The event is scheduled for October 15-17 on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“Last year’s summit was successful because of the strong technical program delivered by industry leaders and experts. This year will be the same,” said NAFI president Paul Preidecker. “But instead of addressing six themes as we did last year, this year we decided to bring more focus by supporting three very important ones: training the trainer, mentorship, and peer support, and pilot health and well-being.”

The event—which has the slogan, “Come to NAFI Summit, go home a better CFI”—is an opportunity for instructors of all levels and varying backgrounds to meet with their peers and discuss educational techniques, learner challenges, and opportunities to enhance their careers.

There will be 28 educational sessions during the two days. Among the topics to be discussed will be specific strategies instructors can use to “reach” their learners, as well as more technical topics such as the appropriate uses of autopilot during IFR and teaching emergency procedures in the most effective manner.

According to NAFI, there will be 21 exhibitors at the event, including Sporty’s Pilot Shop, King Schools, Avemco Insurance, and Redbird Flight Simulations. Several online training courses will be represented, as well as manufacturers of safety wearables, designed to enhance the educational experience.

Celebrity guests are also expected, and include keynote speakers Dr. Susan Northrup, FAA federal air surgeon, and Bruce Landsberg, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association senior safety adviser and recently retired National Transportation Safety Board vice chairman.

Northrup will be discussing the FAA’s rulemaking committee report. Instructors are tasked with knowing the rules and where to look them up and teaching this practice to their learners.

Landsberg will focus on how instructors can best teach fundamental aviation concepts to their learners.

On the evening of October 16, a dinner will be highlighted by aviation educators and instructors John and Martha King. The Kings have more than 50 years experience as aviation instructors. 

Registration for NAFI Summit is $350 for nonmembers and $300 for NAFI members. Further discounts exist for Master CFIs and DPEs, as well as active military attendees.

There is also reduced pricing for flight schools that sign up as a group and bring at least three instructors or a maximum of 10 to the event.

Additional information, including how to register, may be found here.

The post NAFI Unveils Focus of Upcoming Summit appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Often the instructor leaves a space or empty line to record a dual instructional flight—or forgets to sign it off because the end of the lesson was hurried. Either the CFI, learner, or both had someplace else to be. There was the intention to sign off on the flight time later, but before this could happen the CFI moved on.

Without the instructor’s signature, those hours of dual don’t count toward the experience requirements for a certificate or rating. In essence, the learner may end up paying for these hours twice.

Both the learner and CFI need to take responsibility for this. Structure the lessons so that you have at least five minutes to fill out and sign the logbook—if you are going to be late, you are going to be late. This is that important.

Log the Time Correctly

Logging the flight incorrectly can also void the experience. FAR 61.51(b) provides the details on what should be logged in a “manner acceptable to the administrator,” and that includes total flight or lesson time, type and identification of aircraft, flight simulator or training device, and flight or ground training received.

The logbook is a legal document, and precision counts. Write out what maneuvers were done, how long the flight was, and include any ground discussion—your logbook might read 1.2 flight, climbs, turns, descent, 0.2 under hood, and then note the number of takeoffs and landings.

Flight instructors should also include the time spent in pre- and post-flight briefing. I denote this with a “G” and a description of what was discussed—for example, 0.3 G “ground reference maneuvers.”

• READ MORE: Make Flight Reviews for CFIs Worthwhile

If the lesson is all ground discussion, that should also be logged, and some logbooks have a preprinted section for this. Again, give details. “Review aircraft systems” is too vague. Instead, go with “aircraft systems for Cessna 172N, pitot static vacuum, electrical, engine, oil, gyroscopic.” If the logbook doesn’t have a predetermined section for ground instruction, create one—the same can be done for AATD instruction.

Make sure to have the CFI clearly label instruction given in any “areas found deficient” from the knowledge test, as this is required and needs to be appropriately accounted for. The examiner will want to see that during the check ride.

Details, Details

Do you remember the first time you put the details of the flight in your first logbook? Some flight schools have the learners do this from day one. The CFI tells the learner what to write, then the instructor reads the entry to make sure it is correct and signs. Some CFIs learn the hard way not to sign and then let the learner fill in the details. While most people are honest, there are some learners who take advantage of the instructor’s trust and pad their hours.

If the learner believes the CFI is looking for shortcuts, the learner will likely be looking for them too. It’s not uncommon to find a logbook filled with line after line of “pattern work,” “practice area,” or “VFR maneuvers” under both dual instruction and solo flights. What maneuvers? Please be specific. Was one of those flights completed for currency? A proficiency flight? A particular solo lesson from the syllabus? Label them as such.

• READ MORE: Who Is Teaching? Low Time and Social Media Make for a Bad Combo

Learners and pilots, please take ownership of your training—initial or recurrent. As you fill up a page in your logbook, total the numbers, check your math, and then go back through the FAR/AIM to the experience section for the rating or certificate sought and determine what requirements have been met, what needs to be done, and then discuss with your CFI how to meet them.

