How to maintain FAA-IFR-currency in Germany?

[mroczny]

Are there any limitations/specifications regarding sims used for maintaining the currency? Any N-registered IFR-certified planes available?

[Skeeve]

Near Berlin and Frankfurt: https://www.pilotundflugzeug.de/store/leserflugzeug

[MarkerInbound]

Remember that there's no requirement that the flying to meet FAA IFR currency be done in an "N" aircraft, a "D" airplane is fine.

First, you don't need a "sim." A sim is a very specific device in FAA speak. A list of sims that are approved by the FAA will state the sim number, what type of aircraft it represents, where it is and who maintains it. FAA sim #16 is a 727-200 in Ft. Worth, Texas maintained by American Airlines.

What you need for instrument currency is an "Advanced Aviation Training Device." An AATD. Any AATD of a model that the FAA approves is OK. For example, if a school has a Frascia Mentor, you're good to go. All Frascia Mentors are OK to use. While I can find a list of all the FAA approved sims, I can't find a list of all the approved AATDs. But if you can find out what kind of training device a school has you can find out if it is an approved FAA AATD.

[proudprivate]

Remember, you now only have 5 more months left to remain FAA instrument current in Germany. :)

What I imagine happened is this : you called the flight training centre and they have told you - yes but it is not FAA approved. But they have no clue about that.

You just need a Flight Training Device and a FAA instructor and you are done. As MarkerInbound said, only the FTD type is what you need to know and then look it up in the FAA Advisory Circular. The FTD needn't be registered with the FAA.

Alternatively, you can go up in IFR-certified D-registered plane and do your approaches in that one. If you don't have a JAA / EASA license, you can do it with a JAA instructor in the right seat.

[mroczny]

to all three of you. I have an JAR license and the last possibility is probably the easiest one. Unfortunately, due to the constant rise in the airplane tickets and more and more insufficient and time consuming US immigration procedures, the old option of going for some days for some flying in the USA is not that appealing...

[Kai Tak]

I have also a FAA PPL/IR, and a JAA PPL.
If I use a IFR certified OO-registered plane in Belgium to do the approaches, I do need a safety pilot on board with a PPL, is that correct?

[Zonkor]

I just want to mention that doing an IPC is usually the cheapest option using an airplane to stay current, since you don't have to do fly 6 approaches (each taking probably at least 30 mins.) etc. but a reduced program (cf. the PTS). Using an FTD is probably cheaper, but you don't fly an airplane, and you still have to pay for the supervising instructor.

Additionally, an perhaps more importantly, an IPC has the benefit of resetting your currency period to a full 6 months instead of just advancing the sliding currency window when flying approaches.

Finding an FAA CFII in Germany might be a problem though.

[Zonkor]

One more thing, which might be obvious or not and again speaks in favour of doing an IPC:

Under FAA rules (FAR 61.57), the six approaches toward instrument currency must be done in actual (IMC) or simulated (under the hood with safety pilot) instrument conditions. So flying an instrument approach in VMC doesn't count, even if the rest of the flight was under IFR and in IMC.