What keeps you legal to act as pilot in command.
A private pilot may act as PIC carrying passengers, but not for compensation or hire (with narrow cost-sharing exceptions). Your certificate must carry the rotorcraft category, helicopter class rating. Privileges and limitations live in 14 CFR 61.113.
| Requirement | Rule | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Flight review | 61.56 | Every 24 calendar months: min. 1 hr ground + 1 hr flight with an authorized instructor, with a logbook endorsement. |
| Carrying passengers (day) | 61.57(a) | 3 takeoffs & 3 landings in the same category/class within the preceding 90 days. |
| Carrying passengers (night) | 61.57(b) | 3 takeoffs & landings to a full stop at night (1 hr after sunset to 1 hr before sunrise) within 90 days. |
| Third-class medical | BasicMed (14 CFR 68) | |
|---|---|---|
| How | FAA-designated AME exam | Exam by any state-licensed physician using the FAA checklist + free online medical course every 24 months |
| Renewal | Every 24–60 months by age | Physician exam every 48 months; course every 24 months |
| Limits | Standard | Must have held a valid medical after July 2006; aircraft ≤ 6,000 lb / ≤ 6 occupants; not for compensation |
BasicMed is a self-assessment pathway — you still meet all flight-review and recency rules.
Curated reference clip — “The Basics of BasicMed | Sporty's Pilot Tips,” Sporty's Pilot Shop (YouTube). Embedded with the creator's player; we don't host or alter it. Note: this is an airplane-oriented overview — the BasicMed rule itself is category-neutral and applies to rotorcraft, but confirm any aircraft weight/occupant limits against current 14 CFR Part 68.
You can be legally current (you ticked the 90-day boxes) and still not be proficient (truly competent). Proficiency is the real goal; currency is the floor, not the ceiling. A returning or low-time pilot should fly to a personal standard well above the regulatory minimum.