Read More…(Update on ACS Work Group Recent Meeting)
Wilt said FAA members on the Working Group asked for better ways to communicate the impact of various airspace system changes to the training community, and a group discussion resulted in several ideas for the FAA to consider. For example, participants discussed the process by which the standards, guidance and testing will incorporate changes such as the switch to ICAO Flight Plans, and how that will be shared with the industry. In the case of the ICAO flight plan, the guidance in the AIM is now current, but the handbook information shortly will become obsolete. Since handbooks won’t be updated for several years, its important for users to have a way to determine which information is current and which is obsolete. The consensus was that a ‘hot sheet’ on the FAA web site was one way to accomplish this.
Wilt described the quarterly Working Group meeting as very successful, and said any SAFE members wanting in-depth information may contact her.
Read More…(SAFE Celebrity Appearances, Safety Seminars at Sun ‘n Fun)
Tuesday, April 4
- “Alphabet Airspace: A-Z,” Jack Vandeventer, 9 :00 AM in CFAA-11.
- “IFR Made Easy,” Gary Reeves 10:00 AM in CFAA-5
- “Top Five Mistakes GPS Pilots Make,” Gary Reeves 11:00 AM in CFAA-4
- “Checklist: Flying to the Islands of the Bahamas,” Terry Carbonell 11:00 AM in CFAA-11
- “Florida Aviation Network Interview,” Eric Crump, 12:30 PM in Aerospace Discovery @ FAM
- “Bahamas Flying,” Terry Carbonell, 1:00 PM in FAA Safety Center
- “Alphabet Airspace,” Jack Vandeventer, 1:30 PM in Light Plane/Paradise City
Wednesday, April 5
- “ACS Update,” Eric Crump and Susan Parson, 8:30 AM FAA Safety Center
- “Alphabet Airspace: A-Z,” Jack Vandeventer, 9:00 AM in CFAA-6
- “Pilot-Plane-Plane: Safety’s Big Picture,” David St. George, 9:00 AM in CFAA-8
- “Fundamentals of Loss of Control,” Jim Aslip, 10:00 AM in FAA Safety Center
- “Avidyne Touch Screen GPS An Intro,” Gary Reeves, 12:00 PM in CFAA-4
- “How To Avoid A Runway Collision,” Donna Wilt, 1:00 PM in CFAA-7
Thursday, April 6
- “The Art of Flying IFR: Situational Awareness,” Doug Stewart, 12:00 PM in CFAA-2.
- “The Art of Flying IFR: Situational Awareness,” Doug Stewart, 1:00 PM in CFAA-2.
- “How To Avoid a Runway Incursion,” Donna Wilt, 1:00 PM in CFAA-2
- “Mountain Flying,” Gary Reeves, 12:00 PM in CFAA-4
- “Florida Aviation Network Interview,” Donna Wilt, 11:00 AM in Aerospace Discovery @ FAM.
- “Florida Aviation Network Interview,” Mark Ducorsky,1:30 PM in Aerospace Discovery @ FAM.
- “DPE Tells All: Demystifying Your FAA Flight Test,” 3:00 PM, Ken Wittikiend and CFI of the Year Chuck Gensler at the AOPA tent.
Friday, April 7
- “A Fresh Conversation About Upset and Spin Recovery,” Jim Alsip, 12:00 PM, in CFAA-4
- “Flight Debrief in the Age of Technology,” Gary Reeves, 1:00 PM in CFAA-4
Saturday, April 8
- “Using iPads for IFR: Tips and Mistakes,” Gary Reeves 10:00 AM in CFAA-1
- “The Kings On Winning With the ACS,” John and Martha King, 2:00 PM at King Exhibit Booth
- “”Look Up: Clouds Tell A Story,” Veronica T Cote, 1:00 PM in CFAA-2
Sunday, April 9
- “Using iPads in Emergencies,” Gary Reeves 9:00 AM in CFAA-1
- “Checklist: Flying to the Islands of the Bahamas,” Terry Carbonell, 11:00 AM in CFAA-3
The current list of daily seminars, workshops and exhibitors for Sun ‘n Fun is available here.
FAA Knowledge Test Codes Now On SAFE Toolkit
All 536 of the FAA’s Learning Statement Codes for the private pilot–airplane knowledge test are now available on the SAFE Toolkit, the app for Android and iOS. The codes are used to identify the area of knowledge missed on the FAA’s knowledge (formerly ‘written’) test. The app is available to any SAFE member from the Play Store or the App Store by searching for SAFE Toolkit.
“Since examiners conducting the flight test are required to check the applicant’s understanding of the areas missed on the knowledge exam, this new SAFE Toolkit feature is indispensable for any working CFI,” said Kevin D Murphy, SAFE Director of Communications.
In the new SAFE Toolkit code list is a link to view or download the entire FAA Learning Statement Guide for Airman Knowledge Testing document.
Read more…(New CFI Technology for SAFE Members)
CFIs can use the service to show a student graphically how stabilized, or not, the student’s approach was, actual flight path versus intended path, 3D traffic patterns, airspeed and altitude control during maneuvers and more.
“Digital debriefing is the most useful part of my six-month checkrides as a professional pilot,” said SAFE Chair David St. George. “It’s a complete and honest re-living of the experience. Digital debrief is a flight training force multiplier.”
CloudAhoy is offering CFIs a free 35 day trial period, with unlimited test flights and debriefings. The company offers a 5 minute video showing how the service works.
New CFI Technology for SAFE Members:
GoldMethod Offers SAFE Members 71% Off IFR Course
Gold Seal Company, which introduced GoldMethod intelligence-based training some 10 years ago, is offering SAFE members their new $99 IFR online course for just $29, a 71% discount. In addition, the company is donating revenue from SAFE sales directly to SAFE activities.
“No one ever fails when they study using our scientific approach,” said GoldMethod Content Director Nate Tennant, who added that the company guarantees exam success or it will pay the cost of the FAA knowledge exam.
The company’s heuristic Intelligent Testing Engine teaches using questions like those on the actual FAA test, but thoroughly explains the subject matter with each question. As the user shows mastery of each subject, the program removes that question from the question pool, allowing the user to refocus on more difficult subject areas.
Read more…(SAFE Wins Constant Contact All Star Award)
Other criteria used by Constant Contact for the award include low ‘bounce’ rates of sent email newsletters and regular communications with membership through various other social media channels. More than 2,300 copies of the publication are transmitted monthly to SAFE members, trade media and industry/government officials.
“It’s our involved membership,” said David St. George, SAFE Chair. “As a professional organization for aviation educators, we strive to keep our members up to date on anything that will help improve the quality of aviation instruction.”
SAFE Blog Entries
Can We Achieve Perfect Safety? We should be able to have a zero accident rate in GA, right? SAFE Chair David St. George provides one explanation why that admirable goal will never happen. It’s called “just culture,” which is a more nuanced and comprehensive approach to aviation safety than current assumptions, and maintains that only a small number of human errors are deliberately caused. More often, pilot deviations are caused by the complexity of operations and the rapidly changing environment in which we fly, leading to ‘honest errors.’ “But through the lens of ‘just culture,’ criminalizing every individual error actually prevents healthy reporting of deviations which alert and improve the whole system,” writes St. George.
Combat Advice For Pilots (Mario’s Rules) There are three rules of aviating that Mario Tomei followed to survive 125 combat missions over Vietnam. Want to know what they are? Read this.