Staying Instrument Current: 6-HITS, the Grace Period, and the IPC (61.57(c))
The six-month instrument experience requirement, the six-month grace period to regain it, and when an Instrument Proficiency Check becomes mandatory.
To act as pilot in command under IFR — or in weather below VFR minimums — you must keep your instrument experience current under 14 CFR 61.57(c).
The six calendar months
Within the six calendar months preceding the flight you must have performed and logged, in the appropriate category of aircraft (or an approved simulator/ATD):
- six instrument approaches
- holding procedures and tasks
- intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigation systems
A common memory aid is "6-HITS" — six approaches, Holding, Intercepting and Tracking. The tasks may be flown in actual or simulated instrument conditions (with a safety pilot when simulated in VMC).
The grace period
If you let those six months lapse, you are not immediately required to take a check. You have a further six calendar months — the grace period — during which you may regain currency by completing the same 6-HITS tasks on your own (with a safety pilot as needed). Do them within that window and you are current again.
When an IPC is required
If more than six months pass beyond the expiry — i.e. twelve calendar months since you were last current — the grace period is over. You may no longer self-regain: you must complete an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) with an authorized instructor or examiner before flying IFR again.
Track it
The currency tracker shows your instrument currency date, the six-month window and the additional grace window, and flags when an IPC becomes mandatory.
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*Reference and training only — not for navigation or as legal advice. Always consult the current 14 CFR, the AIM, your aircraft’s POH/AFM and a certificated flight instructor.*