The company has developed a system that is based on the Apple Vision Pro AR system. The high-fidelity imagery of aircraft flight decks allows trainees to manipulate all the controls and view the instruments and status indicators in real time as they do so.

The system won’t replace full-on flight training device hours, but it will allow trainees to master homework tasks.

“The Apple Vision Pro App developed by CAE will allow pilots to familiarize themselves with the flight deck, practice critical procedures and develop muscle memory for key functions from anywhere,” Emmanuel Levitte, CAE’s chief technology and product officer, said in a statement. 

The company has fully developed the app for the Bombardier Global 7500 but says it can be adapted to any aircraft.

AVweb’s Russ Niles took the goggles for a spin and said the system is startlingly realistic.

“The fidelity and the virtual manipulation of the controls is hard to describe until you’ve done it,” Niles said. “With some practice, a trainee could be confidently running procedures and dealing with emergencies in a realistic way without leaving the couch. The prospects for this kind of training device are significant.”

Niles spoke with CAE’s Director of Incubation Eric Fortin, who developed the system, about its possibilities.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post CAE Develops AR For Flight Training appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Rushing the checklist—or worse, forgetting the checklist items—leads to a late configured or nonconfigured airplane or being too fast or too high on final. All these things result in an unstabilized approach.

Unless there is an emergency on board, the best course of action is usually going around, flying the pattern again, and focusing on staying ahead of the aircraft.

Teaching the Stable Approach

There’s a lot that goes into a stable approach to landing.

The aircraft has to be at the correct speed and correctly configured for landing, such as landing gear down (that’s the big one), flaps at the proper setting, proper speed, etc. This includes trimming the aircraft so that it stays on speed and can land on the first third of the runway, preferably on the numbers, and stops within 100 feet of that mark with minimal braking.

Configuration of the aircraft should not be done aggressively. Slamming down the landing gear and dumping in the flaps all the way in at the same time results in unstable pitch moments. This can be demonstrated at a safe altitude in the practice area. The addition of flaps on one fell swoop followed by their rapid retraction is definitely a teachable moment, as the pitch change is often surprising, dramatic and swift, and not something you’d want to experience a few hundred feet over the ground.

Learn the Landing on the Ground

Learning to land and the stabilized approach should begin with a ground session.

I have found the use of a whiteboard with a drawing of the runway, anointed with the aircraft configuration, checklist use, appropriate airspeeds, and altitudes for each leg and distance from the runway to be an excellent tool. I ask my flight students to copy the drawing with their own drawing (and not take a photo), and in future lessons are asked to re-create it from scratch to show learning has taken place.

This diagram should also include notations of when the checklist is used.

Faux Pattern

One of the best techniques to teach pattern procedures is something I call “faux pattern,” which is done in the practice area several thousand feet in the air to facilitate recovery at 1,500 feet agl.

The cardinal compass points are the “legs” of the pattern. After clearing turns, the learner configures the airplane to enter a 45-degree angle to downwind and performs as if they are in the pattern. This includes managing airspeed and aircraft configuration.

When the aircraft is on “final,” the CFI calls for a go-around, or gives the learner a scenario like “Uh-oh! There’s a disabled aircraft on the runway! What do you do?”

After a couple of run-throughs, a learner’s pattern work usually improves substantially.

Mistakes Happen

Instructors need to be very careful about what they allow the learner to do, as in mistakes they are allowed to make, because the pattern can be very unforgiving. I have seen a few techniques that gave me pause.

I was doing a stage check for a learner who kept revving the engine on downwind. When I asked why he did that, he said, “because it’s fun!” Another pulled the mixture to idle on downwind to “check it,” claiming that is what the previous CFI taught him to do. This was incorrect information. The previous CFI informed me that he couldn’t break the learner of the habit, so he fired him.

It is not just primary learners who develop strange habits in the pattern.

A “return to flying” commercial pilot and a former CFI announced his technique for landing a Cessna 172 in gusty winds was to come in with no flaps then dump all the flaps in on short final and put the aircraft into an aggressive slip to landing. He revealed this during the preflight briefing as we discussed aircraft performance. I was staring at him, waiting for the punch line—hoping there was one—but before I could reply, the owner of the flight school, who was sitting a few feet away in the lobby, loudly announced, “Not in one of my airplanes, you don’t!”

