Are you a new iPad user or thinking about getting one? This webinar will explore all things iPad as it relates to flight training and show you best practices for using it as an electronic flight bag (EFB) in the airplane.
Sporty’s VP of Education David Zitt will join iPad Pilot News Editor Bret Koebbe for a 60 minute presentation discussing the dos and don’ts of the iPad as it relates to learning to fly and how it can coexist with the traditional methods of flight planning, weather briefings and cross-country navigation during each phase of training.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/05180551/ipad-flight-training.png8971595studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2016-11-28 11:13:082021-06-08 19:23:31Webinar – Flight training and the iPad
Buying your first airplane is an exhilarating experience. But even when you approach aircraft acquisition the right way, it can be a time-consuming and frustrating process so it’s best to have a plan.
Join pilot, airplane owner, and aircraft acquisition expert Charlie Masters as he navigates the many factors that weigh into the decision of what’s best for you. Topics explored include defining your mission, aircraft research, inspections, financing, and long-term ownership considerations. If you’ve ever considered ownership or an aircraft partnership, this free presentation is a must to ensure a successful outcome.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/05180602/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-2.11.04-PM.png10721590studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2016-11-28 11:11:562021-06-08 19:23:31Webinar – Pilot’s guide to buying your first airplane
The ATP certification rule has revamped the requirements and process for obtaining an airline transport pilot certificate. The rule requires pilots to hold an air transport pilot certificate in order to fly for an airline.
As part of these changes, regulations were also created for the new Restricted ATP (R-ATP) and the ATP Certification Training Program requirements that mandate all ATP applicants for complete ground training in order to be eligible for the written exam for ATP multiengine.
Sporty’s Chief Flight Instructors Eric Radtke and Paul Jurgens lead a comprehensive overview of the new requirements as they guide you through the complex new requirements.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/05180559/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-2.14.59-PM.png10611434studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2016-11-28 11:09:002021-06-08 19:23:31Webinar – ATP training requirements, what you need to know
First, I would like to say that I think that the FAA WINGS – Pilot Proficiency Program is a wonderful and valuable resource. It provides educational opportunities for pilots via low priced and free seminars, webinars, and online learning while providing a structure for recurrent ground and flight training that goes well beyond the mandatory flight review which it can replace. The program is based on the premise that pilots who maintain currency and proficiency in the basics of flight will enjoy a safer and more stress-free flying experience.
“…pilots who participate in the WINGS Program and earn a phase of WINGS have a very low incidence of accidents.”
“…the study shows that pilots who maintain a “current” phase of WINGS have even fewer accidents.”
The problem is that very few pilots participate in this program or any other program of recurrent training!
From the previously mentioned study, as of December 2010, 8,878 out of 627,588 pilots (119,119 of these were student pilots) had earned a phase of WINGS under the revamped program. This is about 1.75% of the rated pilots. That said, there are a lot of pilots that participate in the ground portion but never finish a phase of WINGS.
A question arises in my mind but is not answered by the FAA WINGS study. Does WINGS lower the accident rate or are pilots that tend to complete a phase a WINGS the kind of conscientious pilots that will have a lower accident rate anyway? While I have no hard proof, I suspect that the answer can be found somewhere in the middle in that WINGS provides a path for these conscientious pilots that tend to fly in a safer manner and seek out additional training. The additional training provides an added boost to these already safer pilots.
Same Old Faces
If you attend very many WINGS seminars in your area, you may start to recognize some of the same old faces. Here at Sporty’s Academy, the WINGS crowd has a lot of familiar faces. Looking around the room, I would estimate that the average age is certainly leaning toward much older pilots.
Pilots from other areas make similar comments.
Where are the other pilots? Do they believe that they know it all already? Are they just too busy to spend time improving their knowledge? Or do we simply have a severe case of pilot apathy?
Where Are the Instructors?
Another group that seems to be poorly represented at WINGS seminars are younger flight instructors. The older guys and gals are often present because they understand and believe in the program.
I can understand it when a flight instructor has spent the entire day teaching, he or she is probably not interested in spending more time at the airport. But what kind of example are we setting for our students? If the instructors don’t show up, the students won’t show up. When the students don’t show up, they aren’t likely to show up once rated either.
Come on instructors, are you in this just for the hours and a paycheck or do you want to produce safe pilots and grow this thing called aviation that we all (or once did) love?
