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Society of Aviation and Flight Educators eNewsletter  
IN THIS ISSUE
Thanks from the Chair
Regional PPP Updates
AFS630 New Website
CFI Practical Tests
Membership Committee
Now in the Resource Center
Final ATSTWG Report
Advocacy Efforts
Recent Master Instructors
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December 2013 

SAFE represents more than 800 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. SAFE developed and is now offering Regional Pilot Proficiency Projects across the U.S.

 

Thanks

from John Dorcey, Chair, SAFE Board  

 

In the last few days many of us joined with family and friends; we celebrated, we ate, and most importantly, we gave thanks. While I am somewhat late in giving thanks to you, I am no less sincere in my message. Thank you to each and every one of our members, both new and renewing. I especially want to thank the many volunteers who give of their time and talents so your organization continues to grow and achieve our goals.

 

I want to give a shout out to all of our committee members and especially the chairs. It is through their work that we accomplish so much. It is these folks who are setting the future course for SAFE.

Your board of directors is a phenomenal group of individuals. These folks not only participate in board meetings but each serve as a liaison to at least one committee. All of them attend AirVenture and participate in meetings throughout the week. You'll find them at the SAFE exhibit at Sun 'n Fun and AirVenture. What a great group of ambassadors we have. Thank you, directors.

 

An organization like SAFE needs volunteers. We need you. We need you to ask others to join us. We need a few more of you to join our committees. Read the article by Sherry Rossiter elsewhere in this issue of eNews. Consider running in next spring's board elections. If you can do only one thing, join me in saying thank you. A sincere thanks to each of you. Aviation education is better; skies are safer, because of you.

 

Regional Pilot Proficient Project Updates

Follow-up: Report Now Available from San Marcos PPP 

SAFE has generated a report based on a survey of participants at the  Regional PPP held at Skyport in San Marcos, TX in October.

 

Next PPP: March 8-9, 2014 at F.I.T. Aviation in Melbourne, FL  

With the lessons learned from our first regional event, SAFE is now planning the next PPP, which will be held March 8-9, 2014, at the Simulation and Technology Center of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL.

 

Coming Soon: Dedicated PPP Website 

SAFE will soon deploy a separate website specifically for PPP information. This will facilitate the dissemination of information such as  event dates and locations, topics and agendas, presenter bios, available simulator scenarios lodging options, and event sponsors. A menu of registration options will be available through the PPP website as well. Stay tuned for more details!

If you are interested in hosting the Pilot Proficiency Project, please contact  SAFE. 

 

AFS630 Launches New Website

AFS630, the Airman Testing Standards Branch of the Regulatory Support Division of the FAA, recently launched a new website that offers new and useful features such as:

  • A subscription feature. By registering for this service, theoretically you will never miss an update or change to a handbook or PTS again;
  • A "What's New and Upcoming in Airman Testing" section;
  • A "Submit an Airman Knowledge Test Question" button;
  • A "Questions & Answer" section; and, 
  • A "Contact Us" button

AFS630 develops and maintains materials related to airman certification training and testing. This includes airman knowledge and skill tests, computer testing supplements, knowledge test guides, practical test standards, training handbooks, and a listing of computer testing sites. Every SAFE member is encouraged to sign up for the subscription so you will always have the most up-to-date information regarding any of the areas that fall under the purview of AFS630.

 

Flight Instructor Practical Tests Now Satisfy Flight Review Requirements

from Kurt Reesman 

 

Good news--the flight instructor practical test, and its variants, now count for more than just an instructor certificate!

 

For months, industry advocacy groups have argued to the FAA that the flight instructor certification covers much more than the regulatory requirements of a flight review and should be included in the exceptions listed in CFR 61.56(d).

 

The groups maintained that although a flight instructor practical test is chiefly focused on the pilot's instructional skills, the pilot must demonstrate satisfactory performance of the procedures and maneuvers selected by the examiner--at least to the commercial pilot skill level--while also providing effective instruction.

 

Therefore, the flight instructor practical test standards require the applicant to demonstrate not only the knowledge but also the skill required of pilots completing the practical tests that the FAA instructor is authorized to teach.

 

As with the other exceptions listed in CFR 61.56(d), the requirements for passing an FAA flight instructor practical test exceed those for a pilot accomplishing a flight review and meet the goal of ensuring that a pilot's competency is observed by a qualified individual.

 

This rule now modifies CFR 61.56(d) to allow an airman who passes a practical test for issuance of a flight instructor certificate, a practical test for the addition of a rating to a flight instructor certificate, a practical test for renewal of a flight instructor certificate, or a practical test for the reinstatement of a flight instructor certificate to meet the 24-calendar month flight review requirements of 14 CFR part 61.56. 

 

Message from SAFE's Membership Committee

by Sherry Rossiter, Committee Chair 

 

There are many reasons why a person maintains membership in an organization. Those reasons are personal and vary with the individual, so I can only speak for myself.

