How to Use a Home Simulator to Maintain IFR Currency
Instrument currency lapses are one of the most common headaches for GA pilots. Life gets busy, weather does not cooperate on your schedule, and before you know it six months have passed without six approaches. The good news is that you can maintain IFR currency at home using an FAA-approved training device — but the rules are specific, and getting them wrong means the time does not count.
What IFR Currency Requires
Under 14 CFR 61.57(c), to act as pilot in command under IFR or in IMC you must have performed the following within the preceding six calendar months:
- Six instrument approaches
- Holding procedures and tasks
- Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems
These can be accomplished in actual instrument conditions, under a view-limiting device with a safety pilot, or in an approved aviation training device. That third option is the one that makes home-based currency possible.
Can You Use MSFS or X-Plane?
This is the most common question, and the answer is no. Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane are outstanding software platforms for building stick-and-rudder skills and learning procedures, but they are not FAA-approved aviation training devices. Time spent in a consumer flight simulator, no matter how realistic, cannot be logged for IFR currency under Part 61.
The distinction is the FAA Letter of Authorization (LoA). An ATD — whether BATD or AATD — has been evaluated and approved by the FAA as meeting specific fidelity and functionality standards. Consumer simulators have not gone through that process.
BATD Options for Home Use
The most accessible path to a home-based ATD is a qualifying BATD. These are desktop devices that pair approved hardware with approved software and carry an active LoA:
- Redbird TD: A compact desktop trainer that qualifies as a BATD. It includes a yoke, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, and a single display running Redbird’s approved software. Pricing typically runs in the $5,000 to $8,000 range depending on configuration.
- RealSimGear: RealSimGear offers hardware panels that, when paired with their approved software configuration, can qualify as a BATD. Their modular approach lets you build up a realistic instrument panel over time.
Both options fit on or near a desk and do not require dedicated room-sized space. That is the key advantage over an AATD, which typically demands more real estate and more budget.
How to Log the Time Correctly
This is where pilots frequently make mistakes. ATD time for IFR currency must be logged with specific details:
- Record the session in your logbook. Enter the date, total ATD time, the location, and the specific tasks performed (number and type of approaches, holds, tracking).
- An authorized instructor must be present. Under 61.57(c)(2), instrument experience in an ATD must be performed under the supervision of an authorized instructor who signs your logbook entry. You cannot simply sit down at your home BATD alone and log currency approaches.
- The logbook entry must identify the ATD. Include the device make, model, and the LoA designation (BATD or AATD).
- The instructor signs the entry. The instructor endorsement confirms the tasks were completed satisfactorily.
The instructor requirement surprises many pilots. You need a qualified person present even though you are in your own home. Some CFIs offer mobile ATD supervision sessions specifically for this purpose — they come to you, observe your approaches and holds, and sign your logbook.
Cost Comparison: Sim Currency vs Aircraft Currency
Here is where the home ATD starts to make financial sense, especially for pilots who fly enough to care about currency but not enough to maintain it naturally.
| Cost Factor | Aircraft (with safety pilot) | Home BATD |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft rental (1.5 hrs) | $270 - $360 | $0 |
| Fuel surcharge | $20 - $50 | $0 |
| Safety pilot / instructor | $60 - $100 | $60 - $100 (CFI visit) |
| ATD device cost (amortized over 3 years, 12 sessions/year) | N/A | ~$140 - $220 per session |
| Total per currency session | $350 - $510 | $200 - $320 |
Over three years, the home BATD owner saves roughly $150 to $200 per currency cycle compared to renting an airplane. That adds up. And the convenience factor — scheduling on your own time rather than competing for aircraft availability — is worth even more to many pilots.
Practical Tips
- Practice between currency sessions. Even though non-supervised time does not count for logging, regular practice in your BATD keeps your scan sharp and your procedures crisp. The official session with your CFI goes faster and smoother when you have been practicing.
- Use ForeFlight or CloudAhoy to debrief. Some ATD setups can export flight data for post-session analysis. Reviewing your approaches on a moving map helps you identify trends.
- Keep your LoA current. The device must have an active Letter of Authorization. If the LoA lapses, the time logged during that period does not count. Check with your device manufacturer on renewal requirements.
A home BATD is not a replacement for flying real approaches in real weather. But as a tool for maintaining legal currency and keeping your instrument skills from atrophying between flights, it is one of the best investments an active IFR pilot can make.