Stretch your (pro) wings
"She was always a super-careful pilot."
"He wouldn't go up if there was a cloud in the next state."
"He could get an airplane into or out of anyplace."
"I was always glad to ride with her, because she never took chances."
All wonderful compliments, and no doubt sincerely meant. The trouble is, these are exactly the kinds of quotes that all too often show up in newspaper articles about a crash. Is there a disconnect somewhere here?
Here's a quote that you'll almost never find in newspaper stories about a pilot who crashes: "He was always upgrading his flying skills." Pilots who actively work to improve their flying skills are less likely to be involved in accidents. You CFIs already know this, and you probably remind your students that the private certificate is just the beginning of a lifelong learning process.
Soon, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation and the FAA will unveil a new voluntary program that will not only make it easier for you to upgrade your skills, but will also provide you with other benefits. It's called "Pro-Wings," and it will give active pilots an alternative to the tried and true FAA Wings program.
Under the Pro-Wings plan, pilots will be able to stretch their wings meaningfully, perhaps by earning a new rating, or by learning mountain flying, or maybe by sharpening their skills in real instrument-flying weather. And they'll earn official FAA recognition for their efforts.
Pro-Wings won't be for every pilot. It will be a more advanced proficiency program meant for active, involved pilots. Pro-Wings will include all of the elements critical to flying safety: enough flight time to stay sharp, a regular upgrade to aviation knowledge, and enough of a stretch to master new skills. Earning Pro-Wings will take some extra effort, but the rewards will be well worth it. Among the possible incentives now under discussion between AOPA, the Air Safety Foundation, and the FAA is limited immunity from penalties for an unintentional infraction of the federal aviation regulations or an accident, much like that now conferred only for specific incidents if you file an Aviation Safety Reporting System form, often called the NASA form.
Such a "reduced penalty" card-if that is one of the incentives adopted for the Pro-Wings program-will be a powerful incentive. But an even more powerful incentive will be a pilot's desire to improve his or her skills.
FAA officials and the Air Safety Foundation are now hammering out details of the new Pro-Wings program. One of its most exciting features will be a provision for Web-based tracking of your achievements on a secure ASF server. A password-protected system will allow you to enter and update your accomplishments in real time.
The new ASF/FAA Pro-Wings program should be available sometime after the first of the year. Watch the AOPA Web page for news and information about this exciting new program.
If you rarely get to fly, or can't participate in Pro-Wings for some other reason, the traditional FAA Wings program will still be offered, and the ASF secure tracking system for recording your accomplishments in it will also be available.
In case you've forgotten, the long-established FAA Wings pilot proficiency program is one way to earn official recognition (both a handsome FAA certificate and a lapel pin) for completing regular recurrent training. To earn your traditional FAA "Wings," simply take one of the ASF online courses or attend a live safety seminar, then fly for a total of three hours with the CFI of your choice. The three flight hours must include basics like takeoff and landings, routine airwork, and some practice in simulated IFR conditions.
Wings or Pro-Wings: Not long after the first of the year, it'll be your choice. Either way, the Air Safety Foundation-AOPA's sister organization specifically created to improve GA safety-will be there to help you maintain or improve your piloting proficiency.
It's what we do best. Because a good pilot is always learning.
Related Articles
