What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Garmin Pilot IFR Currency - Calculator/Logic

sibriggs

Well Known Member
Default Garmin Pilot IFR Currency - Calculator/Logic
Been using Garmin Pilot Logbook for a while now and find there seems to be a problem in the application's ability to determine IFR Currency.

I have contacted Garmin Pilot help line now for two weeks and am not getting an answer to the problem.

Below is a copy of the last email to Garmin, has anyone else encountered the issue? Ryan is the Garmin help line person.

Ryan, Please forward this response to the developers and importantly to someone who understands the FAA regulations that apply to IFR currency.

My Garmin Pilot shows me IFR current, but the "Last Met:" date as 01-Oct-17 which is not correct. 01-Oct-17 is the date of my Proficiency Endorsement. Not the date where my Currency expires. The Currency is re-validated every-time a pilot completes 6 approaches within a six month period.

I have flown six approaches in the past in the last 4 months. The approaches I flew on 7-Nov-17 should have set my new currency Last Met: date to that date and the 6 month window should role forward from that day.

Below I have included the FAA FARs that spells out IFR currency. As you'll see, currency is defined as experience of flight in the preceding six months NOT when the last proficiency check was performed, in fact proficiency checks are a way for a pilot to regain currency if they did not complete the required 6 approaches in the preceding 6 months.

Ryan, thanks for your time in helping set me straight or fixing the Garmin Pilot Application logic on currency, whichever it ends up being.

Steve

"
Instrument Currency Requirements
61.57 Recent flight experience: Pilot in command.
c) Instrument experience. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command under IFR or in weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR, unless within the preceding 6 calendar months, that person has:

For the purpose of obtaining instrument experience in an aircraft (other than a glider), performed and logged under actual or simulated instrument conditions, either in flight in the appropriate category of aircraft for the instrument privileges sought or in a flight simulator or flight training device that is representative of the aircraft category for the instrument privileges sought --
At least six instrument approaches;
Holding procedures; and
Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigation systems.
For the purpose of obtaining instrument experience in a glider, performed and logged under actual or simulated instrument conditions --
At least 3 hours of instrument time in flight, of which 1 1/2 hours may be acquired in an airplane or a glider if no passengers are to be carried; or
3 hours of instrument time in flight in a glider if a passenger is to be carried.

(d) Instrument proficiency check. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, a person who does not meet the instrument experience requirements of paragraph (c) of this section within the prescribed time, or within 6 calendar months after the prescribed time, may not serve as pilot in command under IFR or in weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR until that person passes an instrument proficiency check consisting of a representative number of tasks required by the instrument rating practical test.
__________________
Steve Briggs ATP, CFII, A&P, IA
 
I'm having the same issue - my Garmin Pilot app is warning that my IFR currency is about to lapse but I just did 10+ IFR approaches plus holding and tracking NavAids.

What's weird is that the log entries explicitly ask if a flight included any of those items.

Has anyone else seen any resolutions or improvement?

I also wonder if the logic needed to fix this will include the recent FAA ruling on simulators being a valid method for maintaining currency.
 
Back
Top