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| SAFE represents more than 1,200 of the industry's top aviation educators in 49 states and nine foreign countries, including the majority of Master Instructors and numerous General Aviation Awards winners in all four awards categories. |
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Initiatives, Outreach, Advocacy
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by David St. George, SAFE Chair
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David St George
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Thank-you for supporting SAFE. We are moving forward with several important safety initiatives, outreach, advocacy with the FAA and other Federal agencies, and our membership is growing rapidly.
We're proud to report that all CFIs can enjoy the fruits of SAFE's continuous work with the FAA to modify and clarify the contentious
slow-flight section of the ACS
. The FAA has accepted most of SAFE's proposal and rewritten this confusing section. It is unfortunate that the FAA did not accept our suggested 'minimum controllable airspeed' definition (no stall warning horn during slow flight), but standards that promote quality training in these areas and a much better description of learning objectives will be in the new Airman Certification Standards and Safety Alerts For Operators.
All of these and other SAFE efforts lead to safer pilots and superior educators, which is our mission. Please stop by
booth A-59 at Sun n Fun
to say hi and also support our ambitious efforts at the AOPA Regional Fly-Ins. We work hard to earn your membership!
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Sun 'n Fun is April 4-9: Volunteer Now!
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The 2017 version of Sun 'n Fun starts Saturday and runs until April 9 in Lakeland, Florida. An
online sign-up page
for SAFE members to volunteer in the SAFE booth at the event is now available.
Volunteers may sign up for at least one three-hour stint in the SAFE booth in Hangar A, space A-59. A SAFE Board representative will be on hand at all times in the booth to provide information about the organization. A few free one-day passes for Sun 'n Fun are still available for Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, so don't delay. Free passes are on a first-volunteer, first-service basis, so don't delay.
Regular daily admission to Sun 'n Fun this year will be $37 for adults, $15 for children 11-17. Weekly passes are $150 and $60, respectively. Children 10 and under are free. An event spokesperson said that pilots who fly their airplane to Sun 'n Fun 2017 will be eligible to win daily prizes worth $500 by completing a Pilot Registration Card on arrival, A winner will be chosen daily at the start of that day's airshow.
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Update on ACS Work Group Recent Meeting
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The final revised Private, Instrument and new Commercial Airman Certification Standards (ACS) are expected to be posted on the
FAA's web site
in mid-May, to take effect June 15, SAFE learned last week at a meeting of the FAA's Airman Certification Working Group.
Working Group members had been eager to review and discuss the revised ACS, along with the draft for a new FAA Slow Flight Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) that better defines ACS slow flight procedures.
"The consolidated and streamlined elements show that the FAA responded to the aviation community's feedback," said Dr. Donna F. Wilt, who represents SAFE on the advisory committee. "The FAA incorporated SAFE's recommendations and completely reworked the tasks for stalls and slow flight. There is more emphasis on coordinated flight, directional control, preventing inadvertent loss of control, and acknowledging the progressive cues of an impending stall." She added that for all the ACS improvements, the FAA still did not accept the recommendation to reinstate flight at minimum controllable airspeed as part of the slow flight task.
FAA officials also announced that the new Aviation Instructor Handbook is still being revised and its associated ACS is well along in the development process, although neither is expected to be completed until at least mid-2018.
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SAFE Wins Constant Contact All Star Award
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 In March, SAFE was recognized by its newsletter publisher Constant Contact with that company's All Star Award. The honor was based on SAFE's exceptionally high level of eNews readership, as well as higher-than-average click-through rates of links in articles, indicating audience involvement.
SAFE has published the email SAFE eNews continuously through Constant Contact since the inaugural issue in April of 2010, sustaining an "open rate" of between 45 and 50 percent, far higher than the 18% average for e-publications of similar non-profit organizations.
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SAFE to Participate in California AOPA Regional Fly In
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SAFE will have an exhibit booth at the
AOPA Regional Fly In on April 28-29 in Camarillo, CA
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with SAFE resources and information available. Longtime SAFE member Michael Phillips has volunteered to staff the SAFE booth and answer questions attendees may have about SAFE or flight training. The exhibit hall opens at 9 AM on April 28.
AOPA estimates that up to 700 aircraft will fly in, making it one of the largest events ever held at Camarillo Airport. Unlike previous AOPA regional events, association fly-ins this year will be two days and will include additional workshops, seminars, exhibits, aircraft on display and food vendors.
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Simhawk Connects Pilots With Sims
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 A new service called
Simhawk is allowing flight schools, universities, airlines and individual pilots to schedule time in more than 1,000 simulators, many Level C and D full flight simulators too expensive for many segments of the pilot population to buy.
Company CEO Chris Weinberg pointed to the sea change in simulator availability, from just two or three training providers 20 years ago to hundreds today. "The net result is that there is more supply than there has ever been, at the top end of the market with Level C an D full flight simulators, and the devices aren't being used to their capacity."
