What’s Up with the Student Pilot Certificate?

In the middle of January, stories began to trickle out that the FAA had published a new set of rules about changes to the student pilot certificate. With an implementation date indicated as April 1st, 2016, and no notice that we could recall here at Sporty’s Academy, we thought that it might be an April Fools prank. It was few days later that the notice of a final rule finally appeared on the FAA’s Recently Published Rulemaking site and we found out that it was true.

The final rule was real and it will take effect on April 1st, 2016.

doctor-listening-to-mans-chestThe essence of the new rule is that the FAA will be replacing paper student pilot certificates, traditionally issued by a medical examiner during an FAA physical or by the FAA or a designated pilot examiner (DPE) when a medical isn’t required, with plastic pilot certificates. The catch is that a potential student pilot CANNOT walk out of a local office with the certificate in hand. All student pilot certificates must be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) before the FAA can issue the new plastic pilot certificate and send it to the potential student pilot.

300px-US_pilots_certificate_frontStudents who have a paper student pilot certificate prior to April 1st may continue to use this until it expires or the student has earned a rating.

Prior to this new bureaucratic process, a new student was vetted by his or her flight instructor to ensure that the student was a U.S. Citizen before beginning flight training. If not a U.S. Citizen, then a TSA process ensued. While this vetting by the instructor does not go away, another layer of bureaucracy has been added to the mix. The TSA will supposedly be checking all applicants against some internal process.

The claim from the Federal Government is that student pilot certificates will be issued within 3 weeks. We’ll have to wait and see how true this is. It currently takes the FAA 2-4 months to issue a permanent plastic pilot certificate for a pilot who takes a checkride and is already in the system.

If the government sticks to their claim, 3 weeks doesn’t seem that long to wait and for most students it won’t be. For students pursuing a pilot certificate in an accelerated program, this could delay the student’s solo and slow down the rating. We’ve seen students go from 0 hours to a Recreational Pilot Certificate in as little as 2 weeks. This won’t be an option after April 1st if we apply for the student’s certificate on the day he or she walks through the door. If it takes longer than 3 weeks, many student solos may be delayed, students will be discouraged, and some may decide to take up golf or boating instead.

Beyond the negatives of the new bureaucracy, there are a few positives to the new rule.

First and foremost, plastic student pilot certificates will not have an expiration date. While a student in continuous training rarely had to worry about the expiration, those who took a break during training did have to be concerned.

Second, there is no charge for the plastic student certificate unless a student happens to need a replacement. A replacement will cost $3.00. Some DPE’s used to charge for the service of issuing a student certificate for those without the need for a medical. I would suggest that if someone wants to charge a student for assisting with an application for the new plastic certificate, the student should find someone else qualified to certify the application. There are a lot more people eligible now.

Third, a student now has many more choices for applying for the student pilot certificate. As before, the student can apply for the certificate with the local FAA office, typically called a Flight Standards District Office or FSDO, or with a DPE. After April 1st, the student may also apply with an Airman Certification Representative (ACR) associated with a part 141 pilot school or with his or her own Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). With any of these methods, the student pilot applicant must apply in person with the authorized individual. Good instructors will likely do this free of charge as a part of their service to their clients.

We haven’t been told how we will accept these applications but apparently we, as instructors, will have the ability.

From an instructor point of view, there will be a few changes to our procedures at the time of a student’s first solo and solo cross-country. Endorsements that used to reside on the back of the student pilot certificate will now be placed in the student’s logbook. This will be true if the student has the new plastic certificate or has a carryover paper certificate. Hopefully, Advisory Circular 61-65E Change 1 will be updated soon to address these new endorsements.

Oh, and about this rule being a surprise that none of us could remember, it was issued as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, back in 2010. 6 years and several changes made this proposal a fuzzy and distant memory.

Drone webinar video explains what UAS are all about

One of the hottest segments of aviation right now involves Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly called drones. Whether for fun, for agriculture or for first responders, there have never been more uses or more aircraft available. To demystify this growing field, Sporty’s recently hosted a webinar called, “So you want to fly drones.” It covered the basics of drone flying, from unique applications to best practices for safe flying. Watch the webinar recording below.

You can follow along with the slides below:

Choosing the right headset

Buying an aviation headset is a surprisingly personal decision. There is no “right answer” for every pilot – it depends on the type of flying you do, what airplane you fly most often and your personal preferences. Here are a few things to consider as you compare models.

How ANR worksQuiet

There are two ways to cancel noise: passive noise reduction (PNR) and active noise reduction (ANR). Almost every headset has at least some PNR, which is created by the headset’s ear seals physically blocking noise from reaching your ears. ANR, maybe the best thing that ever happened to headsets, goes further. In addition to passively reducing noise, ANR headsets use electronics to sense the noise in the cockpit and then cancel it by emitting a sound wave with the same amplitude but inverted phase. Some call it magic, but rest assured, it’s a really neat science that makes it happen. ANR headsets are often lighter, because the electronics eliminate the need for heavy soundproofing. However, they do require a power source (either batteries or panel power – see below).