The Long Goodbye

“When he gets back in town, we’re going to fly again,” the learner said. His CFI was now flying right seat for an air ambulance company. His schedule was two weeks on, one week off. If your CFI is being pulled in multiple directions, you need to be realistic about whether this business relationship still meets your needs.

Learners can get very attached to their CFI and won’t want to fly with anyone else. If the CFI is only available once a week, the training spreads out, with very little skill progression. It’s like going to the gym just once a week and expecting to see results. The lack of progress leads to frustration, which often evolves into apathy and sometimes the termination of training.

• READ MORE: Practice Crosswind Landings Whenever You Can

The CFI can suggest someone for the learner to fly with, and a meeting between the involved parties will make sure the transition is seamless. But even this doesn’t guarantee a good fit. A learner who had a good relationship with a professional CFI may find themselves in the clutches of a time builder who ignores the previously logged experience and demonstrated skills and makes them repeat it. It is particularly egregious if the learner is enrolled in a Part 141 program, where the change of CFI should be seamless, but there are some sleazy flight schools that insist learners repeat the training so they can pad the bill.

Under Part 61 the learner should insist on a stage check using the syllabus and airman certification standards (ACS) as the performance metrics. Sadly, there are some instructors who eschew the syllabus because they weren’t trained with one and will say the ACS is not required until the check ride. If this is the attitude you encounter, keep looking.

Plan the Departure

If you are the CFI who intends to move on, let your learners know your plan and work together to get the learner to a hard-stop point, such as the check ride, past solo, or particular stage check before you go.

No matter what, advise the learner to expect a skill evaluation with the replacement CFI. This should consist of both a ground session as well as flight. Remind the learners to manage their expectations. They shouldn’t anticipate a single flight to lead to a solo endorsement for check ride signoff. That’s just not realistic.

Working Around the Gap

As a final note, if you have a gap like this and the CFI is no longer locally available, reach out to your former instructor to see if they are comfortable writing out the required entry and signing off then taking a digital image of it and emailing it to you. Some DPEs are comfortable with that means to document experience. You can also call the local Flight Standards District Office for guidance.

This column first appeared in the April 2024/Issue 947 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Separation Anxiety: When Your Instructor Moves on, Your Logbook Tells the Story appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

To take advantage of the so-called pilot shortage, many schools and independent instructors have adopted the check-the-box style of instruction, and when the applicant has completed the tasks listed in FAR 61.109 and passed their knowledge test, they are sent to the designated pilot examiner (DPE) for their check ride. According to examiners across the country, there is a trend of only half of the applicants passing the check ride on the first try—despite having logged the experience, they don’t know the material. And there are others who don’t meet the experience requirements for the certificate, which is often found during a review of the applicant’s logbook and should have been caught much earlier.

I am not a DPE, but for several years I have been a check pilot providing mock check rides for applicants at the request of their CFIs.

The culture of many flight schools and some independent instructors is “train them quickly.” As such, many applicants go into their check rides with minimum experience and abilities because they were trained by an instructor with minimum experience and abilities. This can lead to blind spots and soft spots in the applicant’s skills and knowledge. FLYING offers a few tips to help you avoid this.

Use a Syllabus

Preparation for a successful check ride begins with the use of a syllabus. It provides guidance and a clear path to certification as each lesson has competition standards. You know when you have done well if you meet these standards. Required in a Part 141 environment, highly recommended in Part 61, have it with you for all lessons be they in the air, in the classroom, or AATD.

If your instructor wasn’t trained using a syllabus, they may be reluctant to use one. Insist on it.

When a Part 61 learner says, “I think my instructor is using one,” it makes me want to cry out like someone just blew up Alderaan. If you haven’t seen it, or if you don’t have a copy of it during the lesson, you’re not using one.

• READ MORE: Is a Medical Certificate Required for a Private Pilot Check Ride?

Use the ACS from Day One

Utilize the private pilot airman certification standards (ACS) from the get-go. These are the minimum standards the applicant must meet in order to achieve their certificate. To put it into perspective, meeting the metrics of the ACS is like getting a “C” in a class. C grades may still result in a degree, but strive to do better.

For example, if the ACS states that during takeoff the applicant will “maintain V_X/V_Y as appropriate +10/-5 knots to a safe maneuvering attitude,” focus on nailing the airspeed. Every time. If the POH says V_X is 67 knots, fly at 67 knots.

While it is unlikely that you will meet the ACS metrics the first time you fly a maneuver or demonstrate knowledge, it is much easier to train to the metric rather than trying to clean up a sloppy performance later. Sadly, many private pilot applicants are told they don’t “need the ACS yet” when they begin their training. Establishing a criteria for what are acceptable standards from the first lesson can help both the learner and CFI stay on track and keep the learner engaged in the process.

CFIs: Remember many learners drop out of training because they don’t know what is expected of them or if they are doing it right. The ACS, coupled with the syllabus, answers these questions.

Aim High

The four levels of learning are rote, understanding, application, and correlation. Aim for correlation, and understand the what, why, and when of a topic. So, for example, if you are asked to provide a scenario when V_X is appropriate, be able to answer the when and the why, such as “short field takeoff technique is appropriate when there is an obstacle off the departure end of the runway.”

