Is a foreign flight review sufficient to keep FAA currency for an FAA foreign-based PPL?

Question

I have a foreign-based PPL issued by the FAA. According to the regulation of my original (non-FAA) PPL, I am required to accomplish a biennial flight review with an authorized instructor in my country. I had a flight review less than a month ago to meet this requirement.

During a checkout flight in the US, the local CFI stated that the flight review must be conducted by an FAA-authorized CFI - therefore the flight review I had in my home country (less than a month ago) is not sufficient. He stated that FAR §61.56 requires I have "Accomplished a flight review given in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated by an authorized instructor", while FAR §61.1 defines an "authorized instructor" as "(ii) A person who holds a flight instructor certificate issued under part 61 of this chapter and is in compliance with §61.197"

The CFI that approved my last flight review is authorized by the local authorities in my country, but not by the FAA under part 61. On the other hand, as far as I know, a foreign-based FAA PPL should be valid as long as the original PPL (it is based on) is valid, without any special additional requirements from the FAA. In my case, my original PPL meets all the requirements by the local authorities in my country. Am I still required to have another flight review, in the US, approved by an FAA-authorized CFI?

Answer 1

The U.S. CFI who gave you the checkout flight is correct in stating that a FAR 61.56 Flight Review must be given by an "authorized instructor" as defined in FAR 61.1 (the CFI certificate of the "authorized instructor" must have been issued under FAR Part 61)

61.56 does provide for some alternative ways of meeting the Flight Review requirement, but completing a Flight Review in your home country is not one of those alternative ways.

One of the most important elements of a 61.56 Flight Review is specified under 61.56 (a)(1) -

"A review of the current general operating and flight rules of part 91 of this chapter;"

A Flight Review from your country, although probably an excellent and comprehensive review, is unlikely to include this required element.

Here is a FAA legal interpretation, while not specifically on point, may help in understanding the basic issue underlying your question:

FAR 61.56 interpretation

Answer 2

When getting the FAA license based on a foreign license there is no test at all, as it is totally dependent on the foreign license stays current. It is a bi-lateral agreements that allow you you fly in a country with a U.S. license and the foreign equally get same right here. Have not seen a specific ruling on the BFR but it does not make much sense to require a U.S. BFR in a certificate that is totally dependent on a foreign certificate staying current.
For my situation, living in the US permanently the situation became problematic the other way, to get a foreign medical and a foreign BFR while doing all my flying in the US, so I took the written and the practical test here after a few hours of instruction and got my PPL issued from FAA with no dependent foreign license.