For the unfamiliar: there is a placard in the C-172 that reads “Avoid slips with flaps extended.” 

Be Ready for the Go-Around

Does your pre-landing checklist include verbalization of the phrase “go around is always an option”?

A senior instructor I flew with told me he added it because he was trying to reduce the startle factor when he told his learners to go around. He also made it a rule that if the aircraft wasn’t perfectly on speed, configured, and on glide path to touch down by the second center stripe on the 3,400-foot runway, the learner would go around.

Occasionally, some students pushed back when it appeared they would land long, as the Cessna and Pipers they flew didn’t need the entire 3,400 feet to come to a full stop. The instructor replied, “Someday you won’t have that much runway.” He was right, of course.

If you are flying at a towered airport and the controller tells you to go-around, it’s not up for debate—go around. It is possible that you don’t have the bigger picture. There could be something larger, faster, and turbine coming up behind you. Know what to do, and the order in which to do it.

If You Go Around

When the go-around goes bad, it is often because the pilot does not use enough right rudder and the aircraft has too much nose-up trim resulting in a stall. Anticipate the need for right rudder and be ready to push the nose down to counteract the left turning tendency and pitch up with the adding of full power.

Another bad habit particular to aircraft with retractable gear is taking the flaps out abruptly while simultaneously bringing the gear up. This creates a lot of drag, and it is not uncommon that the aircraft will settle back on to the runway with the landing gear—or part of it—retracted. This is expensive and embarrassing.

Make the practice of go-arounds something you do on a regular basis as part of your personal proficiency and currency program. You never know when you will need those skills.

The post How to Ensure Stable Approaches appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The GAMA event, now in its 13th year, is designed to encourage teens to seek careers in the aviation sector. The contest is open to high school students enrolled in aviation-focused STEM courses.

• READ MORE: Raisbeck Aviation High Awarded GAMA Honors

“This program provides a great introduction for students to learn more about aviation and the diverse career opportunities that the industry has to offer,” GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunch said in a statement. “We continue to upgrade and refine the experience so that we can further engage both students and teachers. Each year, we are awed by the creativity and devotion to detail from each team’s submissions, and we look forward to seeing what they come up with for this year’s challenge.”

How It Works

The challenge is open to the first 150 schools that register. Each school receives a free “Fly to Learn” curriculum, which meets national STEM standards and is designed to teach the principles of airplane design and flight. 

At the end of the program, which covers four to six weeks, the teams apply their newly acquired knowledge to virtually modify an airplane design. These modified designs will then participate in a fly-off using X-Plane software.

• READ MORE: Students Modify a CubCrafters NX Cub for GAMA’s Aviation Design Challenge

The designs are then evaluated during the fly-off and other performance parameters set by GAMA judges. The first-place team will receive an all-expenses-paid GA experience, which includes a CubCrafters manufacturing opportunity. The second-place team will get a Redbird Flight STEM Lab. The third-place winners will earn one-year ForeFlight Performance Plus subscriptions.

According to GAMA, the Aviation Design Challenge has attracted the participation of more than 900 teams from 475 high schools from around the country since its inception.

More information about the competition may be found here. Registration closes December 20, or once all available slots are filled.

The post GAMA’s Aviation Design Challenge Underway for High School Teams appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Most pilots fall into one of two camps: If they trained at a towered airport, they may be anxious about flying at a nontowered airport. If a pilot trains at a nontowered airport, they may be anxious about flying at a towered airport.

There are pilots who, after they earn their certificates, alter their flying so they can avoid talking on the radio. You may know someone like this—they will fly almost “Z” shaped patterns instead of a straight line during a cross-country flight to avoid transitioning airspace that would necessitate them getting a clearance from a control tower. Often this reluctance is rooted in a bad experience they had during their student pilot days, such as the dreaded radio failure during a cross-country or at an airport with a control tower.

