If the pilot did not perform well enough for you to endorse him or her for satisfactory completion of the flight review, use the PTS as the objective standard to discuss areas needing improvement, as well as areas where the pilot performed well. Offer a practical course of action – ground training, flight training, or both – to help him or her get back up to standards. If possible, offer to schedule the next session before the pilot leaves the airport.

If the pilot’s performance on both ground and flight portions was satisfactory, you can complete the flight review simply by endorsing the pilot’s logbook. However, offer the pilot an opportunity to develop a personalized aeronautical health maintenance and improvement plan. Such a plan should include consideration of the following elements:

Personal Minimums Checklist: One of the most important concepts to convey in the flight review is that safe pilots understand the difference between what is “legal” in terms of the regulations, and what is “smart” in terms of pilot experience and proficiency. For this reason, assistance in completing a Personal Minimums Checklist tailored to the pilot’s individual circumstances is perhaps the single most important “takeaway” item you can offer. Use the Personal Minimums Development Worksheets in Appendix 7 to help your client work through some of the questions that should be considered in establishing “hard” personal minimums, as well as in preflight and in-flight decision-making.

Personal Proficiency Practice Plan: Flying just for fun is one of the most wonderful benefits of being a pilot, but many pilots would appreciate your help in developing a plan for maintaining and improving basic aeronautical skills. You might use the suggested flight profile in Appendix 8 as a guide for developing a regular practice plan.

Training Plan: Discuss and schedule any additional training the pilot may need to achieve individual flying goals. For example, the pilot’s goal might be to develop the competence and confidence needed to fly at night, or to lower personal minimums in one or more areas. Another goal might be completion of another phase in the FAA’s Pilot Proficiency (“Wings”) Program, or obtaining a complex, high performance, or tailwheel endorsement. Use the form in Appendix 9 to document the pilot’s aeronautical goals and develop a specific training plan to help him or her achieve them.

The flight review is vital link in the general aviation safety chain. As a person authorized to conduct this review, you play a critical role in ensuring that it is a meaningful and effective tool for maintaining and enhancing GA safety.