Instrument Current for SkyWest Class?
 

I was wondering if I needed to be instrument current before class at Skywest? I know I need to be proficient but didn't want to spend the money for an IPC if I didn't have to.

Thoughts?

I dont work at Skywest but I am nearly 100% sure your checkride will count as an IPC for instrument currency.

no need to be current

welcome to skywest

Thanks, I've only waited 2 1/2 years for this. I did hear from Skywest to not worry about getting current.

Any advice on what to study to prepare for the EMB class? Are there any tricky things the first couple of days?

Just get down all the memory item stuff. Good luck in class. It's not that tough, it just drags on a long time. Sounds like a lot of fixes/changes for the SOP coming up so you might have to deal with learning one SOP then relearning a newer one. That's a still maybe who knows until we get it.

It will not most certainly NOT count as an IPC.

121 currency is not 91 currency.

91 currency is based on you being the PIC, 121 SIC training does not count for that.

If your sim instructor is a CFI, and you can talk him into it, he can probably sign you off for a 91 IPC if you want one.

Just so there's no confusion...you may not need to be current for class, but you need to be current for an interview. Personally I would make sure I was instrument proficient before I attended my first 121 training event (whatever proficiency means to you).

Interesting. I don't remember what the recurrent piece of paper said from SkyWest, but at the various other recurrents I've been to (CAE and PanAm), I don't think there's a distinction. I actually use those to "prove" my currency at the little flying club I'm in. It will specifically state currency per FAR blah blah blah.

A side note, I got to snicker when I first rented a Garmin G1000 Cessna Turbo 182T from them. They wanted to know if I had taken the Garmin class they offered. I said no, but I had taken the class at another FBO years earlier. They said I'd have to take it again. Then.... they came to know that I was an "airline" pilot... oh, heck, you're an "expert"... just go fly. First time I had flown a Cessna in many years.

121 training obviously makes you 121 current (for landings and IFR).

You can also count a 121 PIC proficiency check for part 61 instrument currency. Part 61 is clear on this, which excludes an SIC check.

If you are already part 61 current current an SIC can use approaches/holds/intercepting/tracking conducted as an SIC to stay 91 current. This is legally current, not safe or proficient in part 91 operations...

But an SIC who is not 61 current (and out of the grace period), needs an IPC. 121 training would probably cover all of the required items, but you would still need an IPC endorsement from a part 61 CFI. Many airline instructors are not CFI's, 121 allows this for 121 only...they cannot do part 61 endorsements or flight training. If he happens to be a CFI, they are often reluctant to sign your logbook for part 61 purposes due to liability concerns. I wouldn't do it in their shoes either because being instrument current in a glass turbojet is not the same as being proficient in steam-gauge piston ASEL.

Scary
 

What is frightening to me is the thought of a non-current part 61 pilot being put into the right seat of an airliner carrying paying passengers after whatever relatively brief training that Skywest puts them through. Our modern air transportation system in a nutshell.

Guys that come back from a multi-year furlough probably aren't very current either. I doubt that they're getting any more training than SkyWest offers to then jump into a bigger airplane with lots more people, and fly them over a big ocean to a scary, mountainous, non-radar, third world country.

Well, there's one nuance different from what I've been doing. The instructors are not airline employees (well, actually some are, just not from my airline) and I suspect must be CFI's.

Also, I have never had a log book signed. Just the signed form letter than hand out (for $10,000 worth of airline paid recurrent training). That's all I hand to the flying club, and they seem happy. I think I'm legal ;)

They are probably overawed by the airline thing. If you went out of the grace period (1 year) the only way you can become legally current is to get an IPC (it must be specifically documented as such) or do a military or 121 (maybe 135?) PC.

A 121 PIC can (and often do) use their 121 PC's for 61 currency. 91 folks are probably not aware of the regulatory distinction between PIC and SIC.

The reason I keep pushing this is because if you apply to a US airline and have a bunch of GA in your logbook they will probably inquire about the lack of IPC/FR.

Does your letter say anything that flags the training as SIC-specific?

You really have no idea of what a new hire 121 pilot goes through in initial training. Hmm... Private Pilot?

I don't think so. I'll go look now. The last recurrent I did from the left seat anyway. Plus, we do them every six months.

Ok, just looked. These are the boxes on the form that are NOT checked are:

"SIC 61.55"
"BFR 61.56"
"instrument Competency Check 61.57"


The box that is checked is "Proficiency Check 61.58".

Box 28 of the form has checked "Three Takeoffs and Landings (Required for ATP, Landing Cert., and Recent Experience)"