• READ MORE: Normalization of Deviance Can Cause Problems for Pilots

The thought of losing radio contact can be a frightening experience for some pilots—and a nothing burger for others. It comes down to how well you have been trained. Radio failure under IFR is considered an emergency when you are in IMC, but in VFR conditions it is more an annoyance and distraction.

Radio procedures need to be learned before the student pilot is soloed. Turning on the radio, tuning in the frequency, determining transmission (look for the “TX” on the display) and adjusting volume should be demonstrated and practiced. Some radios can be finicky.

The light gun signals should be memorized or, at the very least, written down and kept handy for quick reference. Some kneeboards have them printed on them. Some pilots carry reminder cards that have the information on them along with notes on troubleshooting an apparent radio failure: check the volume, check the frequency, check that your headset is plugged in, use the hand microphone, try the other push-to-talk if installed, etc.

• READ MORE: When Your Instructor Moves on, Your Logbook Tells the Story

The most important thing is don’t forget to fly the airplane and maintain situational awareness as you troubleshoot.

Many pilots carry a hand-held radio that interfaces with their headset in the event they experience radio failure. That’s a great idea—just be sure the batteries in the radio are charged. It is incredibly annoying to reach for the handheld, hook it up, and find it dead as rock.

If a hand-held radio is not in your budget, consider getting a portable intercom. They can be battery powered (most use a 9-volt battery), or plugged into the aircraft’s cigarette lighter. Get one that utilizes an external push-to-talk (PTT)—it’s handy to have one of your own.

Sometimes, it is the push-to-talk that fails and this can be a hassle when the PTT is hardwired into the yoke or stick. You find yourself pushing the button at weird angles and there is that click, but the TX doesn’t appear on the radio stack face. If this happens, check to see if the aircraft has a hand mic stashed in the glove box. If it doesn’t, be ready to hook up your PTT.

Although portable PTTs aren’t terribly expensive and are easy to install and remove, be advised that they do wear out. That’s because they are mostly plastic, which is an unforgiving material. When it breaks or wears out, it’s done.

Light Gun

Show of hands: How many of you have seen the ATC light signals from the air?

If you have a towered airport near you and they aren’t too busy, you might ask the controller to give you the light gun signals when you are on approach. I often do this with my learners. The caveat is we are usually the first airplane in the pattern when the tower opens in the morning. I usually call the tower a day in advance to set up the light gun flight.

• READ MORE: Practice Crosswind Landings Whenever You Can

We fly the pattern and I take the airplane on base to final as that is when the controller hits us with the light gun. The learner looks at the tower and tells me what colors they see. The approach terminates with a go-around. On the second pass, the student flies, and the controller brings us in for a full stop landing with the light gun signals.

Landing with the light gun is a pilot rite of passage.

The first time it happened to me, I was a post-solo private candidate based at Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW), a Class D facility under the Mode C veil of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA). It was at the end of a dual instructional cross-country flight. We were about halfway home when I noticed low voltage light activated in our mighty Cessna 172. The appropriate checklist was run in an attempt to troubleshoot the issue, but no luck. Load shedding took place.

We discussed diverting to nearby Bremerton National Airport (KPWT), a nontowered facility in Class E airspace where radio communications are not required, but a good idea for position reports and situational awareness. At a nontowered airport you stay outside the pattern and observe the flow of traffic, then enter when appropriate. However, we knew from experience that Bremerton was much busier than KTIW as so many of the pilots who trained there did so because they didn’t want to “mess with a tower.”

We listened to the automatic terminal information services (ATIS) at KTIW then monitored the tower frequency. There were two other aircraft in the pattern. The CFI contacted the tower when we were 10 miles out, telling controllers we were approaching from the west and about to lose the radio, so could they please bring us in with the light gun? Before they could reply, he said, “This is my last transmission,” as I put 7600 into the transponder.

A few minutes later and with heads on a swivel, we rolled on to downwind. He watched the tower while I flew.

“There it is,” he said.

I looked over to see a flashing green light plain as day. The steady green came when we were on base, and I did my first no-flap landing—the flaps were also electric, so I wasn’t even going to monkey with them. Learning had taken place.

