Definition
A provision in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR Part 61, §61.56(e)) that allows a pilot to satisfy the flight review requirement by successfully completing one or more phases of an FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency program (the WINGS Program) within the preceding 24 calendar months, in lieu of the standard flight review described elsewhere in §61.56.
Plain English
It is the specific rule that says: if you finish a phase of the FAA's WINGS Program, that counts as your flight review. You don't have to do a separate one.
Context Anchor
You will see this reference when reading about the FAA WINGS Program, checking whether WINGS can satisfy your flight review requirement, or discussing logbook endorsements with an instructor.
Derivation
Section comes from a Latin word meaning “to cut.” In rules and laws, a section is a specific cut-out part of a larger document. The numbers and letter in 61.56(e) point to one exact paragraph inside the FAA’s pilot certification rules.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots a flexible, structured alternative to the traditional flight review while maintaining regulatory compliance and improving safety skills.
Analogy
A regulation citation works like an address. “61.56(e)” does not describe the whole rulebook; it points you to one exact paragraph in one exact rule.
Intuition Check
Do not read “section” here as a chapter in a handbook or a training section. In this context, section 61.56(e) is an exact legal reference to one paragraph of an FAA regulation.
Example Sentence 1
Rather than scheduling a traditional flight review, she completed a WINGS phase under section 61.56(e) and remained current to act as pilot in command.
Example Sentence 2
Before scheduling a flight review, the instructor checked whether section 61.56(e) already covered the requirement through recent WINGS activity.