FAR 61.109 explained

FAR 61.109 is the section of Part 61 that lists the aeronautical-experience minimums for the private pilot certificate (airplane single-engine land). Most students think of it as "40 hours" — but it's really six interlocking requirements, each with its own rules. SoloTrack tracks them as six top-level buckets so you always know where you stand.

1. The six FAR 61.109 buckets

SoloTrack's Progress screen breaks your training into the following buckets, each tied to the relevant FAR subparagraph:

61.109(a) — Total flight time (40 hours)

Your total logged flight time as pilot. The 40 hours is a floor; in practice, most students take more. SoloTrack sums your total time and shows the gap to 40.

61.109(a)(1) — Dual instruction (20 hours)

Time logged with a CFI on board, including the specific dual elements required by the regulation. SoloTrack tags Dual Received on each flight and rolls it up.

61.109(a)(2) — Solo flight (10 hours)

Time as sole occupant of the aircraft. SoloTrack toggles Solo per-flight and tracks the rolling total.

61.109(a)(2)(i) — Solo cross-country (5 hours)

Cross-country time logged solo. SoloTrack uses cross-country distance and the Solo flag together to compute progress.

61.109(a)(2)(ii) — Night training

Includes 3 hours of dual at night plus specific night cross-country and night-pattern requirements at a towered airport. SoloTrack splits day vs night landings and night dual to track these sub-components.

61.109(a)(3) — Instrument training (3 hours)

Three hours of training in the control and maneuvering of an airplane solely by reference to instruments, captured under SoloTrack's Simulated Instrument category and advanced training fields.

61.109(a)(4) — Checkride preparation (3 hours, recent)

Three hours of preparation for the practical test, performed within two calendar months prior to the checkride. SoloTrack flags whether your most recent prep is inside that window.

61.109(a)(5) — Solo long cross-country

One solo cross-country of at least 150 NM total distance with full-stop landings at three points, with one straight-line leg of at least 50 NM. SoloTrack treats this as a checklist item rather than a pure hours bucket — you either have it or you don't.

2. Currency (FAR 61.57) is a different system

FAR 61.109 is about earning the certificate. FAR 61.57 is about staying current to carry passengers — even after the certificate is issued. SoloTrack tracks all three sub-rules:

• 61.57(a) — Day currency: 3 takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days, in the same category, class, and (if applicable) type.
• 61.57(b) — Night currency: 3 takeoffs and landings to a full stop at night, in the preceding 90 days.
• 61.57(c) — Instrument currency: 6 instrument approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting/tracking courses, in the preceding 6 calendar months.

3. How SoloTrack flags problems

SoloTrack runs three kinds of awareness on top of the regulation buckets:

• Currency cliff — when day, night, or instrument currency is about to expire.
• Milestone crossed — when a FAR 61.109 requirement is met for the first time.
• Checkride-ready — when all six requirements are satisfied and the 61.109(a)(4) recency window is open.

These run as on-device notifications. There is also a momentum-stall awareness that flags long gaps without flying, with cooldown rules so it doesn't nag.

4. The flight review (FAR 61.56)

FAR 61.56 requires a flight review every 24 calendar months for any pilot acting as PIC. After your PPL, this becomes the rolling background requirement that every other currency rule depends on. SoloTrack shows the date of your last review and the month it expires.

Practical tips

• Tag every flight correctly the first time. Solo, Dual, Cross-Country, Night, and Simulated Instrument toggles all feed the FAR 61.109 buckets — small mistakes compound.
• Use templates for repeats. Pattern Work and Local Lesson templates eliminate the most common entry errors.
• Review the Progress screen weekly. Catch missing categories before they become a 30-minute reconciliation session before your checkride.

What to read next

• Currency & progress in SoloTrack
• What SoloTrack does (and what it does not)
• Get SoloTrack on the App Store.

This post summarizes how SoloTrack models the regulations. It is not a substitute for the current FARs or the guidance of your certified flight instructor.