Endorsements & Checkouts
Complex
(endorsement)
- Required by the FAA to operate a “complex aircraft”
- Complex aircraft defined as aircraft with:
- Retractable landing gear; and
- Retractable flaps; and
- Controllable pitch propeller
- Depending on pilot skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require 5 or more lessons/flights
High Performance
(endorsement)
- Required by the FAA to operate a “high performance aircraft”
- High-performance aircraft defined as having engines greater than 200 hp
- Depending on pilot skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require 5 or more lessons/flights
Catalina
(checkout)
- Required by Santa Monica Flyers and its insurers to operate an aircraft to or from Catalina Airport
- Depending on pilot skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require 1 or more lessons/flights
Transition to 172
(checkout)
- Required by Santa Monica Flyers and its insurers to operate a Cessna with a G1000 glass panel
- Pilots having only flown in our Sport Cruisers or Standard Cessna 172s will require this checkout
- Depending on pilot skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require 3 or more lessons/flights
Transition to Cirrus SR20
(checkout)
- Required by Santa Monica Flyers and its insurers to operate the Cirrus SR20
- Pilots having only flown in our Sport Cruisers or Cessna 172s will require this checkout
- Depending on pilot skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require 5 or more lessons/flights
Flight Review
(formerly BFR)
- Required by the FAA to maintain a private pilots license, every 24 calendar months
- A minimum of 1 hour of ground instruction and 1 hour of flight instruction
- Our flight instructors may require more than the minimum instruction time to complete a BFR
Instrument Proficiency Check
(aka IPC)
- Required by the FAA to maintain a private pilots license, every 24 calendar months
- A minimum of 1 hour of ground instruction and 1 hour of flight instruction
- Our flight instructors may require more than the minimum instruction time to complete a BFR
Spin Training
(for all pilots)
- Required by the FAA to complete a CFI Certificate
- Encouraged by our Flight Instructors for all pilots new and current — to be able to recover from an aerodynamic spin
- Accomplished in our aerobatic Super Decathlon by our Chief Flight Instructor
Tailwheel
(endorsement)
- Required by the FAA to fly a tailwheel airplane
- Accomplished in our aerobatic, tailwheel Super Decathlon by our Chief Flight Instructor