The post Radio Failures While Learning to Fly appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Learning to fly requires the acquisition of physical skills as well as the absorption of reams of newfound knowledge, theories, and terms unique to flight. All of those who’ve gone before have faced the same challenges. Yet, today’s environment calls for preparing newcomers for some hurdles that are shaped a little differently than the ones seen earlier.

“If this were easy, everybody would be doing it,” as the saying goes. When it comes to flying, truer words were never spoken.

If flying were as simple as driving, it would lose much of its attraction. The challenge of tackling a difficult, even potentially hazardous, endeavor is a reward in itself. And aviation never ceases to present challenges, making it a lifestyle, not a simple course of study.

There’s room for pilots of every stripe—those after a career, the ones needing an adjunct to a business, the seekers of pure recreation, and those wanting another personal travel option. There are challenges in pursuing each of these tracks.

Where Do I Go?

To a beginner, the atmosphere of an airport requires some discernment.

Two distinct sets of airport accommodations have evolved in recent years—the sanitized, secure world of business aviation terminals, with a lobby of polished marble and chrome that carries all the warmth of a dental office, and the semi-abandoned rumpled ambiance of a recreational airport, looking for all the world like a weekend hunting lodge. In both cases, inquiring student pilots may wonder if they are in the right place. Everyone is so taken up with their own tasks that a disoriented stranger may be tempted to look for a bell to ring just to get someone’s attention.

The business terminal probably has an efficient, overworked receptionist, required by security paranoia to guard the doorway to the parking ramp against errant individuals. Somewhere, off in one of the lesser-used rooms, is a flight training desk, to which you will be ushered for your appointment. And sure enough, behind the sterile facade, you will find a break room where pilots can mingle to talk flying around worn chairs.

By comparison, a sport-flying airport’s office may be camouflaged as a lean-to shed on the side of a hangar, where an unmarked door with peeling paint opens onto a disheveled world of abandoned Styrofoam cups and well-thumbed magazines. Strangers are viewed with as much distrust as at the bizjet terminal counter, requiring a proper visa to be shown for admittance. Fear not. Once inducted you’ll be able to claim this homey, lived-in place as your own.

A private club atmosphere in aviation is part of its mystique, but it often leads to misunderstanding by the general public happening to make casual contact. An impression may be given that only those on official business are welcome. As I stress to visitors I escort around our airfield, this is a public facility—treat it as your own, but don’t abuse it. Feel free to park and watch the planes come and go, and walk around all you like.

If we in general aviation don’t make the non-aviator feel welcome, we may find our airport paved over for a strip mall someday.

There’s No Right or Wrong Way

Another source of confusion for learners is the oft-heard objection, “We don’t do it like that,” usually given by a self-appointed, expert old-timer. Pilots who learned to fly 20, 30, or 40 years ago are constantly carping about how the world has gone to hell, how aviation sure isn’t what it used to be, and how much more fun it was back then. This can lead a new pilot to wonder if this diminishing business is worth all the time and treasure they’re putting into it.

And the fact is, things are different today, just as things were different when today’s chronic griper learned to fly two decades ago under conditions then far removed from the world of old-timers of that era. We have more rules now, there’s more traffic around some airports, and everything costs more—but it’s all relative. Today’s learners will naturally adjust to the conditions of this age and will probably tell their kids how cheap flying used to be.

Pilots learning to fly now should ignore doom-and-gloom types and dedicate themselves to the preservation of our freedoms.

Eternal Unpredictability

We live in a time of instant-redo fixes for everything, so it comes as a shock to beginner pilots that things don’t always work out as planned in aviation. There are limitations imposed by weather, airplanes may be down for inspection longer than predicted, and sharing access to an airplane depends on the other person’s success at keeping a schedule. Airplanes are not cars, and we have to learn that they can’t be operated like automobiles.

The risks of aviation must be managed with flexibility. When a preflight inspection turns up a frayed tire, it’s imperative that it be fixed before the airplane flies, even if that means scrubbing today’s mission. It’s not likely that the repair shop will have someone standing by to yank it off while you wait, even if there’s an FBO at the airport with the right tire in stock. Student pilots have to adjust to the reality of being able to fly only if everything works out.