Application, correlation, and understanding are critical when it comes to aircraft systems. You can tell when an applicant is responding by rote, such as if the pilot of a fuel-injected aircraft suggests that an uncommanded loss of engine power they experienced in flight is probably because of “carburetor” icing.

• READ MORE: Use Study Guides for a Better Check Ride Experience

Update Your Logbook

There’s a running joke at flight schools that you know when some is getting ready for a check ride because they are playing catch-up, totaling their logbook. Doing this in a rush is when mistakes happen. It is much better to total up page by page, checking the math twice before you commit it to ink.

All instruction received should be logged, per FAR 61.51: flying, AATD, and ground. It’s all valuable. Periodically go through your logbook, noting your experience acquired and the requirements for private pilot certification as stated in FAR 61.109.

Double-check that you both have the experience and that it is properly logged, as incorrectly logged experience can nullify a check ride before it begins.

For example, logging “night flight” on a line means the applicant flew at night. The night requirement for the private pilot candidate is more than “three hours of night.” There is also a cross-country and 10 takeoffs and landings with the caveat that the landings must be full stop. Make sure your logbook reflects this.

Your instructor is responsible for making sure you have all the endorsements necessary for the check ride. The examiner will look for the TSA endorsement, first solo, initial cross-country, subsequent solo endorsements, additional cross-country flights, satisfactory aeronautical knowledge, additional training in areas found deficient on the knowledge test, three hours of check ride prep within two calendar months in preparation for the practical test, and flight proficiency for the practical test.

A list of the endorsements and appropriate language can be found in Advisory Circular 61-65. Although your logbook may have preprinted endorsements, the savvy CFIs will refer to the language in the AC and defer to it.

Make sure your solo endorsement is current as well.

Prep for the Knowledge Test

The minimum passing score is 70—but the better you do on the test, the easier the check ride can be.

When the examiner receives your application (filed electronically with the help of your instructor), they review your knowledge test score to develop a plan of action for the check ride. A wrong answer is considered an “area found deficient,” and that is often where the oral exam begins.

The test codes are found in the ACS, so you should know where your soft spots are.

You may have only missed one question in the area— like aircraft performance—but your CFI should drill you on it, as the DPE will be using your knowledge exam results to tailor the check ride.

Use Your Reference Material

While there is an awful lot of information for a pilot to remember, one of the most important skills you can have is knowing where to look up something to verify the information. The VFR sectional has a legend, so you don’t have to guess at what kind of airspace that is. Chapter 3 in the AIM has details on dimensions of airspace, cloud clearances, and visibility.

Whether electronic or paper, there are certain things you want tabbed to make it easier to find— for example, in the FAR/AIM Part 1 definitions, 61.109, aeronautical experience required for a private pilot, Chapters 3 and 7 of the AIM (Airspace and Meteorology), etc.

A good pilot knows how to use these resources to look up the information and takes the initiative to do this. If you cannot or will not do this, flying is not for you.

Verify the Aircraft Paperwork

Before a check ride can happen, the applicant and DPE must go through the aircraft maintenance logbook to make sure it meets the airworthiness requirements. Sadly, the check ride is often the first time some applicants have seen the logbooks for the aircraft.

Avoid this situation by sitting down with your CFI and going through the logbooks to verify the aircraft is airworthy, using the acronym AAV1ATE as your guide (ADs complied with, annual inspections, VOR every 30 days, 100-hour, altimeter/pitot static system every 24 calendar months, transponder every 24 calendar months, ELT check). Before your check ride, find the

most recent inspections and put a Post-it note on them so you can easily find them to show the examiner.

Make sure the aircraft’s dispatch paperwork, such as the weight and balance sheet, is up to date.

Study Multiple Nav Modes

The flying portion of the check ride has the applicant flying a preplanned cross-country flight. The examiner will supply the destination. You will fly one, perhaps two legs of it, but fill out the navlog completely, including estimated time to top of climb, runway distance required, radio frequencies, etc.

If the aircraft has a GPS, know how to program it—and, more importantly, how to fly if the GPS—or ForeFlight if using your iPad—“fails.” And it likely will, as the examiner will fail them during the flight to see if you can navigate by pilotage and ded reckoning. Be sure you can. Be able to read a VFR sectional.

Have a current sectional and chart supplement. If you have a dated version of the FAR/AIM in hard copy (paper), have an electronic version at your fingertips so you can look something up if needed. The printed version goes out of date quickly, which is why many pilots prefer the e-version.

Take a Mock Ride

Insist on a mock check ride with an instructor you don’t usually fly with—preferably one with a lot of experience with the DPE you will be testing with. They probably have a stack of debriefs from their learners containing questions the DPE asked in the past. These are called gouges, and while they are helpful, don’t bother to memorize them as each DPE will create a plan of action individualized to the applicant.

The best pilots go into their check rides overprepared and come out the other side with a smile on their face and a certificate in their pocket.