Beyond the example, these instructors are also missing out on a huge opportunity. What better place to meet new clients with a desire to improve than at your local WINGS seminar? Participate! Wear a name tag or a shirt that identifies you as a flight instructor! Start friendly conversations and pass out your business cards!! If a potential client expresses a strong interest, get him or her on your schedule!
Beyond Showing Up for the Camaraderie
It is likely true that many of the older, familiar faces are there to hang out with their older flying comrades. We certainly don’t want to discourage this as a sense of “community” has been shown to help grow aviation. But the old boy’s and girl’s clubs shouldn’t be the only ones there.
Take some time to engage with these older pilots as some of them can be a wealth of information. Realize that their nostalgic reminiscences of “the good old days” may still have some nuggets of truth and useful information. Just don’t allow yourself to get too worked up about their railing against the increased complexity or the modern conveniences. Times and technology change. Why not give them a hand with learning about some of these new-fangled things?
While you are at the seminar, be a keen observer and an attentive listener. Taking notes about the presentation will help you to get the most out of the time that you are spending.
What Can We Do?
I believe that there will always be a cadre of pilots that just want to get by with the bare minimum. Some of these pilots will one day end up killing themselves and unfortunately, they will take others with them.
Don’t be one of these pilots!
Become one of those conscientious pilots mentioned earlier. Strive to never stop learning. Develop a plan to reach this striving. Follow the plan and improve your skills. If you need help with a plan, talk to your favorite local flight instructor and see if a phase of WINGS will be a worthwhile pursuit.
While you are talking to favorite instructor, ask about adding a rating or two to your certificate. New ratings have a way of adding skills to your current flying that you may not expect.
Is WINGS the answer? I would say that it is definitely a part of the answer but probably not the be all and end all of answers. WINGS and other recurrent training programs only work when we pilots and flight instructors participate.
Get out there and stay current and proficient. Fly safe!!
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/05180619/GarminSeminar-2014-11-003_opt.jpg11272000studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2016-11-21 10:00:582021-06-08 19:23:31Is WINGS the Answer?
I began my flight training and earned my first pilot certificate more than 16 years ago, but at that time, in the early 2000s, there was a lot of change taking place in the tech industry. The dot-coms were exploding (literally and figuratively), WiFi was becoming mainstream, and GPS was well on its way to establishing itself as the new way to navigate.
While all this progress was being made in normal society, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that certain aspects of aviation were stuck in time. The area that stood out the most to me was both the format and delivery method that pilots relied on for getting preflight weather and updates on airport conditions.
While I soon learned to appreciate the coded format of METARs and TAFs for quick reading, other reports like NOTAMs, Area Forecasts and text AIRMETs/SIGMETs were beyond cryptic. Student pilots and flight instructors around the airport prided themselves on knowing obscure abbreviations and codings that had little to no benefit when it came to what really mattered.
Fast forward to today, where most of us get graphical weather briefings on iPads, in-flight datalink weather is the norm and text Area Forecasts are nearly a thing of the past. NOTAMs have gotten better (especially with how some apps display them right on the chart), but there is still work to be done there to make these important notices both easier to access and read.
My other major complaint was with how the FAA relayed runway and taxiway surface conditions to pilots during the winter months. An important consideration when planning a flight to an airport at below freezing temperatures is the possibility of snow or ice on the runway and whether the conditions are suitable for your particular airplane and operation.
Up until recently U.S. airports expressed braking action in NOTAMs using a MU friction value that ranged from 0.40 down towards 0, where the lower the # meant the higher likelihood you would go ice skating down the runway. It always struck me as odd that they’d publish a non-relatable decimal value in the airport NOTAMs and expect pilots to make sense of it. Every time I came across one of the reports during the winter months I had to use Google to decode the report. For example:
TAP MU 29/27/29 OBSERVED AT 1601010139. 1601010151-1601020145
Unfortunately, it took a runway overrun accident by a Boeing 737 at Chicago Midway airport in 2005 for the FAA to take a look at ways to improve the assessment of runway conditions and find better ways to report the status to pilots. The new system uses a matrix with clearly defined condition criteria and Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC) that range in value from 6 (dry pavement) to 0 (hang on for a wild ride).
Airport operators will use the matrix to assess paved runway surfaces, report contaminants present, and through the assistance of the Federal NOTAM System, determine the numerical Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC) based on the runway condition. Pilots can then use the code to assess the effects of a given contaminant(s) as indicated by the associated condition code prior to landing or departing.
The other big change is that airports can no long report a “Nil” braking action for an active runway or taxiway; if conditions warrant this type of report that surface must be closed.
