Instrument Proficiency Checks (IPCs)

Staying instrument current is a challenge that can sometimes result in going over a year without shooting those six approaches, flying holds and intercepting and tracking courses. The FAA made provision for this in 61.57(d), Instrument proficiency check.

Here’s what an IPC looks like when you merge 61.57 with the required tasks defined in the Instrument ACS:

Air traffic control clearances and procedures
- Holding procedures
Flight by reference to instrument
- Recovery from unusual attitudes
Navigation systems
- Intercepting and tracking navigational systems and arcs
Instrument approach procedures
- Non-precision approach
- Precision approach
- Missed approach
- Circling approach
- Landing from an instrument approach
Emergency operations
- Approach and landing with loss of primary flight instrument indicators
Post-flight procedures
- Checking instruments and equipment

Sharpes Aero can help you regain your instrument currency. IPCs at Sharpes Aero are not only guided by 61.57(d) but also by these FAA documents:

Advisory Circular AC 61-98D, “Currency Requirements and Guidance for the Flight Review and Instrument Proficiency Check”
Instrument Proficiency Check table on page A-12 of FAA-S-ACS-8B, “Instrument Rating – Airplane, Airman Certification Standards”

An IPC can be done in your airplane or ours. A logbook endorsement will document a successful check and you will receive WINGS credit.

Avionics on The Pumpkin enable you to fly DME arcs and ILS, localizer, VOR, and NDB approaches. Yes, are still a few NDBs in service. For flights in the Albuquerque area, Sharpes Aero uses the AEG ILS/LOC 22 flown to circling minimums.

NOTE: Unlike instrument currency requirements, the FAA has two reasons for not allowing use of a Basic Aviation Training Device (BATD) for IPCs. First, you have to do a circling approach, which requires looking out a window a BATD doesn’t have. Second, you have to do a landing.