This column first appeared in the March 2024/Issue 946 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Passing Your Private Pilot Check Ride Requires the Right Preparation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The long-awaited update to the Flight Instructor for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-25) has been released. The 111-page document has been in development since before the pandemic, the process was slowed when COVID-19 shut down the world. It replaces the FAA-S-8081-6D, Flight Instructor Practical Test Standards for Airplane, dated June 2012.

The ACS contains the minimum standards that a pilot must meet for certification. 

According to David St. George, executive director of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), the update to the CFI ACS began in 2016 when the private pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6) was released, and the FAA working group learned that the slow flight task had been rewritten to eliminate “minimum controllable airspeed.” That meant the stall warning horn couldn’t be activated during the demonstration of slow flight or else the applicant could potentially receive a notice of disapproval. 

This was exceptionally challenging as the aircraft, at the discretion of the examiner, could be configured with flaps down. So much as a slight increase in the angle of attack, reduction of power, or increase in load factor in a turn could result in the activation of the stall warning device, resulting in a notice of disapproval from the examiner.

That has changed, said St. George, who is also a designated pilot examiner (DPE). As in the CFI ACS, the task now requires flight with the stall warning on at the discretion of the examiner, and “a full explanation and description of ‘flight characteristics in the region of reversed command and possible loss of control’ is also required.”

This is important, according to St. George, as loss-of-control incidents, which usually are the result of a surprise stall from which the pilot does not recover, are still the primary cause of fatal accidents. There is hope that this change to the CFI ACS will eventually migrate to the Private Pilot ACS. In addition secondary stalls are also now part of the ACS.

“Many examiners I have spoken with have noticed a decrease in flight training focus and also applicant skill and awareness in this area,” St. George said. “[It’s] a dark scary corner of the flight envelope, but critical to safety.”

Said Karen Kalishek, a DPE and the chair of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFF): “Reintroducing minimum controllable airspeed to the testing standards is another welcome update that will enhance prospective CFIs’  training and abilities. The ACS provides a structure consistent with other testing standards. Importantly, the updated testing standards add emphasis to risk awareness and mitigation, key points to improving aviation safety. The ACS’ added focus on fundamentals of instructing is also a positive change which will encourage increased preparation by potential new instructors.”

CFI ACS Adds Electronics

One notable addition: The CFI ACS now allows the use of electronic flight alerts (ADS-B) and electronic flight bags, and preparation, presentation, and explanation of  computer-generated flight plans are an acceptable option. This is good news to CFI applicants who throughout their training never fully learned how to fill out and use a paper navlog and, therefore, are unable to teach it.

The number of appendices in the ACS has also been reduced. This nonregulatory material was relocated to the Airman Certification Standards Companion Guide for Pilots (FAA-G-ACS-2), which is considered a companion guide to the ACS.

Applicants, instructors, and evaluators should consult this companion guide to familiarize with ACS procedures. The CFI ACS goes into effect May 31.

The post New Airman Certification Standards for CFIs Is Released appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Perhaps they have held a student pilot certificate for several years—and have completed most, if not all the requirements for the private pilot certificate—but they are reluctant to take the check ride. It isn’t a case of running out of money or not having the time to fly. The delay in taking a check ride could be a case of not having confidence. 

The CFI endorsement for the check ride is good for 60 days. Ideally, you would have been in touch with the designated pilot examiner (DPE) and set up the check ride before the CFI signed you off.

Be careful about self-imposed delays. You don’t want to lose your proficiency, and if you delay, you may find your knowledge test that was good for 24 calendar months has expired or your medical certificate has turned into a pumpkin. If your solo endorsement, which is good for 90 days, expires, and the CFI perceives you have been dragging your feet, don’t be surprised if the instructor is reluctant to sign you off for another 90 days. This is especially true if you are training under Part 61, where the CFI is responsible for every person they endorse for solo. 

• READ MORE: How to Find Your Best Ground School Fit

A colleague faced this with a learner who owned his own aircraft. The learner had fulfilled the requirements for the private pilot certificate and flew twice a week, so it wasn’t a matter of being unproficient. He just didn’t want to take the test. There were 20 days left on the check-ride endorsement when the CFI gave the learner another 90 solo endorsement with a warning that this was the last one. I believe the phrase “put on your big boy pants and go take the check ride” was used. The CFI told him he would not endorse him again. The learner admitted he was nervous about the check ride and lacked confidence. The response to this was a barrage of mock check rides with different instructors. Although we didn’t have to endorse him, when three others gave the blessing, he felt ready to go.

Don’t Be Pushy

The opposite of the learner lacking confidence is the impatient, pushy student who shops around for endorsements.

They are in a hurry and have a “check-the-box” mentality. They may challenge the CFI and try to bully the instructor into supplying the endorsement for the check ride. It’s not just private pilots either. A colleague working with a multiengine instructor (MEI) candidate received an email from a local DPE who wanted to know why he had not signed the applicant’s 8710 application for a new instrument or rating. The perplexed would-be recommending instructor replied “because we’ve only flown twice, and he’s not even close to being ready. ” When confronted, the MEI candidate somewhat sheepishly admitted he figured if the DPE assigned him a test date, the instructor would have to sign him off.