 

aviation headset ear sealsComfort

While many pilots focus on how quiet a headset is, comfort may be even more important. After all, it doesn’t matter how good the noise cancellation is if it’s too uncomfortable to wear. In general, the lighter a headset is, the more comfortable it will be. Lighter weight composites have made modern headsets lighter, and the distribution of weight is also important – less in the headband and more on the ear cups is generally more comfortable. Other factors are also important, like the quality of the ear seals headband. Some headsets even allow you to adjust the comfort settings, like clamping force.

 

Bose A20 with iPhoneBluetooth Features

Many headsets can wirelessly connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth, which allows you to make phone calls from the cockpit while enjoying the noise canceling benefits of your headset. This is great for calling Flight Service on the ground or for updating family members if your plans change. Passengers also love this feature for listening to music in flight – almost essential for flying with kids! Some headsets even offer built-in audio controls right on the headset, which allow you to pause, play and skip songs without fishing out your iPhone.

 

Aviation headset plug typesCable Variations

Most headsets come in a variety of cable variations – that is, what the plugs look like that connect to the airplane. The most common connector is the twin plug, often called PJ plugs. These are found in fixed wing aircraft, primarily general aviation airplanes, but many airliners are using it too. When in doubt, buy a PJ plug headset. Another good option for general aviation airplanes is the 6-pin or LEMO plug. It allows the headset’s ANR box to draw power from the aircraft panel, eliminating the need for batteries in the headset. Many newer airplanes are being equipped with this plug from the factory, and there is an install kit available if you are looking to upgrade an older airplane. Helicopters use a single, shorter plug called a U-174/U connector, while Airbus airplanes use an XLR connector.

 

The takeaway

In general, you get what you pay for with aviation headsets – in terms of quiet, comfort and audio features. When in doubt, the old advice to “buy the most headset you can afford” is pretty good. Most quality headsets will last for a decade if you take care of it, so it’s an investment that will pay off. If you’re not sure, Sporty’s Test Flight Guarantee can be a major benefit. Take your headset flying and make sure it works for you.

SHOP HEADSETS HERE

two pilots in cockpit

The FAA wants you to fly more and 5 strategies to help

So the FAA wants us to fly more.  Finally, a government-sponsored excuse to get to the airport and spend more time doing what we love – fly!  They’ve said so as part of an Advisory Circular update regarding flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks.  The instructional community has been asked to focus on those hands-on skills during those required training events.

And here’s the common sense, knock-you-over-the-head-obvious rationale – like any physical skill, if we don’t use it, we lose it.  And there is a renewed concern that our lack-of-use when it comes to the manipulation of flight controls could present a safety issue.  The optimists would conclude that by highlighting the importance of maintaining your hands-on flying abilities, we could make strides in combating the number one cause of general aviation fatalities – loss of control.  Loss of control in general aviation has even garnered the unwanted attention of the National Transportation Board through its annual “most wanted” list.  Whether we can or can’t will be determined, but given just the chance at improvement means we should take the recommendations seriously.

Keep in mind that when referring to lack of use, it may not simply be based on the total number of hours in your logbook.  It’s quite possible, and demonstrated routinely in the professional pilot ranks, that thousands of hours can be logged without doing much more than pushing buttons and turning knobs.

While the industry is certainly guilty of mixed messages when it comes to the proper use of flight deck technology, it boils down to the basic life premise we learned in kindergarten which is everything in moderation.  In other words, we should thoroughly understand the capability and effective use of our GPSs, autopilots and other resources.  I’m a firm believer in the smart use of all available resources and there are plenty of examples when the use of automation is the only prudent choice.  But it’s also imperative, and even more important, that we maintain those basic, hands-on flying skills as our most critical and effective insurance policy – “technology” you can truly count on.

g1000 failureDespite the phenomenal advancements in flight deck technology, the real possibility exists of an equipment malfunction rendering these coveted tools inoperative.  An even more likely scenario is automation simply doing something unexpected.  This can vary from a gentle turn toward a fix that was programmed incorrectly to a more critical trim runaway.  But the response should remain the same.

When automation malfunctions or performs a certain task in an unexpected manner, the appropriate next and immediate step is to eliminate the technology from your flying equation.  Too often we get lulled into the “what’s it doing now” syndrome of trouble shoot now and fly later.  It’s a critical discipline to forgo the strong urges to fix and remain in our flying comfort zone, but the inherent risks in aviation do not afford us that luxury.