I’d suggest downloading the PDF version of this Matrix and storing it on your iPad for quick reference on the ground and in the airplane: Runway Condition Assessment Matrix
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/05180708/snowy-runway.jpg10801920studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2016-11-07 10:00:262021-06-08 19:23:31Runway braking action reports finally make sense
On a blustery, cold morning, back before I knew what lift was, a short freckled face kid strolled into the local airport to take his first airplane ride.
The flight jacket commands respect
Just about every pilot can recall his first flight, whether it was for training or for the thrill. As I stepped through that door, I knew right away who was going to be at the helm of our airborne chariot. Sitting with his legs crossed in a chair that had to be left over from a 1950s sitcom, was a man with a leather coat. Not just any coat, it was a pilot’s flight jacket. This “Member’s Only” jacket was reserved for only the finest aviators. Anyone not qualified, would just look silly. Because he possessed that unique ability to guide a piece of metal through the air, he alone could don this leather monster and command the respect of his peers by merely entering a room.
Fast forward 20 years later, one of the first items I bought once I started flight training was a leather flight jacket. I too wanted the prestige that was bestowed upon the elite few that could take to the skies. I couldn’t just walk into the local department store and find this ego boosting apparel. It wasn’t sold to the land-bound common folk. I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find a JC Penny or Sears-labeled “Bomber” jacket, but that wouldn’t do justice for this commander of the skies. I needed a coat that a WWII vet would be proud to stand next to. One that would last for decades and keep the battle scars of my dogfights for the entire world to see.
Flight jackets were used out of necessity in WWI
But what makes a Flight Jacket worthy of having that title? Certainly it has to have some distinctive features, but why are they there? I’m sure there wasn’t a Betsy Ross of Flight Jackets who decided that epaulets are cool. To find the origins of flight jackets, you have to turn the clock back to the WWI. Pilots of this era flew in open cockpits. Exposed to the elements, they would wear whatever they could get their hands on to protect them. The U.S. Army officially started the Aviation Clothing Board in 1917. They issued heavy-duty leather jackets with knit cuffs and knit waist bands to help seal out the cold.
During World War II, flight jackets became essential to the well being of the crew. Often flying at altitudes in excess of 25,000 feet where temperatures were well below zero, most aircraft cabins were not insulated. The only way to keep warm was a thick, heavy flight jacket. As time passed, certain crews wanted pen holders or oxygen hose clips or fluffy collars or lighter weight, but the core of the jacket remained thick and warm to protect crews from the harsh elements found at higher altitudes.
Some jackets were decorated with squadron patches or painted. The jackets were issued to more than just flight crews, and became popular with generals. The Army and the Navy each had their own type of jacket. Once the war ended and as these pilot returned home and started careers as airline captains, the jackets lived on and became a symbol of their status. Pilot wannabes (myself included) saw them as a must have to be considered a real pilot.
While considering what to put on your Christmas list, consider a flight jacket to make the aviator – a real flight jacket.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/05180813/WW-II-Flight-Crew_small.jpg565810studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2016-10-24 10:00:022021-06-08 19:23:31A flight jacket tells a story
Webinar – Flight training and the iPad
/in Webinars/by StudentpltnewsAre you a new iPad user or thinking about getting one? This webinar will explore all things iPad as it relates to flight training and show you best practices for using it as an electronic flight bag (EFB) in the airplane.
Sporty’s VP of Education David Zitt will join iPad Pilot News Editor Bret Koebbe for a 60 minute presentation discussing the dos and don’ts of the iPad as it relates to learning to fly and how it can coexist with the traditional methods of flight planning, weather briefings and cross-country navigation during each phase of training.
Webinar – Pilot’s guide to buying your first airplane
/in Webinars/by StudentpltnewsBuying your first airplane is an exhilarating experience. But even when you approach aircraft acquisition the right way, it can be a time-consuming and frustrating process so it’s best to have a plan.
Join pilot, airplane owner, and aircraft acquisition expert Charlie Masters as he navigates the many factors that weigh into the decision of what’s best for you. Topics explored include defining your mission, aircraft research, inspections, financing, and long-term ownership considerations. If you’ve ever considered ownership or an aircraft partnership, this free presentation is a must to ensure a successful outcome.
Webinar – ATP training requirements, what you need to know
/in Webinars/by StudentpltnewsThe ATP certification rule has revamped the requirements and process for obtaining an airline transport pilot certificate. The rule requires pilots to hold an air transport pilot certificate in order to fly for an airline.
