Change to commercial checkrides

The FAA has removed the requirement that applicants for a commercial rating provide a complex or turbine aircraft for their checkride.

Lots of good commentary on this elsewhere on the web, but I'll focus on its implications for MyFlightbook here.

MyFlightbook has never enforced this requirement on the checkride itself.  It simply assumes that if you marked the flight as having been a commercial checkride, that in fact it was and that you passed.  (If you managed to do so without having a complex aircraft prior to this rule change, then your DPE probably should no longer be allowed to conduct checkrides!).

The main place where this affects MyFlightbook is in your progress towards your commercial rating.  Specifically, 61.129(a/b)(3)(ii) requires 10 hours of complex (or turbine) training.  MyFlightbook does enforce this in computing your progress.

The removal of the checkride requirement explicitly states that "there is no change ... to the commercial pilot aeronautical experience requirements of § 61.129(a)(3)(ii) or part 141 appendix D." 

This is interesting because it only slightly reduces the cost burden to getting a commercial rating - instead of 10hrs + checkride in a complex aircraft, you now only need 10hrs, which, if access is to the aircraft is a challenge is also only marginally easier.

But from a logbook perspective, it means that there is essentially no change.  You still need the 10 hours of complex/turbine training, and MyFlightbook will still look for it.