The very day a dual cross-country flight is scheduled as the next lesson on the syllabus, a weather front will stall out across the route. So that carefully plotted learning experience is deferred, and another hour of touch-and-goes is substituted for it. Part of flight training is learning when not to attempt a particular task.

How to Pay for It

Can’t afford to learn to fly? Nothing much has changed in the 63 years since I earned my private license. I finished up $200 in debt, and that represented one-third of the cost of my training. But I knew I should finish the course and then pay off the debt with the certificate earned. My menial job paid but $1 per hour, and I could afford one lesson a week—most weeks.

The point is, as far back as I remember, airplanes have always been expensive luxuries, and if we wanted to fly them, we always had to give up some other part of our life. Saving up a portion of the cost or adding debt to learn to fly is about acquiring discipline, as much a part of aviation as life itself. I wish I could hand out free scholarships to every deserving learner, but the fact is, nobody makes a big profit from light aviation. Your flight school is probably already in negative cash flow, so don’t expect freebies unless you trade out work for air time.

As daunting as the financial hurdle appears, it can be cleared with sacrifice and extra work. Take on a second or third job, keep the old car running, and dedicate yourself to achieving something unique—your pilot’s certificate.

You’re Not All That Different

You may think you can’t fly because you don’t see a lot of pilots like you.

Look beyond the classification you think you’re in. Airplanes don’t see your differences—they are going to treat you the same as anyone else when you grab hold of the controls. You are becoming a pilot—period. Not a hyphenated, first-of-your-kind, special pilot, but a pilot like all the others you see in the break room.

More than most aspects of society, aviation has been a great equalizer. If you prove yourself by earning wings, you’ll be accepted as what you are, a pilot like all the rest. That’s not to say you can’t run into a thick-skulled, bigoted idiot in your flying journey, but they are rarer than you’ll find in less demanding activities.

Don’t ask for your flaws to be overlooked, just expect to be given the same training as all the other learners and become the pilot you want to be.

Terminology

Aviation’s lexicon can be perplexing because it’s new and strange.

Wading through the myriad acronyms, terms, and phraseology is one of the biggest obstacles I see learners struggling against. Even longtime aviators sometimes call the FAA “the FFA” when they get their mouth in front of their brains. V-speeds can be arcane because they have two meanings—a number to fly and a statement of purpose. Radio use has both an official distinctness, as set forth by the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), and a broader application in everyday use, when one seldom hears the term “over.”

The cure for becoming lost in the jargon is to study and listen. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification when a term leaves you baffled. When you took up golf, you probably didn’t know a mulligan from a bogey, but you learned. Two of the least-used features of training texts are the glossary and index, supplanted by Google-ization. The publishers went to considerable trouble to include them, so use them to look up a term that baffles you.

Should ATC throw you a string of gobbledygook instead of a preconceived response, fall back on basic English to ask for clarification. Better to be thought a fool than to proceed blindly and remove all doubt. 

I can’t remove all your training obstacles, but I can assure you that you’ll have plenty of company as you climb over them. Knowing that you’re not the first to deal with them makes the job less challenging.  

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Plane & Pilot.

The post Negotiating the Flight Training Obstacle Course appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Wednesday afternoon, the Category 4 hurricane had wind speeds of about 145 mph and was predicted to create a storm surge of more than 10 feet along west-central coast of Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The NAFI Summit was scheduled for October 15-17 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University campus. The event is touted as an opportunity for flight instructors of all levels to increase their skills through mentorship, presentations, and peer support. 

“Our top priority is to keep everyone safe,” NAFI said in a statement to FLYING. “The aftermath of this storm will likely cause transportation issues for attendees and exhibitors. Also, we want to free up resources like hotels and rental cars for Florida residents impacted by this hurricane. We have therefore decided to postpone NAFI Summit.”

NAFI officials said they are in touch with the staff at Embry-Riddle in regard to alternative dates.