As part of these changes, regulations were also created for the new Restricted ATP (R-ATP) and the ATP Certification Training Program requirements that mandate all ATP applicants for complete ground training in order to be eligible for the written exam for ATP multiengine.
Sporty’s Chief Flight Instructors Eric Radtke and Paul Jurgens lead a comprehensive overview of the new requirements as they guide you through the complex new requirements.
Is WINGS the Answer?
/in Tips and technique/by StudentpltnewsA 2011 study entitled Report on the Effectiveness of the WINGS – Pilot Proficiency Program made two observations (with impressive data to back it up):
The problem is that very few pilots participate in this program or any other program of recurrent training!
From the previously mentioned study, as of December 2010, 8,878 out of 627,588 pilots (119,119 of these were student pilots) had earned a phase of WINGS under the revamped program. This is about 1.75% of the rated pilots. That said, there are a lot of pilots that participate in the ground portion but never finish a phase of WINGS.
A question arises in my mind but is not answered by the FAA WINGS study. Does WINGS lower the accident rate or are pilots that tend to complete a phase a WINGS the kind of conscientious pilots that will have a lower accident rate anyway? While I have no hard proof, I suspect that the answer can be found somewhere in the middle in that WINGS provides a path for these conscientious pilots that tend to fly in a safer manner and seek out additional training. The additional training provides an added boost to these already safer pilots.
Same Old Faces
Pilots from other areas make similar comments.
Where are the other pilots? Do they believe that they know it all already? Are they just too busy to spend time improving their knowledge? Or do we simply have a severe case of pilot apathy?
Where Are the Instructors?
Another group that seems to be poorly represented at WINGS seminars are younger flight instructors. The older guys and gals are often present because they understand and believe in the program.
I can understand it when a flight instructor has spent the entire day teaching, he or she is probably not interested in spending more time at the airport. But what kind of example are we setting for our students? If the instructors don’t show up, the students won’t show up. When the students don’t show up, they aren’t likely to show up once rated either.
Come on instructors, are you in this just for the hours and a paycheck or do you want to produce safe pilots and grow this thing called aviation that we all (or once did) love?
Beyond the example, these instructors are also missing out on a huge opportunity. What better place to meet new clients with a desire to improve than at your local WINGS seminar? Participate! Wear a name tag or a shirt that identifies you as a flight instructor! Start friendly conversations and pass out your business cards!! If a potential client expresses a strong interest, get him or her on your schedule!
Beyond Showing Up for the Camaraderie
Take some time to engage with these older pilots as some of them can be a wealth of information. Realize that their nostalgic reminiscences of “the good old days” may still have some nuggets of truth and useful information. Just don’t allow yourself to get too worked up about their railing against the increased complexity or the modern conveniences. Times and technology change. Why not give them a hand with learning about some of these new-fangled things?
While you are at the seminar, be a keen observer and an attentive listener. Taking notes about the presentation will help you to get the most out of the time that you are spending.
What Can We Do?
I believe that there will always be a cadre of pilots that just want to get by with the bare minimum. Some of these pilots will one day end up killing themselves and unfortunately, they will take others with them.
Don’t be one of these pilots!
Become one of those conscientious pilots mentioned earlier. Strive to never stop learning. Develop a plan to reach this striving. Follow the plan and improve your skills. If you need help with a plan, talk to your favorite local flight instructor and see if a phase of WINGS will be a worthwhile pursuit.
While you are talking to favorite instructor, ask about adding a rating or two to your certificate. New ratings have a way of adding skills to your current flying that you may not expect.
Is WINGS the answer? I would say that it is definitely a part of the answer but probably not the be all and end all of answers. WINGS and other recurrent training programs only work when we pilots and flight instructors participate.
Get out there and stay current and proficient. Fly safe!!
Runway braking action reports finally make sense
/in Tips and technique/by StudentpltnewsI began my flight training and earned my first pilot certificate more than 16 years ago, but at that time, in the early 2000s, there was a lot of change taking place in the tech industry. The dot-coms were exploding (literally and figuratively), WiFi was becoming mainstream, and GPS was well on its way to establishing itself as the new way to navigate.
While all this progress was being made in normal society, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that certain aspects of aviation were stuck in time. The area that stood out the most to me was both the format and delivery method that pilots relied on for getting preflight weather and updates on airport conditions.
While I soon learned to appreciate the coded format of METARs and TAFs for quick reading, other reports like NOTAMs, Area Forecasts and text AIRMETs/SIGMETs were beyond cryptic. Student pilots and flight instructors around the airport prided themselves on knowing obscure abbreviations and codings that had little to no benefit when it came to what really mattered.