When these events occur our last and only resort is our ability to fly the aircraft.  From a regulatory standpoint, there’s not much to rely on in terms of maintaining those skills.  Of course, in order to carry passengers, we must have accomplished three takeoffs and landings in the previous 90 days.  And every other year (at a minimum), we’re required to obtain a flight review (or something equivalent such as WINGS participation or a new certificate or rating).  Similar to our responsibilities in FAA medical certification, that leaves a lot of time in between with responsibility to police those skills.

What can we do?

Implement proficiency exercises into your everyday flying – nearly every flight offers ample opportunity to practice those hands-on flying skills and a variety of emergency or abnormal procedures.  Establish a personal point in time (altitude, airspace or whatever) at which point you’ll hand-fly the airplane as opposed to full automation.  For example, on departure, elect to hand fly to your designated cruise altitude or passing through something arbitrary such as 5,000 feet.  You can establish the same personal guide for approaching the airport.  Select autopilot off at a specific altitude or distance from the airport.  You may be surprised at a) how this will keep those skills sharp and b) how much you will enjoy it.

Instead of calling it quits after your first and only greaser, take another trip around the pattern and this time make it an accuracy approach and landing, power-off, or a performance landing such as a short or soft field.  Likely these are variations that you haven’t tried in a while that will help identify areas of weakness.  Now work some of those variations into your next flight.

Start a buddy system – in the New Year, more exercise and/or losing weight is our #1 resolution.  One of the more effective techniques for getting through January at least, is to enlist the help and support of a friend.  We all have pilot friends.  Challenge your support network to specific proficiency exercises each month, quarter, etc.  Perhaps it’s completing a full instrument approach (simulated or actual) or even taking the time to complete detailed performance calculations for a flight.  It can be anything that keeps you working toward improvement.

Complete a WINGS phase – the FAA WINGS program presents an excellent venue to select a variety of training opportunities to broaden your knowledge base and improve your skills.  Registration for the program, which can satisfy flight review requirements, is free and you can even create your own program with the assistance and validation of a CFI.

Get out of your comfort zone (safely) – you don’t necessarily have to hire a CFI to explore new skills or activities in aviation.  Simply enlisting the guidance of another trusted aviator or volunteering to ride along on a flight with a friend who is instrument rating can offer a powerful learning experience.  Maybe it’s the buddy who regularly operates off grass runways or the business acquaintance who flies a faster, high-flying airplane.

Fly more – sounds simple I know, but I’m all for simple fixes and let’s be honest, it’s what we all want to do.  So let this be your excuse.  If you’ve read this far, you’re serious about it and who could argue the benefits for your health of mind and body.  But don’t just fly, fly with a critical eye.  Don’t be so quick to dismiss a situation you felt uncomfortable with or a botched landing.  These are the tell-tale signs of areas in need of improvement.

While we’ve appropriately focused on the benefits of maintaining those hands-on skills there is plenty we can do to improve upon our use of technology.  Take the time to explore a new feature of your GPS or simulate a challenging flight and anticipate how your specific equipment can reduce your workload.  You can also take advantage of the robust collection of commercial training resources, seminars, webinars, workshops, journals, etc. that allow you to take full advantage of the collective wisdom of many who have come before us and who have also made their own mistakes from which we can learn.

Safe flying!

Video Tip of the Week: ForeFlight Procedure Advisor

As more and more pilots fly with aviation apps, it’s important to stay current on portable technology. In our latest video tip, we dive into the details of ForeFlight, aviation’s most popular app. Learn how the powerful Procedure Advisor feature works, for both VFR and IFR pilots.

The video clip below is from Sporty’s complete Flying with ForeFlight course.

FAA medical insights

I don’t possess the medical qualifications or post-nominals to say with certainty that we’re an over-medicated society. But what I can say is that the number of pilot candidates I’ve spoken to recently with serious FAA medical challenges as a result of illness and medication is on the sharp rise.  Most are unaware of the aviation consequences of certain conditions and/or medications and what could be the daunting task ahead in gaining medical authorization.

The types of prescription medication I’ve seen most frequently include anti-depressants, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs.  Most psychiatric or psychotropic medications, including those used to treat the aforementioned conditions, are on the “do not issue” list.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean that an FAA medical can’t be obtained, it does mean that the facts of each must be reviewed by the FAA which can be a long and arduous process.

The standards for FAA medicals are set forth in 14 CFR Part 67 (a summary is available here).  FAA specifically prescribes 15 disqualifying conditions:

(1) Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medication

(2) Angina pectoris

(3) Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant

(4) Myocardial infarction

(5) Cardiac valve replacement

(6) Permanent cardiac pacemaker

(7) Heart replacement

(8) Psychosis

(9) Bipolar disorder

(10) Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts

(11) Substance dependence

(12) Substance abuse

(13) Epilepsy

(14) Disturbance of consciousness and without satisfactory explanation of cause

(15) Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory explanation of cause.

