Legal Interpretations
Borella 2012
Summary
The Question
Does a Civil Air Patrol CAPF 5 annual check ride satisfy the flight review requirement of 14 CFR 61.56?
Background
A pilot asked whether a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) CAPF 5 annual check ride could count under 14 CFR 61.56(d), which excuses the flight review for a pilot who passed a proficiency check by an examiner, an approved check airman, or a U.S. Armed Force.
The FAA’s Interpretation
Not by itself. The CAPF 5 check ride is not listed in the regulations as a substitute for the flight review. But if the person conducting it is also a flight instructor authorized to provide flight training in that aircraft and is willing to accomplish all items required by 14 CFR 61.56(a)(1) and (2) and 14 CFR 61.56(c)(2), nothing prevents a pilot from requesting one flight check that satisfies both.
- Requester
- Borella
- Issued
- May 11, 2012
- Subject
- Pilot Certification & Privileges
Regulations Cited
Unreadable text from the scan (such as a barcode or stamp) is left out of the text below; the original letter shows it exactly.
Page 1
U.S. Deparlment
of Transporta tion
Federal Aviation
Administration
tf)·'f 1 1 'Ltll 2
Mr. ~arry T. Borella
Dear Mr. Borella:
Office of the Chief Counsel
800 Independence Ave., SW.
Washington, DC 20591
This is in response to your request for interpretation of 14 C.F.R. § 61.56 ( d) Flight review, with respect to whether a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Annual Check Ride can be considered to satisfy the requirement for a bietmial flight review.
The text of§ 61.56(d) reads as follows:
(d) A person who has, within the period specified in paragraph (c) of this section, passed a pilot proficiency check conducted by an examiner, an approved pilot check airman, or a U.S. Armed Force, for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege need not accomplish the flight review required by this section.
The CAPF 5 annual check ride is not listed in the regulations as a permi ssible substitute for the bie1mial flight review. However, if the person conducting the CAPF 5 armual check ride is also a Certified Flight Instructor authorized to provide flight training in the aircraft used to conduct the CAPF 5 annual check ride, and is willing to accomplish all the items required by § 61.56(a)(I)(2) and§ 61.56(c)(2), then there is nothing preventing a pilot who is completing either a biennial flight review or a CAPF 5 check ride from requesting that the examiner or check ainnan conduct a flight check that would satisfy the requirements of both checks.
We hope that this response has been helpful to you. If you have additional questions regarding this matter, please contact my staff at (202) 267-3073. This response was prepared by Neal O' Hara, an attorney in the Regulations Division of the Office of the Chief Counsel, and was coordinated with the General Aviation and Commercial Division of the Flight Standards Service.
Sincerely,
Rebecca B. MacPherson
Assis tant Chief Counsel for Regulations, AGC-200
Regulations Referenced
Snapshot retrieved August 6, 2026.