IFR Currency Requirements: How to Stay Instrument Current Under §61.57(c)

Complete guide to IFR currency requirements under FAR §61.57(c). Covers the 6 approaches in 6 months rule, holding, intercepting and tracking, how simulators count, and the IPC safety valve.

April 2026·7 min read read·Faraim Editorial

KEY POINT

Staying IFR current is one of the most misunderstood requirements in Part 61. The rules are specific, the grace period is often missed, and many pilots don't know how simulators count. Here's everything you need to know.

Having an instrument rating doesn't mean you can always file IFR. Under 14 CFR §61.57(c), instrument-rated pilots must maintain currency — a recent flight experience requirement separate from the biennial flight review. Let your currency lapse and you're grounded from IFR flight until you restore it.

The Basic Rule: 6 in 6

To act as PIC under IFR or in IMC conditions, within the preceding 6 calendar months you must have performed and logged:

6 instrument approaches
Holding procedures (at least once)
Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigation systems

All three must be completed within the 6-calendar-month window. Miss any one of them and you're not current. Note that 'calendar month' means you get the rest of the month you were current through — so if you flew 6 approaches on January 15th, your currency extends through July 31st (the end of the 6th calendar month after January).

What Counts as an Instrument Approach?

The approach must be performed to the published minimums — you must fly the full approach procedure, not just the final segment. The approaches must be to actual or simulated IMC minimums, and each approach counts separately only if it's a different approach, or if you've gone around and set up for another approach at the same airport.

Approaches may be logged in actual IMC, simulated IMC (under the hood), or in an approved aviation training device (ATD, FTD, or FFS). Your safety pilot or CFII must be on board for simulated IMC approaches — you cannot log them alone VFR.

The 6-Month Grace Period

Here's the part most pilots miss: there's a built-in grace period. Under §61.57(c)(2), if your currency lapses, you have an additional 6 calendar months — for a total of 12 months from your last approach — during which you may restore currency by flying the required approaches, holding, and tracking. You just cannot file IFR or fly in IMC during the grace period.

After 12 calendar months from your last current instrument experience, the grace period ends. At that point, you must pass an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) with a CFII before resuming IFR flight.

Using Simulators for IFR Currency

An FAA-approved Full Flight Simulator (FFS), Flight Training Device (FTD), or Aviation Training Device (ATD) may be used for IFR currency
The approaches must be conducted under the supervision of an authorized instructor
Not all simulators qualify — the device must be FAA-approved for instrument currency purposes
Your logbook entry must identify the device type and the FAA ID number
A CFII must be present for simulator-based currency flights

What Is an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC)?

An IPC is a flight with a CFII that restores your instrument currency after it has expired beyond the grace period (more than 12 months since last currency). It's not a checkride — there's no pass/fail in the traditional sense. The CFII conducts the check based on the instrument ACS and endorses your logbook when completed.

Many pilots opt for an IPC even when still current, as a proficiency boost before a challenging IFR flight in actual IMC conditions.

Instrument currency and instrument proficiency are different things. You can be legally current but dangerously unproficient. Most instrument instructors recommend flying under the hood at least once a month to maintain real skill — not just legal status.