The post Hurricane Milton Prompts NAFI to Postpone Summit appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

There were two choices for instrument approach plates: the government-printed National Ocean Service (NOS), or Jeppesen. Every fledgling instrument candidate had to choose which they would use.

I learned to fly IFR using NOS products. As I recall, it was the cost of the Jeppesen charts subscription combined with the fact my ex-U.S. Air Force instructor—who said he “cut his teeth” on NOS—that made me lean toward the latter. 

It was the 1990s and everything was still on paper. There were tactile as well as visual differences between Jeppesen and NOS. The first thing a fledgling instrument pilot noticed was that the paper used for the Jeppesen products was lighter and felt more delicate than the NOS plates, which are printed on newsprint.

In 2000, Jeppesen Sanderson Inc. was acquired by the Boeing Company, and Jeppesen continues to be the industry standard for commercial aviation. According to my professional pilot friends, their employers pick up the cost of the subscription. The cost varies, depending on how much geographic coverage you seek.

If you use both NOS and Jeppesen—and many pilots do—you will notice similarities between the two, as well as subtle differences.

The graphics are similar, but slightly different, so you will want to study before you take the aircraft into the soup. If you are seeking to become “bilingual,” it’s helpful to get an approach you know well and compare Jeppesen and NOS side by side. 

These are just a few things you will want to keep in mind:

Take It From the Top

Jeppesen approach plates have a briefing strip at the top that spells out the most pertinent information an instrument pilot needs. That information includes the name and the identifier of the airport, the expiration date of the plate, if the airport has category A, B, and C approaches, and what kind of approach it is (VOR DME, in bold letters, for example). 

Beneath this are several rows of rectangular boxes with the radio frequencies, navigational aid used for the approach, final approach course, altitude for glideslope intercept, MDA or DH, and airport elevation. Missed approach procedures are spelled out, and there are a few lines of notes specific to the airport.

The NOS plate is arranged with the name of the airport and type of approach on the top right, with the navigational aid and final approach course on the top left along with elevation of the airport, touchdown zone, and runway. NOS also has a “T” in a black triangle to let the pilot know there are obstacles to be avoided during takeoff, and conversely an “A” in a black triangle to give similar warnings about the approach.You will have to flip through the binder to find the page that has this information. 

The NOS binder, if hard copy, can be bulky. I learned to divide mine into A-N, then have another binder for M-Z.

The Jeppesen plates have more detail on them and more bold type to indicate the fixes that define the approach. The course the aircraft is supposed to fly is depicted by a heavy dark line and an arrow.

The NOS charts also have an arrow line, but the line is thinner. Also, the airport diagram with the field elevation appears on the lower right side of the page, along with information about the type of lighting in use.

Both plates use a segmented arrow to depict the missed approach procedure.

As NOS are used extensively by the U.S. military, you’ll find notes for these pilots in parenthesis on the plates, as well.

NOS also has “shelf life” information printed on the side. For example on the VOR/DME-A for Gillespie County Airport (T82) in Fredericksburg, Texas, it reads “05 Sep 2004 to 3 Oct 2024.”

Electronic Versus Paper

You will likely find it challenging to find a pilot outside the training environment who still uses paper charts. It’s much easier to store charts digitally in a tablet than it is to carry a binder—or in some instances, a suitcase—of charts with you in the cockpit. You have probably seen those large suitcase flight bags pilots used to carry to accommodate their approach plates.

At the flight school level, it can behoove you to know both Jeppesen and NOS, as the more skills you have, the more employable you are.

The post What to Consider When Choosing Instrument Approach Plates appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Greg Robbins, president of Aviation Supplies & Academics, has been recognized for his efforts by the University Aviation Association as this year’s recipient of the W.W. Estridge Award.

The award was created to recognize industry representatives who have made significant contributions to collegiate aviation education while being actively involved in the UAA. To be nominated, a person must be working in aviation and have distinguished themselves as a strong supporter of aviation education.

Robbins has been with ASA for 16 years, first as a salesman and then in 2022 became the owner of the company. In addition to overseeing one of the larger aviation education suppliers in the country, he also holds a commercial pilot certificate with multiengine, instrument, and seaplane ratings.

