Endorsements & Checkouts
Complex
(endorsement)
- Required by the FAA to operate a “complex aircraft.”
- Complex aircraft is defined as aircraft with the following:
- Retractable landing gear; and
- Retractable flaps; and
- Controllable pitch propeller
- Depending on pilot’s skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require five or more lessons/flights.
High Performance
(endorsement)
- Required by the FAA to operate a “high-performance aircraft”
- High-performance aircraft is defined as having engines greater than 200 HP
- Depending on pilot’s skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require five or more lessons/flights
Catalina (KAVX), and
Big Bear (L35)
(checkout)
- Required by Santa Monica Flyers and its insurers to operate an aircraft to or from either Catalina Airport or Big Bear Airport.
- Depending on pilot’s skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require one or more lessons/flights.
- A Catalina Checkout is done independently of a Big Bear Checkout. In other words, two checkouts are required if you want to rent and fly to both airports.
- Catalina (KAVX)
- Minimum 30 hours total PIC time
- Minimum 1-hour ground
- Minimum 1 checkout flight
- Minimum 3 total take-offs and landings at KAVX
- Minimum 1 go-around at KAVX
- Catalina checkout form must be completed by CFI doing the checkout
- Big Bear (L35)
- Minimum 30 hours total PIC time
- Minimum 1-hour ground
- Minimum 1-checkout flight
- Minimum 3 total take-offs and landings at L35
- Minimum 1 go around at L35
- Big Bear checkout form must be completed by CFI doing the checkout
Transition to 172
(checkout)
- Required by Santa Monica Flyers and its insurers to operate a Cessna 172SP and a Cessna 172SP NAV III (G1000 glass panel).
- Pilots who have only flown in our Sport Cruisers will require this checkout.
- Depending on the pilot’s skill and ability to learn, this checkout may require three or more lessons/flights
- Minimum 1 ground lesson
- Minimum 3-hours checkout
- G1000: For those pilots having ≥ 20 hours in G1000 in C172, minimum 1 checkout flight
Transition to Cirrus SR20
(checkout)
- Required by Santa Monica Flyers and its insurers to operate the Cirrus SR20
- Pilots who have only flown in our SportCruisers or Cessna 172s will require this checkout.
- Depending on the pilot’s skill and learning ability, this checkout may require five or more lessons/flights.
- The training is based on a transition course from www.cirrusapproach.com
Flight Review
(formerly BFR)
- Required by the FAA to maintain any pilot’s 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. This is largely based on the abilities and proficiency of the pilot receiving the flight review.
Instrument Proficiency Check
(aka IPC)
- Required by the FAA to restore an instrument-rated pilot’s privilege to operate under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), typically due to lapsing currency.
- Consists of several criteria outlined in § 61.57(d)
- An IPC may take several flights to accomplish before the endorsement and/or 8710 form on IACRA can be completed
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, tailwheel Super Decathlon by Aryan, AJ, or our Assistant Chief Flight Instructor, Daniel Collier
Tailwheel
(endorsement)
- Required by the FAA to fly a tailwheel airplane
- Accomplished in our aerobatic, tailwheel Super Decathlon by Aryan, AJ, or our Assistant Chief Flight Instructor, Daniel Collier