As you can see what’s not specifically referenced in the disqualifying list, but reserved for a category all its own are medications.  FAA maintains a list of medications for which Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) may not issue a medical without clearance from the FAA.  An even larger list of medications are maintained which can seriously degrade pilot performance for which examiners should advise applicants to avoid.

But we mustn’t rely solely on the advice of our AME.  Consider that in the case of a third class medical for those under the age of 40, you may only be visiting your AME every five years.  This substantial interval makes it imperative that we have a general awareness of the categories of medication that can negatively affect our ability to operate the aircraft safely.

Far too often pilots also lack an appropriate understanding of one’s continued obligation of an FAA medical certification which is much more involved than being provided a clean bill of health on the date of the exam.  For those time periods between visits to the Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), we’re required to self-certify that we’re medically fit for flight.  A simple, yet effective, methodology for self-certification is to adopt the FAA’s “I’m Safe (IMSAFE)” checklist.

I – Illness – Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness?

M – Medication – Have I been taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs?

S – Stress – Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Worried about financial matters, health problems or family discord?

A – Alcohol – Have I been drinking within eight hours? Within 24 hours?

F – Fatigue – Am I tired and not adequately rested?

E – Eating – Am I adequately nourished?

To elaborate further on medications, pilots should not be flying while using anticholinergics, antiseizure medications, antihypertensives, bromocriptine, dopamine agonists, mefloquine (Lariam), over-active bladder medications, varenicline (Chantix), any drug or substance classified under the Controlled Substances Act (includes marijuana), most psychiatric or psychotropic medications, high doses of oral steroids, cancer treatment medications, antiangina medications, or any medication newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration (those drugs issued approval within the past 12 months).

Even over-the-counter medications often perceived as innocuous should be avoided.  These include sleep aids, allergy medications, those used in outpatient procedures, narcotic pain relievers, muscle relaxants, dietary supplements and ANY medication that carries a label warning that it may cause drowsiness (which includes most cold medicines).  While this advice may seem nothing more than common sense, the danger lurks that cognitive function could be impaired even if you seem to be functioning normally.

To ensure you’re free from the medication’s effects, it is recommended that you not fly until at least five times the maximum dosing interval has passed.  In other words, if the medication is to be taken four times daily (every six hours), you should refrain from flying for 30 hours (6×5).  This is not to say you should compromise your well-being or comfort in order to comply with dosing intervals.  Attempting to operate an aircraft with an illness or even symptoms can be equally dangerous.

The moral of the story is that if you require treatment or medication for a particular condition, you shouldn’t compromise your well-being, but you also must be accepting of the responsibility that comes with your pilot certificate and medical.  You can’t very well pull the airplane over to the side of the road as you might with your car if you weren’t feeling well.

Offenses involving alcohol…

Another problem area for many medical applicants and pilots alike, is any history of arrests, convictions or administrative actions affective driving privileges (i.e. DWI).  To put it mildly, a DWI is problematic.  The FAA medical application (Form 8500), specifically asks for a history of these occurrences and you should absolutely answer truthfully as the consequences for not doing so can be far worse.  You’ll be asked to also provide the type of offense, state or jurisdiction involved and the date.

After a review of the circumstances, the examiner may issue the medical provided it doesn’t meet one of the following deferral criteria:

  • Inability to obtain and review the court and arrest records within 14 days
  • For the alcohol- or drug-related driving incidents:
    • Any incident for which the applicant registers a blood alcohol level 0.15 or higher
    • Any incident for which the applicant refused blood alcohol testing
    • Any incident within the preceding two years and there has been another incident at any time.
    • Total of three incidents within a lifetime
    • Total of two incidents within the preceding 10 years

The reporting of such an occurrence on a medical application does not alleviate the requirement for a pilot to report any alcohol related conviction or administrative action (license suspension) to FAA’s Security and Investigations Division within 60 days.

This is not to say that one should give up on an aviation pursuit in light of having made a mistake; however, alcoholism is a serious disease that must be treated which is specifically what the FAA is attempting to discern from the facts.  As you may have gathered from the deferral criteria, these elements are indicative of dependence.

For a number of disqualifying medical conditions, FAA may grant a special issuance medical after a review of the specific circumstances.  As the scientific community learns more about specific conditions and the medications used in treatment, FAA is sure to make policy adjustments to allow for more direct and special-issued medication certifications.

For the time being, a pre-flight self-assessment using the IMSAFE checklist will provide the solid footing from which to certify for flight.  And a general awareness of those prescription and over-the-counter medications that can prove detrimental is a must.  If in doubt, consult an aviation medical examiner.