Shopping for Endorsements

When a CFI endorses your logbook, their signature is a statement confirming that based on their observations, you are competent to do that particular activity. If the CFI hasn’t flown with you, don’t expect them to endorse your logbook. Yet there are some learners who go from CFI to CFI looking for a flightless endorsement or a quick flight and a quick signature. These learners can be almost predatory, looking for a CFI they can persuade to sign them off with minimal effort.

A private pilot applicant whom I had never flown with wanted me to endorse him for the check ride. He was frustrated because although he had achieved the experience requirements, his CFI refused to sign him off. He thought it was a personal grudge on the part of the CFI. I was skeptical. I knew the CFI and asked for their perspective. He said that although the applicant had logged the required experience, his ground knowledge was soft in spots, and his airmanship was “hit or miss” at best. The CFI told the learner he needed more practice to meet the standards, and once the learner met them, the endorsement would be forthcoming. The learner had burned through two other CFIs at the school. He had a pattern.

• READ MORE: Who Is Teaching? Low Time and Social Media Make for a Bad Combo

I did a mock check ride with the learner. Some things he did very well—others not so much. I saw the soft spots and made suggestions as to how he could improve. This was not what he wanted to hear. The learner had a bad case if “my other CFI said.” He had done much of his training in another state, and when a different CFI pointed out the soft spots or things that needed improvement, the learner would reply defensively, “It was good enough for (names previous instructor).” Maybe it was; maybe it wasn’t. But at this point at this time, the minimum standards were not being met, so no endorsement was given.

The learner verbalized his frustration and made an appointment for another flight, then was a no-show. He disappeared for a few months, returning when most of the cadre of CFIs had turned over. He had a tendency to approach the younger, more inexperienced CFIs, claiming a CFI who had “just left” “forgot” to endorse him. He played the same game with solo endorsements—he needed those to rent aircraft.

The local flight schools began to warn each other about him. He had a tendency to try to bully the dispatchers. Some had notes posted at the front desk warning not to rent to him. It took him more than four years for him to finish his certificate—he ended up going to an accelerated program out of state.

• READ MORE: Redbird: Learning to Fly Has Gotten More Expensive

It’s not just the younger, inexperienced CFIs who are the targets of the endorsement hunters. It’s the out-of-practice, return-to-the-fold CFIs who can fall prey as well. A recently retired 777 captain who returned to active instruction after a 20-year hiatus gained a reputation for being quick to endorse, particularly with first solo learners.

“How do you get through all 15 things in 61.87 in a one-hour flight?” I asked when I learned he had endorsed a Part 61 learner who had just four hours dual logged and was only a third of the way through the private pilot pre-solo syllabus. 

The retired 777 captain gave me a blank stare. They had done a few laps in the pattern, he said,  and that was good enough for him. He’d also neglected to give the learner the pre-solo exam. The flight school owner and the chief instructor pulled him aside for some education. He explained that “things were different from when he taught back in the day.” 

The post Beware of Perpetual Students and Endorsement Hunters appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Redbird Flight Simulations asked questions along these lines for its annual report on the state of flight training.

Redbird’s 2024 report was culled from survey responses that included questions about the frequency of training flight, use of a syllabus, and how busy flight schools are to name a few.

The report consulted CFIs who work at flight schools from the mom-and-pop variety with a handful of “seasoned” trainers to the larger academy style with 20 or more later model aircraft.

• READ MORE: EAA Education Center Continues to Expand with New Investment

This year 1,701 people responded to the survey, representing a 57 percent increase over 2023.

Student pilots were put into three categories: active, lapsed (have not flown within three months), and prospective. Active pilots were defined as a certificated pilot who has flown in the past 12 months but isn’t receiving training toward a new certificate or rating.

The survey took information from student pilots, lapsed and prospective pilots, flight instructors, and designated pilot examiners.

Among the findings, according to the 27-page report, are that flight schools are busier than they have been before—so much so that some have waitlists. Of those surveyed, 70 percent received flight training, 49 percent received ground training, and 18 percent received a new rating or certificate.

The survey found the cost of training has increased—you’re looking at $14,000 for a private pilot license (PPL), taking an average 24 weeks. Last year, training costs for a PPL averaged $12,500. According to the report the most expensive certificate is the commercial pilot license (CPL), costing $15,000 and requiring an average training time of 18 weeks.

According to the survey, 48 percent of the pilots flew one to 50 hours in the past year, and 28 percent 50 to 100 hours.

At least 83 percent of the active students did their training at one flight school with more than one primary CFI, and 57 percent were on the professional pilot track.

• READ MORE: FLYING’s Flight School Guide

When asked to rate their CFIs on a scale of 1 to 5, the average rating was 4.3 while the flight schools received a 3.6.

The survey also asked about the use of simulation technology for flight training. According to respondents, students and prospective students placed a higher value on its use than many instructors.

The survey also took note of the challenges facing flight training. Both flight schools and independent CFIs noted they had concerns about aircraft insurance, maintenance challenges, and pilot examiner availability. The schools also reported some concerns about finding and hiring qualified flight instructors.

• READ MORE: What Is the Right Age To Start Flight Training?