Fast forward to today, where most of us get graphical weather briefings on iPads, in-flight datalink weather is the norm and text Area Forecasts are nearly a thing of the past. NOTAMs have gotten better (especially with how some apps display them right on the chart), but there is still work to be done there to make these important notices both easier to access and read.
Up until recently U.S. airports expressed braking action in NOTAMs using a MU friction value that ranged from 0.40 down towards 0, where the lower the # meant the higher likelihood you would go ice skating down the runway. It always struck me as odd that they’d publish a non-relatable decimal value in the airport NOTAMs and expect pilots to make sense of it. Every time I came across one of the reports during the winter months I had to use Google to decode the report. For example:
TAP MU 29/27/29 OBSERVED AT 1601010139. 1601010151-1601020145
Unfortunately, it took a runway overrun accident by a Boeing 737 at Chicago Midway airport in 2005 for the FAA to take a look at ways to improve the assessment of runway conditions and find better ways to report the status to pilots. The new system uses a matrix with clearly defined condition criteria and Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC) that range in value from 6 (dry pavement) to 0 (hang on for a wild ride).
Airport operators will use the matrix to assess paved runway surfaces, report contaminants present, and through the assistance of the Federal NOTAM System, determine the numerical Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC) based on the runway condition. Pilots can then use the code to assess the effects of a given contaminant(s) as indicated by the associated condition code prior to landing or departing.
The other big change is that airports can no long report a “Nil” braking action for an active runway or taxiway; if conditions warrant this type of report that surface must be closed.
I’d suggest downloading the PDF version of this Matrix and storing it on your iPad for quick reference on the ground and in the airplane: Runway Condition Assessment Matrix
A flight jacket tells a story
/in Personal stories, Pilot Gear/by StudentpltnewsOn a blustery, cold morning, back before I knew what lift was, a short freckled face kid strolled into the local airport to take his first airplane ride.
The flight jacket commands respect
Just about every pilot can recall his first flight, whether it was for training or for the thrill. As I stepped through that door, I knew right away who was going to be at the helm of our airborne chariot. Sitting with his legs crossed in a chair that had to be left over from a 1950s sitcom, was a man with a leather coat. Not just any coat, it was a pilot’s flight jacket. This “Member’s Only” jacket was reserved for only the finest aviators. Anyone not qualified, would just look silly. Because he possessed that unique ability to guide a piece of metal through the air, he alone could don this leather monster and command the respect of his peers by merely entering a room.
Fast forward 20 years later, one of the first items I bought once I started flight training was a leather flight jacket. I too wanted the prestige that was bestowed upon the elite few that could take to the skies. I couldn’t just walk into the local department store and find this ego boosting apparel. It wasn’t sold to the land-bound common folk. I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find a JC Penny or Sears-labeled “Bomber” jacket, but that wouldn’t do justice for this commander of the skies. I needed a coat that a WWII vet would be proud to stand next to. One that would last for decades and keep the battle scars of my dogfights for the entire world to see.
Flight jackets were used out of necessity in WWI
But what makes a Flight Jacket worthy of having that title? Certainly it has to have some distinctive features, but why are they there? I’m sure there wasn’t a Betsy Ross of Flight Jackets who decided that epaulets are cool. To find the origins of flight jackets, you have to turn the clock back to the WWI. Pilots of this era flew in open cockpits. Exposed to the elements, they would wear whatever they could get their hands on to protect them. The U.S. Army officially started the Aviation Clothing Board in 1917. They issued heavy-duty leather jackets with knit cuffs and knit waist bands to help seal out the cold.
During World War II, flight jackets became essential to the well being of the crew. Often flying at altitudes in excess of 25,000 feet where temperatures were well below zero, most aircraft cabins were not insulated. The only way to keep warm was a thick, heavy flight jacket. As time passed, certain crews wanted pen holders or oxygen hose clips or fluffy collars or lighter weight, but the core of the jacket remained thick and warm to protect crews from the harsh elements found at higher altitudes.
Some jackets were decorated with squadron patches or painted. The jackets were issued to more than just flight crews, and became popular with generals. The Army and the Navy each had their own type of jacket. Once the war ended and as these pilot returned home and started careers as airline captains, the jackets lived on and became a symbol of their status. Pilot wannabes (myself included) saw them as a must have to be considered a real pilot.
While considering what to put on your Christmas list, consider a flight jacket to make the aviator – a real flight jacket.