IFR Currency Calculator: Am I Instrument Current?

Quick Answer: You're instrument current under 14 CFR 61.57(c)(1) if you've logged 6 instrument approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting/tracking courses within the preceding 6 calendar months. Miss that window, and you get a second 6-month grace period to requalify yourself before an Instrument Proficiency Check becomes mandatory under 61.57(d)(1).

What is instrument currency, and why does it matter?

Instrument currency is the recent-experience standard that lets you act as PIC under IFR, or in weather below VFR minimums, without an additional check ride. 14 CFR 61.57(c)(1) requires 6 instrument approaches, holding procedures and tasks, and intercepting and tracking courses using navigational systems, all within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight. Under 61.57(c)(2), you can complete these tasks in an airplane, or in a full flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device that represents your aircraft category, using simulated instrument conditions.

Currency is not the same as proficiency. The regulation sets a recent-experience floor, not a competency guarantee. A pilot can be legally current while badly rusty on partial-panel work, approach briefings, or missed-approach decision-making: exactly the gap an oral exam or a checkride is designed to probe. Tracking your currency date carefully matters because flying IFR without meeting 61.57(c) is a regulatory violation, and because the FAA structures a second, less-known grace period, covered below, that many pilots don't realize exists.

What should I do if I'm not current?

The regulation splits the lapse period into two distinct windows, and mixing them up is one of the more common misunderstandings among IFR pilots. The first 6 calendar months after your currency lapses is a self-currency reestablishment window. During this period, 61.57(d)(1) does not yet require an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC), because that requirement only triggers once a pilot has failed to meet 61.57(c) for more than six calendar months. In practice, this means you can requalify yourself by simply flying the (c)(1) tasks again: 6 approaches, holding, and course intercepting/tracking, within that window, exactly as if you were building currency the first time.

The practical difference is what conditions you fly those tasks under. If you plan to log the approaches under simulated instrument conditions rather than actual IMC, 61.57(c) contemplates a view-limiting device, and a safety pilot is the standard way to satisfy the see-and-avoid responsibility that a view-limiting device removes from the flying pilot. You don't need a CFII or examiner in the airplane for this window; a private pilot with a current medical, an instrument rating, and category/class privileges can serve as safety pilot. If you're flying in actual IMC instead, no safety pilot or view-limiting device is required for currency purposes, though solo currency-building flights in true IMC after a long layoff carry obvious risk and many pilots choose to fly with an instructor anyway.

Once you cross the 6-month mark on top of the first lapse, meaning more than six calendar months have passed since you last met 61.57(c), the self-currency path closes. At that point, 61.57(d)(1) requires an Instrument Proficiency Check before you can act as PIC under IFR again. The IPC must be given in an aircraft appropriate to the category, or in an approved full flight simulator or flight training device, and can only be administered by the individuals listed in 61.57(d)(3): an examiner, an FAA-approved check airman, a company check pilot, an authorized instructor, or another FAA-designated person. There is no self-administered version of the IPC. If you're inside the first 6-month lapse window, fly the tasks yourself with a safety pilot as needed. If you're past that window, schedule an IPC with a CFII before you file IFR again.

Practice Questions

1. You last met the 61.57(c)(1) approach, holding, and tracking requirements 5 months and 3 weeks ago. Can you act as PIC under IFR today, and if not, what's the fastest legal path to currency?
2. A pilot has gone 7 calendar months since last satisfying 61.57(c). Can they reestablish currency by flying approaches with a safety pilot, or is an IPC required? Cite the rule.
3. Explain the difference between "current" and "proficient" in the context of 61.57, and why a DPE might still probe instrument skills even if a pilot's currency is technically valid.
4. Which of the 6 required approaches under 61.57(c)(1) may be completed in a flight training device, and what condition must the device meet?
5. Who is authorized to administer an Instrument Proficiency Check under 61.57(d)(3)?

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as an approach for instrument currency?

An instrument approach counted toward 61.57(c)(1) must be flown to minimums using a navigational system for that approach, either in actual instrument conditions, under simulated conditions with a view-limiting device, or in an approved simulator or training device per 61.57(c)(2). Approaches flown visually without a view-limiting device or simulated system use don't count.

Does practice in a G1000 or other simulator count toward currency?

Yes. 61.57(c)(2) permits completing the approach, holding, and tracking tasks in a full flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device that represents the aircraft category you'll fly, with simulated instrument conditions. Confirm your specific device is FAA-approved for the currency task before logging it.

What if I'm not sure which approaches I've logged?

Pull your logbook entries for the preceding 6 (or, if lapsed, 12) calendar months and count only entries that show an approach flown to minimums under simulated or actual instrument conditions with the required system. If your logbook doesn't clearly document approach type, holding, or tracking, treat the entry as non-qualifying and fly with a safety pilot or instructor to reestablish a clean record.

Can I use this calculator instead of checking my logbook?

No. This tool applies the 14 CFR 61.57(c) and (d) rules to dates you enter, but it can't verify what you actually logged. Always cross-check the result against your logbook entries, and when in doubt, consult a CFII.

Does the calculator account for the glider currency rule?

No. This tool is built around the airplane, powered-lift, helicopter, and airship currency tasks in 61.57(c)(1) and (c)(2). Glider pilots should reference 61.57(c)(3), which has separate instrument flight time requirements.

Sources

• 14 CFR 61.57: Recent flight experience, Pilot in command (Cornell LII)

This article was researched from FAA primary sources (14 CFR Part 61 via Cornell LII) and reviewed against current regulatory text by MockDPE Editorial Team. Last reviewed: July 2026. If you spot an inaccuracy, email [email protected].