The company's online platform matches buyers with sellers. There is no fee to register for the website, although Simhawk receives a percentage of each transaction.
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SAFE to Award Four STEM Grants in 2017
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In 2017 SAFE will award four $250 grants to K-12 classroom teachers who will use the money to bring aviation-themed activities into their classroom. Children who are in school today will become the aeronautical engineers, astrophysicists, mathematicians, astronauts, and pilots of tomorrow, so it is important to incorporate activities involving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into their learning curriculum.
Some of the class projects SAFE grant recipients have completed in the past include building balsa wood airplanes, so students can learn about the interrelationship of thrust, lift, weight, and drag, paying for a bus to take students on a field trip to the local airport, and teaching students how to use advanced math skills to compute rocket trajectories.
Any K-12 teacher in a public or private school or homeschool cooperative is eligible to apply for a SAFE K-12 Classroom Teacher Grant. Grant applications are available on the
SAFE website
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The deadline for submitting a grant application is August 31, 2017.
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Hope For Preserving GA Paper Written By
SAFE members Castner, Stowell
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 The urgent call to preserve GA airports has been bolstered by a detailed research paper written by SAFE members and Master Instructors Linda Castner and Rich Stowell. The paper notes that one quarter of US public-use airports have disappeared since 1969 and the loss continues. Just over 5,000 public-use airports are still extant.
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SAFE Celebrities, Safety Seminars at Sun 'n Fun
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Acclaimed aerobatic pilot
Patty Wagstaff
will make a special celebrity appearance at this year's Sun 'n Fun on Thursday, April 6 at the SAFE booth space A-59. She will be followed by SAFE co-founder and Executive Director Emeritus
Doug Stewart.
Wagstaff, who was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004, will answer SAFE member questions about aerobatics, her career and other aviation topics starting at 9:30 AM. Stewart, well-known as the co-founder and moving spirit of SAFE, will be in the booth starting at 10:30 AM, immediately following Wagstaff's appearance, to greet SAFE members.
Other SAFE member presentations at this year's Sun 'n Fun will include:
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| FAA Knowledge Test Codes Now On SAFE Toolkit |
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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.
The new SAFE Toolkit code list also has a link to view or download the entire FAA Learning Statement Guide for Airman Knowledge Testing document.
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SAFE Encourages Pilot Input on GA Runway Incursions
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 Active general aviation (GA) pilots are being asked to help an ongoing study of GA runway incursions by completing
a new online questionnaire
. The FAA has said that runway incursions - a vehicle or aircraft on the ground endangering aircraft landing or taking off - average three per day and are a "serious safety concern." GA pilots are involved in about 80 percent of runway incursions.
"The question is, what are GA pilots doing, or not doing, that results in so many runway incursions?" said Professor Donna F. Wilt of the Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics. "By analyzing such occurrences we can help mitigate those dangerous situations."
The study is being conducted by the FIT College of Aeronautics, Hampton University Department of Aviation and Purdue University Department of Aviation Technology. It is funded through the Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability (PEGASAS), and the FAA Center of Excellence for GA. The questionnaire will be available in April. SAFE is a member of PEGASAS.
To take the new questionnaire,
click here
. The questionnaire is also available on the
SAFE web site
and will be available at the SAFE booth at Sun 'n Fun. SAFE encourages its members to participate in the project.
For more information, contact the project's Principal Investigator, Dr. Scott Winter.
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Is The Pilot Shortage Real?
American Airlines Says "Yes" (Finally) With Cash For Flight Schools
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Starting in the late 1970s and early 1980s, rumors of a catastrophic pilot shortage drove thousands of men and women to flight schools, many hoping for a job with large airline companies. Although retirements and airline growth did open some jobs, the major pilot shortage 'crisis' never happened.
Now, American Airlines is officially saying the pilot shortage is real by offering large sums of cash to flight schools. Grants of up to $25,000 are available for the best ideas for growing the commercial pilot population. Both Part 61 and Part 141 flight schools are eligible for the awards . "We hope you will take this opportunity to propose a creative initiative," said a company spokesperson.
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Six Candidates Running for Three Seats on SAFE Board
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The SAFE Governance Committee, which also functions as the Nominating Committee, is pleased to announce that there are six well-qualified members running for three seats on the SAFE Board in the upcoming 2017 election. More information on the qualification of these candidates will be posted on the SAFE website in late April, so all SAFE members will have an opportunity to learn their names, view their resumes, and read their answers to three specific questions regarding SAFE.
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New CFI Technology for SAFE Members:
33% Off CloudAhoy 'Digital Debrief' 5.0
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An exciting new SAFE member-only benefit allows CFIs to
snag a year's subscription
to a student digital debriefing service from CloudAhoy for $44, a one-third discount from the regular price of $65. The service is similar to that used by major training centers for professional pilot checkrides in simulators.
