Second Quarter 2023 WINGS Industry Network Newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 2

FAASTeam and Industry Member Newsletter

Patricia K. Mathis,

Manager National FAA Safety Team

The FAASTeam is excited to continue our partnership with the WINGS Industry Network. I’ve worked with the directors for a good while now, and the working relationship has existed in many different forms. The FAASTeam stands by how important the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program (WINGS) is, and partnering with WIN will take this program to the next level. Our collaboration includes WIN programs, in particular, E-Z WINGS. Most recently, we partnered with WIN for the quarterly WINGSPro Briefings.

Over time, partnerships with industry have resulted in increased participation in the WINGS program, better-trained pilots, AND a reduction in the general aviation accident rate. Even our Mission Statements align!

We look forward to where our next endeavors take us and, more importantly, where they take all of you!

News From WIN - Updates to E-Z WINGS

The opportunities offered by industry members to improve the EZ WINGS tool have allowed WIN to add more organizations to our program. E-Z WINGS provides direct access to WINGS-approved programming for the Civil Air Patrol, American Bonanza Society Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP), Bonanza/Baron Pilot Training (BPT), and the St. Louis University Parks School of Aviation. Since its launch at the 2022 AirVenture show, E-Z WINGS has had 105,000+ hits! We anticipate over 134,300 by year's end!

Additional upgrades include a button accessing WINGS completion transcripts and CFI validation Reporting.

We are especially grateful to SLU for their hard work together with FAASTeam leadership in coordinating how to establish WINGS-approval for existing modules taught to students. WIN will continue to pursue aviation colleges and universities to introduce proficiency training to students early in their aviation endeavors.

On June 14, 2023, WIN produced our first industry-member LIVE broadcast on behalf of Lightspeed Aviation. The presentation was "A New Wearable for Increased Safety" by Dr. Gregory Rica and Ron Timmermans. To view the recorded program, visit https://www.wingsindustry.net/insights/11.html.

ATTENTION Industry Members - we need you for WIN Insights Live! If you are interested in presenting and sharing with the aviation community how safety is part of your core business model and values, contact Lauretta Webb, WIN Director of Marketing Communications, [email protected]

WIN at the 2023 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

WIN directors had several productive and exciting meetings with current and future Industry Members. Meetings included:

Redbird Flight Simulators - Redbird has agreed to an innovative program to assist FAASTeam Representatives who wish to complete WINGS phases. Full details are upcoming.
Hartzell - Following the current roster of Firewall Forward WINGS courses will be new educational content
AOPA Air Safety Institute - ASI will support E-Z WINGS in all upcoming seminars adding a slide promoting the program to each presentation
St. Louis University Parks College of Aviation - continued discussion on adding modules to E-Z WINGS
Additional meetings held with Seaplane Pilot Association, ASA, FAASTeam, uAvionics, and Aiir Charter Safety Foundation

By the Numbers

Are We Making Enough CFIs? by Jason Blair

A valid question, if our industry can continue to deliver enough pilots for the entities hiring commercial pilots, how many CFIs we are making is a critical metric.

We have been tracking this number for several years, and the good news is the past few months have seen an uptick in the number of CFI certificates issued to U.S. citizens. This leads us to believe that many flight training providers are focusing on making new CFIs and that those providers might find an increasing workforce from which they can recruit new CFI staff.

We look specifically to CFI certificates issued to U.C. citizens because work restrictions and visa requirements make it challenging for many who complete CFI certificates who are not U.S. citizens to work as instructors in the United States. That isn’t to say it doesn’t happen, but it is a small percentage. So, we focus on those that are likely to enter the training workforce and help us make the next generation of pilots.

This particular data is also focused on individuals who are 18-29 years old. This age group makes up the bulk of original CFI certificate issuances. Those who are likely to be completing the CFI certificates find employment that will allow them to gain more flight experience.

A challenge with this data is that it doesn’t give us any sense of “the quality” of the CFIs we are making. That is something that is also of interest to all of those engaged with the FAA Safety program for sure. We will see in data after the end of the year if our increasing numbers of CFIs hold the same pass rates with their applicants through the rest of this year and into subsequent years.

The current CFI cadre providing much of the professional career track training is transient, turning over as they gain experience for other flying jobs. In much of the reporting, I have seen, most active flight training programs see their CFIs gaining enough experience in 14-18 months from completing their initial CFI certificate until they have accumulated enough experience to move on. This means that our pass rates for pilot ratings and certificates on a year-to-year basis are, in significant part, the results of entirely different CFIs' work products over every couple of years.

Somatogravic Illusions – How to Prevent Spatial Disorientation

Pilot Institute Blog, July 10, 2023

You’ve buckled in, the engines are roaring, and you’re ready for takeoff. But flying through the clouds or a dark night could spell danger.

Spatial disorientation, an insidious threat to aviators, lurks in the unseen corners of your flight.

We’ve all heard of it, but do we know enough about one of its most dangerous types – the somatogevic illusion?

This illusion can turn your world, quite literally, upside down. It’s a deadly phenomenon that has led to numerous accidents.

What is Spatial Disorientation?

Spatial disorientation is like being blindfolded and spun around several times. When the blindfold is removed, you feel dizzy and unsure of which way you’re facing – left, right, up, or down.

Spatial disorientation is a condition where a pilot gets confused about where they are in relation to the ground. What they feel doesn’t match reality.

It can happen when what they see, what they feel, and what their body’s balance system tells them, don’t match up. This mix-up can make the pilot think the aircraft is moving in a different way than it really is, and that can be very dangerous.

A somatogravic illusion is a type of spatial disorientation due to acceleration or deceleration.

Let’s take a deeper look.

Understanding Somatogravic Illusions

The human body is a wonder of nature, but it wasn’t designed for flying. So, when we fly, some of our senses can get a little confused. The Somatogravic illusion is a prime example of this.

Our body senses movement and balance using the vestibular system in our inner ear. This system has tiny canals filled with fluid and tiny hairs. When we move, the fluid moves, which makes the hairs move, and this sends a signal to our brain telling us which way we’re going.