Exercise of Privilege

This regulation establishes two fundamental requirements for exercising pilot privileges: validity and currency.

Validity means your certificates and documents must be active and in good standing. You cannot fly if your pilot certificate, ratings, endorsements, flight instructor certificate, medical certificate, or driver's license (when used in lieu of a medical) is surrendered, suspended, revoked, or expired. This also applies to foreign pilot certificates—if you hold a U.S. certificate based on a foreign license, that foreign license must remain valid too.

Currency means you must meet all recent experience requirements (like takeoffs and landings for carrying passengers) and applicable medical requirements for the specific operation you're conducting. Having a valid certificate isn't enough; you must also be current for what you're doing.

In practice, this means checking both that your documents are valid *and* that you've met all currency requirements before every flight.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*