FAR 61.57's 90-day currency rule requires more than three landings - the class-specific and night requirements catch even experienced pilots off guard.
FAR 61.57 requires three takeoffs and landings in 90 days to carry passengers - but night currency, tailwheel rules, and category distinctions trip up even careful pilots.
FAR 61.57 requires three takeoffs and three landings within 90 days to carry passengers, but night, tailwheel, and category rules add critical requirements most pilots underestimate.
FAR 61.57 sets the minimum legal thresholds for carrying passengers - here's exactly what the rule requires and why meeting it isn't the same as being ready to fly.
Fall's shorter days quietly expire pilot night currency and expose aircraft maintenance gaps - here's what to inspect and verify before your next evening flight.
FAR 61.57 requires three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days to legally carry passengers, with separate and stricter rules for night flying, tailwheel aircraft, and instrument operations.
FAR 61.57 requires three takeoffs and landings in 90 days to carry passengers, but the night currency rule demands full-stop landings - a critical distinction many pilots miss.
FAR 61.57 requires three takeoffs and three landings within 90 days to carry passengers, but night flights require full-stop landings - not touch-and-goes.
FAR 61.57 governs pilot currency for passengers and IFR flight - here's exactly what counts, what doesn't, and where certificated pilots quietly get it wrong.
The FAA's legal definition of night begins at the end of evening civil twilight - not sunset - and the currency window for carrying passengers runs from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.
Radio Hangar explores Federal Aviation Regulation Sixty-One Point Fifty-Seven, Recent Flight Experience, and the Difference Between Being Legal to Carry Passengers and Being Ready To.
FAR 61.57 requires three takeoffs and landings within 90 days to carry passengers - but night, tailwheel, and instrument rules add critical layers every pilot needs to know.