 

I've been a SAFE member since the organization was founded in 2009. I previously served for three years on the Governance Committee and now am chairing the Membership Committee. I volunteer because I believe in SAFE's mission: "to create a safer aviation environment through enhanced education."

 

While I have not yet taken advantage of all the benefits available to SAFE members, I have taken advantage of the great discounts available on aviation training materials from Gleim, ASA, Sporty's, and King Schools. These discounts have amounted to far more than the modest cost of my annual membership dues.

 

Even though I am no longer working professionally in the aviation training arena, I am still actively involved with aviation education through state and local aviation groups. Having access to SAFE's online Resource Center has provided me with many valuable educational resources and several good ideas for local pilot presentations.

 

However, the biggest reason I maintain my SAFE membership (and continue to volunteer in positions where I feel I can best contribute) is because of the great people I have met. While I knew a few SAFE members when I first joined, I now know many more of you from the work I've done on committees and in volunteering to help with other SAFE projects. Our common bond as SAFE members is a love for aviation in general, and for excellence in aviation education in particular.

 

To those of you who have continued to renew your SAFE membership, I say THANK YOU. To those whose membership is coming up for renewal soon, I ask you to continue your support and to the extent possible, to become more involved in volunteer opportunities.

 

Speaking of volunteer opportunities, the SAFE Membership Committee is currently seeking another member who has expertise in marketing and/or advertising. If you think you might be the right person to fill this position, please contact me!

 

Featured in the Members Only Resource Center

Runway Incursion: How Could It Happen to Him?

What began as a straightforward 10-mile ferry flight might never have gotten off the ground. The pilot, dealing with distractions during taxi, found himself on a runway without a clearance. And he learned a valuable lesson -- it can happen to anybody, even a high-time military and civilian pilot who's flown to the moon!

Read Eugene A. Cernan's story, "It Can Happen to You: A Runway Incursion Confession," in the fall issue of FAA Safety Briefing. Find it in the FAA/NTSB section of the Members-Only Resource Center.

The Member Section of SAFE's Resource Centers is an exclusive benefit for all who join. To make the most of YOUR membership, take advantage of the wide variety of instructional tools you'll find there. New resources are posted regularly, and you are encouraged to submit materials to the Resource Centers as well. Visit http://www.safepilots.org/resource-center/member-resource-center/ to learn more.

 

Final ATSTWG Report Sent to FAA

 

 Eight SAFE members participated on the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Airman Testing Standards and Training Working Group (ATSTWG), which concluded its work in September. The  final report from the ATSTWG was accepted by the ARAC and passed on to the FAA just before the government shutdown, and is now available for public review.

 

The report contains specific recommendations for the adoption and implementation of an Airman Certification System, including standards, guidance and testing recommendations on effectively managing the system through both stakeholder participation and a comprehensive Quality Management System. The recommendations include:

  • Transitioning from Practical Test Standards to Airman Certification Standards for the purpose of aligning and integrating all of the training and testing associated with earning an airman certificate
  • Improvements to the FAA Knowledge Exams and FAA guidance documents such as handbooks and Advisory Circulars.
  • A coding system that will provide applicants, instructors, and examiners with the ability to accurately identify areas of deficiencies in knowledge, skills, and risk management.

The FAA will publish Notice of this Final Report in the Federal Register in the near future, and we hope you will take that opportunity to comment on the recommendations and draft documents.

 

Until then, SAFE encourages you to review the recommendations, which will impact everyone involved in the aviation training community.

 

SAFE Aviation Advocacy Efforts

Not only have SAFE members provided considerable input to the creation of the proposed Airman Certification Standards proposed by the ATSTWG, but they also have served on the Knowledge Test Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) that led to the creation of the ACS.

 

These are not the only areas where SAFE members have been effective in advocating for improved aviation safety. For example, members also participate under the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) on the Statistical Analysis Team (SAT) and in the first two Loss of Control Work Groups (LOCWG).

 

SAFE has now been invited to serve on the third LOCWG. Further, in recognition of SAFE's leadership role in aviation education and safety, Executive Director Doug Stewart has been invited to represent SAFE on the GAJSC itself!

 

The GAJSC is tasked with Strategic Guidance; Management/Approval of the Safety Plan; Providing Direction; Overseeing Membership Outreach; and Providing Linkage to the FAA Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) System.

 

Recent Master Instructor Designations
Congratulations to these SAFE members!

Bill Gross, Six-Time MCFI, Salina, KS

Carol Jensen, Three-Time MCFI, Georgetown, TX
 
Pat Knight, Nine-Time MCFI, Naperville, IL 

Burt Stevens, Initial MCFI, Woodbury, CT   

  


 
Doug
Have a SAFE day!


Doug Stewart, Executive Director
Society of Aviation and Flight Educators
 
Copyright SAFE, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.
SAFE, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Public Charity

Editor@SafePilots.org -- Safe@SafePilots.org -- www.SafePilots.org