The report did not address CFI turnover. This can have a dramatic impact on the quality of instruction given, as it takes awhile to learn to be an effective teacher. According to the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators and the National Association of Flight Instructors, many CFIs actively teaching have less than a year of experience as flight instructors. 

The Redbird survey also determined that getting CFIs to use a syllabus is still a challenge as 32 percent of the learners surveyed said their CFI didn’t use one.

Designated Pilot Examiners (DPE) were also included in the survey. The average number of applicant tests conducted in one year by full-time DPEs was 245, while part time DPEs did 130 tests. When asked about the quality of applicants as compared to five years ago, 45 percent of the DPEs stated the applicants were worse and cited a lack of preparation of the applicant followed by a lack of skill as the dominant factors in check-ride failures.

More information about Redbird’s “The State of Flight Training” 2024 survey and report may be found here.

The post Redbird: Learning to Fly Has Gotten More Expensive appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This question is being asked a lot at local airports, because as part of the Department of Transportation, the FAA will most certainly be affected as employees will be furloughed. 

This isn’t the first time this has happened, and lessons learned from previous federal government shutdowns have helped the FAA craft a plan to make sure aviation does not grind to a halt.

• READ MORE: Aviation, Trade Sectors Brace for Government Shutdown 

Designated pilot examiners (DPEs) will still be able to administer check rides, however, the principal operations inspector that the DPE works with to process the check ride requests and subsequent issuance of the certificates won’t be getting paid.

On Thursday, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg held a press conference to outline the impact of the government shutdown, calling attention to the fact that members of the U.S. armed forces in addition to the thousands of civil servants that oversee America’s transportation infrastructure will not be paid during the shutdown.

A shutdown could begin as early as Saturday, and it would have a detrimental impact on the national aviation infrastructure, particularly ATC, Buttigieg warned in saying that the shutdown would furlough 1,000 controllers currently in the training pipeline.

“Even a shutdown of a few days could mean we will not hit our staffing and hiring targets next year,” he said.

What Continues During a Shutdown

According to DOT, the following activities will continue during a lapse in annual appropriation and authorization:

• Air traffic control services
• Maintenance and operation of navigational aids and other facilities
• Flight standards field inspections
• Airworthiness directives
• Airmen medical certifications
• Certain certification activities
• Issuance of waivers for UAS and in support of other safety and security operations
• Approval of exemptions for unmanned aerial systems operations
• On-call accident investigations
• Air traffic control specialist (ATCS) medical clearances
• Air traffic safety oversight (limited)
• Commercial space launch oversight and licensing
• Command, control, communications, and intelligence (i.e., regions and HQ operations centers, intelligence threat watch, and emergency communication support)
• Foreign relations on aviation safety-related matters
• FAA’s aircraft and airman registry
• Congressional liaison services, to the extent that they are necessarily implied from the authorized continuation of legislative activity
• Support functions necessary to provide timely payments to contractors and grantees

What Stops During a Shutdown

There are a number of activities that will cease during the shutdown. These include:

• All Airport Improvement Program (AIP) activities during a lapse in authorization 
• Passenger facility charge approvals
• Airport planning and environmental services funded by Airport Improvement Program (AIP) contract authority
• Development of new air traffic control specialists not certified to work a position
• Aviation rulemaking
• Random drug testing of the nonsafety workforce
• Facility security inspections
• Routine personnel security background investigations
• Continuity of operations planning
• Development, operational testing, and evaluation of next gen technologies
• Development of next gen safety standards 
• Air traffic performance analysis
• Capital planning for FAA facilities and equipment
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You can fly at least one approach at this airport without the use of GPS, or even DME. And you don’t have to be psychic or sift through every airport and all the approaches they have to know this. You can tell by the note on the IFR enroute low altitude chart denoting “MON,” or minimum operational network, over the airport information box.

Transition to MON VORS

The FAA is decommissioning a significant number of VORs as we transition our national airspace system to rely upon performance-based navigation and area navigation systems. Most of us are familiar with these systems in the form of GPS.

There remains a potential for a GPS outage, signal blocking, or a failure of GPS systems onboard an aircraft. In each of these cases, a pilot should have a backup plan that doesn’t rely on GPS to get safely to the ground.

One of these options lies in the designation of MON-serviced airports. These airports are called out as a part of the FAA’s decommissioning of 30 percent of the VOR network by 2025.

What ‘MON’ Means on a Chart

MON airports are a relatively recent addition to IFR charts, indicating the airport offers an approach a pilot could complete without assistance from ATC, GPS, or DME systems. MON designations on low altitude enroute charts are the FAA’s method of indicating to a pilot that the airport has at least one approach not requiring GPS or DME systems.

These airports will ensure that a pilot will always be within 100 nm of an airport with an instrument approach not dependent on GPS or DME. The VOR MON is designed to be a reversionary service maintained by the FAA for use by aircraft unable to navigate using RNAV-based services during GPS outages. This is not to say all approaches at such an airport will be possible without using GPS or DME, but at least one approach will be available. The FAA’s goal is to ensure airports throughout the national airspace system are available in the event of a GPS outage.

