Preflight · Limits
Personal minimums worksheet
Set your limits on the ground, before there's a flight you want to make. This combines the FAA's Personal Minimums worksheet with AOPA Air Safety Institute's personal minimums contract, so it covers currency and proficiency as well as weather, wind and runways.
Starting values are examples. Change every number to fit you, then sit down with a CFI and sign it. Sources: FAA worksheet · AOPA ASI
Personal minimums · FAQ
Personal minimums, explained
What are personal minimums?
Personal minimums are your own limits for weather, wind, runways, fuel and currency, set stricter than the legal minimums in 14 CFR. You set them on the ground, with a clear head, so the go/no-go decision is already made when a flight comes up.
Is this the FAA or the AOPA personal minimums worksheet?
Both. It follows the FAA Personal Minimums Checklist and worksheet (VFR and IFR weather, wind, performance and the adjust-for-the-day step), and adds the AOPA Air Safety Institute personal minimums contract, which covers currency, proficiency, recurrent training and the I will commitments.
What's the difference between currency and proficiency?
Currency keeps you legal; proficiency keeps you safe. The tool works out your flight review (14 CFR 61.56, 24 calendar months), day and night passenger currency (61.57, 90 days), instrument currency (6 approaches, holding, intercepting and tracking in 6 calendar months), IPC and medical or BasicMed dates, then tracks the recent hours, landings and approaches you want for real proficiency.
What are good personal minimums for a new private pilot?
A common starting point for a new private pilot is a 1,500 ft ceiling and 5 miles visibility for local VFR flights, 3,000 ft and 5 miles for cross-countries, and a crosswind limit well under the POH's demonstrated crosswind. Those are only the example values. Set yours with a CFI and raise them for night, mountains, an unfamiliar airplane or passengers.
Does it work for instrument pilots?
Yes. Tick Instrument and you get IFR personal minimums: departure and en route ceiling and visibility, add-ons for precision and non-precision approaches, radar returns, instrument currency, IPC tracking and approach proficiency.
Can I print and sign it?
Yes. Export PDF builds a printable personal minimums contract with your limits, currency dates, ceiling and visibility charts, the I will commitments and signature lines for you and your CFI. As I say on every checkride: if you write it down, you're far more likely to hold yourself to it.
Free personal minimums worksheet · FAA personal minimums checklist · AOPA personal minimums contract · VFR and IFR personal minimums · pilot currency tracker · flight review and instrument currency calculator · crosswind calculator · printable PDF
