Defining currency
I have been thinking (and reading) quite a bit about GA safety. In doing so I have come across two recurring themes. Firstly, serious accidents are often the result of some readily avoidable situations, which through my own operating practises I believe I avoid. For example, fuel exhaustion (I am very conservative with fuel management) or continued flight in to IMC (I have an IMC and an FAA IR).
Obviously there are many other things that can go wrong. As an interesting aside, when I was training for my IR my instructor (approximately 7,000 hours I believe, vast majority of which are teaching IFR in a SEP) said he had never experienced engine failure. This was fairly surprising to me. Even more so was that his father (approximately 30,000 hours, ditto conditions) hadn’t either. They made a very big deal out of the standard of their maintenance, though as they owned the planes, the mechanics, the workshop (and indeed, until recently, the airfield too) I just figured it was pride talking. Clearly the quality of maintenance makes a big difference and I am happy to accept that, though is that the explanation or is it just luck?
The second thing that seems to come up very often is currency. I’ve read lots of accident reports and they often comment on a pilot’s inexperience with a particular type and always quote flight hour figures. And of course, on PPRuNe the answer to many questions makes mention of currency, particularly with respect to flying in IMC or at night, in bad weather and so on. But what is currency really? Obviously it is different for different pilots. Why does the FAA determine IFR currency as (basically) 6 approaches in 6 months? This still means you can fly down to 200’ in IMC having not touched an aeroplane for a day under half a year. Is this current enough? If not, why do they define it that way? Do they not know what they’re doing? Is a greater level of currency something that is put forward by those that are proud to have it or who sell flight training? Most interestingly of all (to me) how can we measure how much currency is enough for any one pilot? Of course, if I don’t fly for X months then go up in IMC and fly an ILS down to minimums without killing myself it doesn’t mean that X months is my limit. Maybe I was lucky that day or maybe I could have actually managed 2X. Any ideas?