MON Approach Options

The approach(es) not requiring GPS or DME might include straight-in and/or circling approach options. There is no guarantee that an available approach will be a precision one, however.

These airports may include an ILS approach to provide a glideslope option for lower approach minimums, or one without a glideslope, such as LOC-only or VOR-only approaches. In each of these cases, a pilot can get down to the lowest possible height above the ground in an emergency when one of these approaches becomes critically needed. With these options, the pilot will likely start the approach with a transition from the enroute environment to an approach utilizing a VOR as a transition point.

Longer Distances

A key part of making this transition possible has been the expansion of the ranges of use for remaining VOR stations. As the FAA has decommissioned some VORs, it has enhanced the service volumes of those that comprise the MON network.

The FAA included the new service volumes for VORs in the 2022 issue of the Aeronautical Information Manual. Most notable is that a pilot flying above 5,000 feet agl can expect the VOR service volume to be reliable for 70 nm from the station, an expansion from the previous 40 nm—which is still applicable when flying below 5,000 feet agl. This enhanced volume allows a pilot to transition to a VOR and onto an approach at greater distances than in the past.

About Alternatives

When we plan for alternate airports as IFR pilots, we most commonly think about weather requirement considerations. It might also be a good idea to research what navigation services an alternate airport might have.

Using a MON airport as an alternate allows a pilot to use a different navigation system if a transition to an alternate becomes necessary after a missed approach. Making MON part of your alternate selection process could become part of your best practices when filing IFR flight plans. Giving yourself all possible options isn’t a bad thing. While a MON airport might be slightly further away than another potential alternate, it does guarantee more navigation options.

A word of caution: It is always a good idea to make sure no NOTAMs are in effect that might affect your smooth transition to an alternate airport. Just because an airport is printed on the chart doesn’t mean it is always an option.

Non-WAAS GPS Aircraft

Some aircraft may be required to use airports that meet MON status. It may depend on the navigation systems and limitations of that particular aircraft.

For aircraft with GPS but not WAAS-capable systems, the benefit of filing alternate airports with approaches that do not require the use of GPS is still applicable. While many aircraft are equipped withWAAS-capable GPS navigators, some have not been upgraded. 

In these cases, a pilot seeking to file an alternate airport that doesn’t require GPS might find that MON airports are suitable—and handy—options.

Not Always the Biggest—or Busiest

I have noticed that airports designated as MON are not always the biggest or busiest. I suspect this is by design. If we experienced a period when a large number of aircraft needed to transition to a backup plan, we might not want them all going to airports with large traffic volumes. Also, the MON airports won’t always have runways long enough for larger aircraft.

Making the transition to considering MON airports and what that means for an IFR pilot may seem confusing at the outset, but through clear identification on enroute charts, pilots can quickly make planning decisions about alternates. Potentially more critically, a pilot can identify the best option to get on the ground during an in-flight loss of GPS service. Learning a little about MON airports might give you the information to safely manage a change of available navigation system service in flight. The LOC Runway 11 at Olney-Noble Airport (KOLY) in Illinois, with an approach you can fly without GPS or DME systems, might not be a location you planned to visit—but it might be where you end up if things didn’t go as planned at your original destination.

This approach can be established and flown without the help of ATC. An example of an approach critical to the MON system, it allows a pilot to get down safely in the event of a GPS outage. This approach is a critical part of the infrastructure of backup options and an example of many around the country in place to give pilots an option if they cannot complete an approach that requires DME or GPS services.

Establishing onto the Approach

A “full approach” is something most pilots don’t have to do often, instead taking advantage of air traffic control vectoring services to establish onto the final approach path of most procedures. But if ATC is unavailable or unable to offer those services, a pilot might need to get themself established. On the LOC Runway 11 approach at KOLY, this could be done by flying to either the Bible Grove (BIB) or Centralia (ENL) VORs that serve as initial approach fixes (IAFs). From either of these points, a pilot could travel in boundon feeder routes to intercept the localizer course of 110 degrees using the 110.5 localizer frequency.

LOC Only

This approach offers localizer (LOC) only services, therefore it does not include glide slope options. The approach is technically non-precision, but certainly more accurate laterally than just a VOR approach, and it guides a pilot along the 110-degree inbound course to the airport.

DME Available, but Not Required

While it is helpful if an aircraft is equipped with either an IFR-capable GPS or DME, it is not required for this particular approach. A pilot might choose to identify the ALAKE or LYMON waypoints using DME, but the final approach fix at LYMON could also be identified using a cross radial on the localizer with the BIB VOR on the 134-degree radial. This could identify the LYMON FAF from which the pilot could continue the descent to either the appropriate straight-in localizer minimums, or the circling minimums suited for their approach speed if they were circling to another runway for landing.

Timing Might Become Critical

Using a timer on this approach might be required and is a commonly overlooked item for many pilots when transitioning beyond the FAF. In the absence of DME or a GPS to help identify when to go missed, a pilot on this approach needs to rely on timing. 

