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FAA WINGS program

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matthewjohn

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Posts
61
Wanted to pass along that the FAA has a new WINGS program (faasafety.gov). By registering on the page and participating in the WINGS program you can get credit for your Flight Review by doing a few online courses and a couple misc flight items. Something the FAA seems to have done that is good.:)
 
Actually the new Wings program is a major step backward.

Under the old program you and your CFI could fly 3 hours and accomplish training that you both agreed was best for you, following only broad general guidelines. The old program worked as proven by the discounts insurance companies gave for it.

The only problem was that it gave too much freedom to individual pilots and CFIs.

The new program far more bureaucratic, and at the end of it you take an evaluation flight that you can fail.

There are zero reasons to jump through the new hoops rather than just forget the wings program and just take a flight review.

The FAA has destroyed the wings program.
 
Actually the new Wings program is a major step backward.

Under the old program you and your CFI could fly 3 hours and accomplish training that you both agreed was best for you, following only broad general guidelines. The old program worked as proven by the discounts insurance companies gave for it.

The only problem was that it gave too much freedom to individual pilots and CFIs.

The new program far more bureaucratic, and at the end of it you take an evaluation flight that you can fail.

There are zero reasons to jump through the new hoops rather than just forget the wings program and just take a flight review.

The FAA has destroyed the wings program.

I completely agree. It is amazing how it went from a successful program to a bureaucratic quagmire.
 
The new program far more bureaucratic, and at the end of it you take an evaluation flight that you can fail.

I'll agree that it is way more of a PITA than before, but I am not sure about the evaluation flight. My understanding was that for each of the flight modules you have to meet PTS criteria, not that you have an evaluation ride.

(Of course, certain modules, such as a 135 prof check do have evaluations in them.)

If someone does not meet PTS on the flight, I thought it was the same as before, you record that they received training, but do not endorse or approve the module in the logbook signoffs.

I am looking to getting back into some private flying, and have not instructed for several years, so I could easily be wrong, but I just did a FIRC that discussed the new Wings program, and no evaluation ride was mentioned during the module on the Wings program.
 
"If someone does not meet PTS on the flight, I thought it was the same as before, you record that they received training, but do not endorse or approve the module in the logbook signoffs."

The old program didn't say a thing about PTS standards. You did the three hours and that was that. The CFI didn't have to say anything in your logbook except to list the training that was accomplished.

Under the new system you could 'fail' if you exceed PTS standards, and have to do the ride again. Why bother?

The old system, that encouraged you to get training with no evaluation was better and cheaper IMHO.
 
So what you are saying is:

"You think if you do not fly proficiently you should still get signed off for the Flight Review?"
 
So what you are saying is:

"You think if you do not fly proficiently you should still get signed off for the Flight Review?"

What you don't seem to understand is that under the old program nobody 'signed off for the flight review'.

Experience showed that a pilot was safer with 3 hours of instruction and a safety seminar than an hour flight review. That's why insurance companies gave discounts for the wings program, and why the FAA found wings program pilots to be safer than those that got a mere flight review.

There was virtually no paperwork, I always used the from that the FAA used to pass out at Oshkosh. Cost, about a five cents to for them to make the copy, and a couple of bucks for the FSDO to mail you back your suitable for framing diploma.

The new system removes all incentive to participate in the Wings program. After you've established your accounts (check out the steps required) and found the accredited and approved training you still take a flight review.

So why bother with wings, just take a flight review and skip all the computer stuff?
 
to answer:
Because to be proficient takes more than one flight every two years. This is designed to get a person up with a CFI more often and keep them safe.

The program STILL helps with insurance as did the previous.
 
to answer:
Because to be proficient takes more than one flight every two years. This is designed to get a person up with a CFI more often and keep them safe.

You're exactly right, that's what was so good about the old program, and that's why they didn't need to include a flight review signoff.

The new program adds bureaucracy and removes the incentive that the old program provided.

I suspect that few pilots will bother with the new program, we'll see what the insurance does in a couple of years.
 

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