About the Award

The award is named for former American Airlines Captain Walter W. Estridge Jr., described as a distinguished aviator and advocate for collegiate aviation education.

Estridge flew in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, the Berlin Airlift, and Korean War. After separating from the military he went to work at American Airlines, working with the air carrier for 31 years as a pilot  and instructor. He accumulated approximately 25,000 flight hours.

Outside of the cockpit, Estridge worked with the Air Transport Association (ATA) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) training committees. He was recognized for this with the IATA’s Brevet Award, as Estridge predicted that colleges and universities would soon play a vital role in the creation of airline pilots. That award was created to honor those who continue to forge the link between aviation education and industry leaders who rely on the learners coming out of colleges and universities.

The post ASA President Earns W.W. Estridge Award appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Flying Musicians Association (FMA) would like to help students discover aviation and enhance their musical skills through scholarships.

The FMA, which was founded in 2009, recognizes the link between musicians and aviators. Both pursuits require dedication, focus, and the acquisition of knowledge and physical skills. And both can bring together people from diverse backgrounds on common ground.

The FMA has two scholarships available. Its Solo Learn to Fly Program will take a high school student up through their first solo, and the Swing Wing scholarship will enable a deserving young person to attend New York Hot Jazz Camp.

“FMA members love assisting others who share our passions of flying and music,” John Zapp, FMA president and CEO, said in a statement. “To be able to assist and watch our student members grow through aviation and music while inspiring and assisting others is such a rewarding experience.”

The FMA has awarded 17 scholarships in 11 years. In addition to the scholarships, each nominee is onboarded as a student member of the association and assigned a mentor. Mentorship is key when beginning an aviation career. A mentor can provide guidance on selecting a flight school, what to look for in an instructor, and offer encouragement along the way.

How to Apply

The  Swing Wing scholarship is open to all members of FMA between the ages of 18 and 28. Exceptions can be made for members under 18 with parental consent.

The scholarships are made available through support of organizations, businesses, and individuals in both the music and aviation industry. One of the association’s key members is country music star Aaron Tippin, who also holds a commercial pilot certificate and A&P rating.

More information about how to apply for the Solo Learn to Fly Program may be found here, and the Swing Wing scholarship here.

The post Flying Musicians Association Now Accepting Scholarship Applications appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The agency’s new rule aligning flight instructor certificates with other airman certificates goes into effect December 1.

However, according to the FAA,  instructors will still need to renew their certificate every 24 calendar months by completing a Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic (FIRC), acquiring an additional instructor certificate, or by additional instructional activity. That activity, according to the rule, includes, “at least 15 flight activities recognized under the FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency program, during which the flight instructor evaluated at least five different pilots and has made the necessary endorsements in the logbooks of each pilot for each activity.”

Additionally, the rule said that CFIs who endorse at least five applicants for a practical test in 24 calendar months and have a 80 percent passage rate can also use this per 61.197(b)(2)(i) to renew their certificates.

Aligning Airman Certificates

According to the 35-page document published in the Federal Register, the removal of the expiration date will bring the CFI certificate in line with the private and commercial certificates that do not have expiration dates.

Additionally, it is seen as a cost saving measure as it will save the FAA the expense of printing and mailing reissued plastic certificates.

The final rule amends Part 61 of Title 14 in the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) on the reinstatement requirements for flight instructor certificates providing a CFI who has let their certificate lapse a three-month grace period to do an FIRC to regain privileges. Prior to the rule the only option was for the lapsed instructor to take a checkride.

The removal of an expiration date will mean a change in the way instructors endorse a client’s logbook per FAR 61.51, as instead of noting the CFI certificate expiration date, the CFI will note recency of experience.

This final rule also adds two new methods for flight instructors to qualify to train initial applicants and relocates and codifies the requirements for relief for U.S. military and civilian personnel who seek to renew their expired flight instructor certificate but are challenged because they are outside the U.S.

The post FAA Drops Expiration Date on CFI Certificate appeared first on FLYING Magazine.