A pilot starting a timer at the LYMON FAF needs to estimate their ground speed and use the table on the chart to determine when they would reach the missed approach point. A pilot flying the approach at 120 knots would fly for two minutes and 18 seconds while descending to their minimum descent altitude, and go missed if they had not seen the runway environment. This skill can easily get rusty for pilots who rely on GPS to tell them when to go missed. Practice the move in case you need it on an approach such as this.

Missed Via Radials

Even if the pilot goes missed, the DME (or substituted GPS) would not be required for flying the climbing right turn to 2,400 feet on a 290-degree heading, intercepting the BIB VOR R-172, and then holding at the ALAKE intersection where the BIB VOR and LOC have a holding pattern depicted. This might require a pilot to shake some rust off their cross-radial skills, but the process remains valid and potentially critical for use if GPS systems become unavailable.

A more traditional approach like those many old school pilots (a label I am identifying with more and more as years go by) flew as the standard still has strong validity in our current system. Keep your skills sharp for approaches such as this in case you ever need to use them.

This article was originally published in the February 2023 Issue 934 of FLYING.

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Answer: You can find someone else. Most flight schools do have favorite DPEs and not-so-favorite DPEs, and there are DPEs who chose not to work with particular flight schools for various reasons, but usually, DPEs are not assigned to flight schools.

The FAA has a list of available DPEs qualified to do the check ride in your area. That information can be found here.

• READ MORE: What Impact Does Time Change Have on Aviation?

Once the endorsement for the check ride is in your logbook, you have 60 days to get the ride done, or else a CFI needs to give you an additional three hours of training in preparation for the check ride—the lapse of the 60 days does not mean you have to repeat all the training.

The statement that the check ride endorsement is only good in the state you have been training is inaccurate. As the FAA is a federal agency, the endorsement is good in any state. Good luck on your check ride!

• READ MORE: How Do New Flight Students Obtain Credentials?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

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“It’s been going up and down for days,” said Doug Stewart, a DPE from the east coast. Stewart was also the first executive director of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators, an organization that, along with the National Association of Flight Instructors, strives to improve the quality of flight instruction to create better pilots.

Applicants who logged in on March 1 were told, “The IACRA system is currently undergoing system maintenance.”

• READ MORE: DPEs Report Workforce Shortage as Symposium Approaches

Some 36 hours later, the message remained up while IACRA remained down.

According to Stewart, it is unclear if applicants who filled out their applications for their check rides are wondering if the system saved the information or if they have to fill it out all over again.

Thursday, the FAA confirmed the outage and some loss of data in the IACRA system.

“On Monday morning, February 27, IACRA was impacted by several database issues resulting in a system restore during which IACRA experienced some loss of data from February 27 to February 28,” the agency said in a notice via its FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) portal. 

“For actions completed in IACRA between February 27 (all day) and prior to 12 p.m. Central on February 28 may be impacted,” FAA said. “Registry is actively reviewing the restored data to determine what can be saved. Although we believe we will be able to retrieve completed applications, it is unlikely we will be able to restore them to IACRA. The Registry will be able to complete the certificate action for these files and save all relevant data to the Airman file. Other actions in IACRA, like account creation, password changes, signatures on applications (other than certifying official) will likely have to be redone.” 

The statement continues, “In order to allow the Registry time to manually process the applications impacted, please consider waiting until Tuesday, March 7 or later to inquire on application status.  If you have questions, please call the Airmen Registry at (866) 878-2498 or email 9-amc-afs760-airmen@faa.gov.”

How IACRA works

Check ride applicants are required to fill out an electronic application on IACRA. When they report for their check ride, the DPE uses the applicant’s Federal Tracking Number (FTN) to retrieve the application, and then the check ride can begin.

“We can’t get into the system,” Stewart said. “So there is no check ride. You have applicants who have taken a day off work, who have spent the money to rent an airplane and fly to where the DPE is, only to get there and we can’t get into the system, so the check ride can’t happen.”

It’s particularly frustrating, he noted, because with the shortage of DPEs, many applicants can wait weeks for a test date.

“It’s adding to the pilot shortage,” he said.

The 8710-1 Paper Application

There is always the paper application, the form 8710-1, that can be found on the FAA’s website as a PDF. 

Before IACRA came to be in the early 2000s, applicants filled out form 8710-1, often using a hard copy of the publication and a black ballpoint pen. With IACRA, each applicant is issued a Federal Tracking Number. You do not need an FTN when you use a  paper form 8710-1. With IACRA, the CFI can sign electronically from wherever they are. With an 8710-1, the flight instructor is required to physically sign the form—and that can be difficult if the CFI is long gone, swept up by the airlines because the applicant had to wait several weeks for a flight test.

Also, there are many CFIs who have never used a paper application and are of the opinion that the paper copy of the IACRA they printed out will do as an application. This is not true.

“You send that to Oklahoma City, and they are just going to kick it back,” Stewart said. “You have to send the 8710-1, signed by the CFI.”

There is such a thing as an emergency issuance of a certificate—this can happen if the pilot involved needs the certificate to work, such as a commercial pilot or a flight instructor. That must be arranged with an FAA flight standards district office.

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