Flight data is collected continuously on an iOS or Android device, then replayed for analysis using the phone, a tablet or a full-size computer screen. Parameters shown for every segment of flight include airspeed, altitude, heading, vertical speed and wind.
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New CFI Technology for SAFE Members:
GoldMethod Offers SAFE Members 71% Off IFR Course
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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.
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SAFE Bylaws Under Review
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It is considered good business practice for non-profit organizations to periodically review their bylaws to make sure they still accurately reflect the intended function and needs of the organization. While the SAFE Governance Committee did conduct a review of SAFE's Bylaws in 2012, no revisions were made at that time. This means that SAFE has been operating under the same Bylaws since our founding in April 2009. In the last eight years, SAFE has evolved and grown in ways that were not anticipated when we were originally founded and that means some updating of specific Bylaws sections is now needed.
Six months ago the SAFE Governance Committee began the process of reviewing SAFE's current bylaws, and in January 2017 made their recommendations to SAFE's Board of Directors regarding specific sections of the bylaws that should be considered for revision.
On February 13, the SAFE Board of Directors held a special teleconference to review and discuss in detail each section of the bylaws. Individual Board members are currently reviewing a draft copy of the revised bylaws and hope to have a final draft by the next Board meeting on April 19. Once the Board approves the revised bylaws draft, it will then be made available to the SAFE membership prior to an "up or down" vote on the entire document during our regular election in late May or early June.
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Spring Safety Briefing Focuses on ADS-B
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The
March/April 2017 issue of FAA Safety Briefing
focuses on Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) technology, a foundational component of FAA's NextGen system  for improving the safety and efficiency of the NAS. Articles cover the myriad safety and technology benefits ADS-B offers, as well as provide important details on the purchase, installation, and operation of ADS-B equipment.
Feature articles include:
- ADS-B 101 - What It Is, and What It Means To You (p. 8)
- Getting It Right - What You Need to Know About ADS-B Installation Errors (p. 11)
- Everyone Loves a Rebate - The FAA's General Aviation ADS-B Rebate Program Explained (p. 14)
- What's In a Name? - How to Avoid an ADS-B Call Sign Mismatch (p.18)
- Top 10 Things You Need to Know About ADS-B - Quick Tips and Information for GA Aircraft (p.22)
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Fresh SAFE Blog Contributions
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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.
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Master Instructor Activity
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Ray formerly served in the Texas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and is a Designated Pilot Examiner as well as a FAASTeam lead representative for FAA's Lubbock FSDO, and is an A & P mechanic. He is also president of Skypark Aviation LLC,a Cessna Pilot Center at East Texas Regional Airport where he specializes in primary, advanced and avionics flight training.
Elaine Helen Kauh
of Green Bay WI, renewed her Master CFI accreditation in March, making her a four-time Master Instructor.
The SAFE member is an aviation writer and videographer with AvWeb, and provides flight and ground instruction with
Wisconsin Aviation
at Watertown Municipal airport and Madison Truax Field.
She also serves on the Board of Directors for the
Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame
and is a FAASTeam representative for the Milwaukee FSDO.
A graduate of the US Air Force Academy and a retired US Air Force F-16 instructor pilot, Robert is the Part 141 chief instructor as well as an instructor pilot with
APS Emergency Maneuver Training
at Mesa's Williams Gateway Airport (IWA).
A recipient of the FAA's prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot award, Hobie is the manager of
Montair Flight Services LLC
at Burlington International Airport
where he specializes in Beechcraft and Cirrus flight training.
A retired TWA pilot, Hobie won the 2012 National CFI of the Year. He serves as a FAASTeam lead representative and pilot examiner for the FAA's Portland, ME FSDO.
A retired US Army helicopter pilot, Ed is a Part 135 check airman and a Sikorsky SK-92 instructor pilot with
Era Helicopters LLC
at their Lake Charles, Louisiana training facility.
He specializes in initial and recurrent helicopter training in both simulators and aircraft and also serves as a pilot examiner
as well as an FAA FAASTeam representative.
Michael J Lents, a 3-time Master and a member of IAC as well as SAFE, renewed his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation in February through the
Master Instructors LLC MICEP
program
Mike is an aerobatic flight and ground instructor as well as an aviation lecturer at the University of North Dakota's
John D Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences
, and the founder of
Double Helix Aviation
. He also serves as coach of the UND's 8-time national championship aerobatic flight team and is an IAC aerobatic competitor himself.
A veteran United States Marine Corps helicopter maintenance technician,
Chris is currently serving as a US Army warrant officer helicopter pilot at Fort Rucker near Enterprise, Alabama. Additionally, he provides civilian fixed wing flight and ground training at Enterprise Municipal Airport.
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Fly SAFE!
David St. George, Chair
Society of Aviation and Flight Educators
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Copyright SAFE, Inc. 2017. All rights reserved.
SAFE, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Public Charity
[email protected] -- [email protected] -- www.SafePilots.org |
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