oriented training flight. It starts with a cross-country plan and a diversion, then works through the maneuvers and procedures an instructor needs to see to confirm you can safely exercise the privileges of your certificate.

Since every pilot uses their certificate differently, the scenarios change from pilot to pilot. A flight review is a great opportunity to learn something you may not have known before, keep your skills sharp, and continue safe, fun flying.

Plan on two to three hours total. Most reviews run one to one and a half hours of ground and about the same in the air, and a pilot who has not flown in a while may want a second flight.

Instruction is $60 per hour. Aircraft in the Gomez Aviation fleet run $160 to $210 per hour including fuel, so a typical review in N8171L comes to roughly $400 to $500 all in, and less if you bring your own airplane.

If you would like to schedule a Flight Review with or without your airplane, please do not hesitate to contact Gomez Aviation. Scheduling a week or two ahead of your expiration month leaves room for weather.