Q & A: 
Question of the Week
EAA Aviation Services
A group of us pilots were discussing the biannual flight review over breakfast and each of us had a different idea as to when it started. Also, we all seem to recall that there was an exemption during the first few years for pilots with over 500 hours. When was this eliminated? Your answer will decide who wins a bet.

Answer:
It took some digging, but here's the history.

The regulation requiring a flight review (then called a "biennial flight review") went into effect on November 1, 1974, as part of 14 CFR 61.57. The flight review was then given its own regulatory section (61.56) as part of a revision of Part 61 in 1978.

There is no evidence that there was EVER an exemption for pilots having more than a certain amount of logged flight time (500 hours or whatever). The requirement for a flight review applied to all pilots. There was some discussion at one point of possibly requiring pilots with less than 400 hours total time to take a flight review annually, but that provision was never enacted.

The regulation revision of 1978 dropped the term "biennial" from the flight review requirement. However, many pilots continue to refer to a "biennial flight review" or "BFR" even though the regulation simply requires a "flight review." Hope this settles the bet.

How can we help you?
To ask a question regarding government issues, e-mail govt@eaa.org. If you have a question about registration, airmen, aircraft and medical certification, safety records, performance, or any other matter, e-mail infoserv@eaa.org.
  

December 2006
EAA Desktop Calendar

Wave after wave of military planes fly overhead during EAA AirVenture's extended Warbird performances. The above photo from volunteer photographer, Tyson Rininger, shows T-34s in formation laying parallel smoke trails across a clear blue sky above the 2006 convention.

To download this image for your computer, visit the EAA website and choose among five resolutions to suit your screen. You can also download any other previous EAA monthly desktop image.

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EAAER LEADS A NEW CLASS OF PERSONAL AIRCRAFT
'Alberto' a hybrid of blimp and hot-air balloon
A new kind of aircraft-a personal, semi-rigid thermal airship-flew for the first time on October 27 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Called the Alberto, it's being developed by Skyacht Aircraft, Inc., whose president and principal designer is Dan Nachbar (EAA 676916).

Alberto, whose name pays homage to Brazilian aviation pioneer, Alberto Santos-Dumont, is 102 feet long with a 70-foot diameter and uses hot air rather than helium for lift. Its innovative foldable frame (much like an giant umbrella) creates structural support of its hot-air envelope, and it has a fly-by-wire vectored thrust steering system. Alberto is a hybrid; a hot-air balloon with aluminum ribs that looks more like a blimp, but with a tail propeller that gives it directional control.
(read more)

GIVE AN AWESOME GIFT OF FLIGHT THIS YEAR
Still looking for the perfect gift for the aviation enthusiast in your family? A flight mission on EAA's B-17, Aluminum Overcast could well be the ticket. The 2007 Spring Tour schedule may bring the venerable warbird close to your area, so check it out and give a once-in-a-lifetime flight aboard one of the world's most beautiful airplanes. The B-17 Flight Gift Certificate comes in a handsomely themed gift box along with a complete description of the B-17 flight experience and a free Flying the B-17 DVD. For more information, visit the EAA Aeronautica online gift shop, or call 800-843-3612.