Author: David St. George

Most new CFIs, with all good intentions, try to help too much. They consequently micromanage and monopolize the flight experience, eliminating most “learning opportunities” for their students. The greatest gift an educator can provide after presenting a lesson outline is allowing a safe place for their learner to independently make and correct their small errors; “flub it up and fix it.” This creates the critical “learning opportunity” essential to building confidence and proficiency. For the new CFI, this sloppy flying can be excruciating since every pilot wants perfection. But humans learn by doing, trying, and experimenting.

This “experimentation” obviously needs to be guided carefully, but the savvy CFI carefully avoids helping too much once the learner has achieved a level of basic competence. The ultimate goal in flight training is to get out of the plane. The CFI is there to coach and assist; guiding the learning situation with a velvet glove.

A striving for perfection is built into good pilots, and new CFIs can easily fall into the micro-management habit. It takes conscious effort and commitment to overcome this tendency and allow space for errors. The new and scared CFIs most commonly exhibit “over-control” and never release the yoke (or the mic) for this “experimentation.” They can create an oppressive environment and also never stop talking long enough for a learner to process and assemble information. The end result of micromanaging is a pathetically nervous and dependent pilot with no “command authority” or true skills – a “mouse in a maze.”

Instead, I personally advocate putting training pilots “in charge” as early as confidence and proficiency allow. A major part of aviation safety is assuming responsibility (rare in modern society). I call the building process “incremental mastery,” and the reward for every student is a “half solo”  as soon as a learner is in command of the basics. This challenge is carefully briefed and designed to be fun and diagnostic – for both parties involved. The lesson allows a new pilot to handle *everything* all the way out to the practice area (pre-flight, taxi, run-up, radio, etc) with no assistance from the CFI (arms folded, mouth shut). This experience validates the training and immensely empowers the student. If the CFI is a micro-manager they squirm and suffer in the right seat but often discover some new personal strengths also – trust takes time.

By 3-5 hours in the air, most eager learners can accomplish this “half solo” with no problem.  Briefing and accomplishing this “half solo” is amazingly empowering and educational for the learner. They immediately see the result of their time, money and effort. Encourage them to debrief their own performance after the flight – you will be surprised!  This debrief also builds the essential safety habit of “after flight assessment” that every pilot should perform.Your learner is then ready (and confident) for experiencing slow flight stalls and emergencies.

This process of “incremental mastery” should continue right up until the check ride. Every time your learner exhibits competence in a maneuver or area of flight, they “own it” and command the process from that time forward – e.g. “show me your stall series.” Of course, polish and correction can be added to tighten accuracy and enhance understanding all the way through training. But it is vital to allow your learner to fly  “in command” as early as feasible.

By the time a pilot in training departs the nest, fully alone for real “solo,” they are more confident, skilled, and safer. They already know they can climb, turn, and descend accurately because they have continuously demonstrated this component of the flight. Full “solo landing” is just another incremental challenge in the full continuum of becoming a pilot in command. And for confident, empowered flight applicants, the FAA checkride is much less intimidating and they generally excel. By contrast, evaluating a cosseted candidate attempting true control is painful on so many levels. This is made worse by the realization that the CFI who recommended this person actually created these problems rather than solved them.

More ideas and techniques for flight instructor excellence are part of our  SAFE CFI-PRO™ Workshops now offered all over the country (call us). Fly safely (and often)!

Join SAFE to support our safety mission of generating aviation excellence in teaching and flying. Our amazing member benefits pay back your contribution (like 1/3 off your annual ForeFlight subscription)! Our FREE SAFE Toolkit App puts required pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smartphone and facilitates CFI+DPE teamwork. Our CFI insurance was developed specifically for CFI professionals (and is the best value in the business).

The private pilot failure rate is approaching 50% and many important people in the aviation industry are confused and alarmed about why this is happening. But there can only be one reason since it is the same FAA test and the same FAA evaluators: applicants who fail are not adequately prepared! And that outcome means one of two things; either the CFI recommending the applicant is not aware of their applicant’s actual level of proficiency, or they simply don’t care. Either way, it is a failure of the CFI to adquately prepare the applicant and a result of our “hour-building” pilot system. It’s a tragedy in our industry leading to many unhappy applicants, and a shortage of DPE opportunities (testing everyone twice).

Every honest DPE hates to issue a disapproval notice for an applicant at any level. But this “tough love” is the necessary “safety correction” for unqualified learners. When the 8710 is submitted to the FAA in IACRA, the understanding (and briefing) is; “you are now a private pilot, unless you prove otherwise. You start with 100% on every FAA evaluation!” If the system works correctly, with the CFI and DPE working to the same standard, an unsatisfactory outcome should be rare. An “unsat.” crushes the applicant’s dreams and it’s very hard to put a positive spin on this otherwise negative experience. But try this one; “we saved you from dying from a serious deficiency of skill in a certain area.” Of course, these exact words are not appropriate in a postflight briefing, but that is the harsh reality. Aviation is very unforgiving of errors or deficiencies. My mentor DPE, still testing with 44 years in the business, offered this advice to me when I started 25 years ago; “You never fail anyone, they fail themselves!”

A successful flight test requires every CFI to discover  – and improve – the applicant’s knowledge and skill level above ACS standards before recommending an applicant for a practical test. This greater care would also help relieve the current shortage of DPE testing slots. Watch endorsements and experience too –1/5th never qualify to even test.

The idea that a CFI or applicant would go “shopping for a Santa Claus” DPE – who is cutting corners and “issuing paper” – is totally contrary to aviation safety (and your personal well-being). By seeking out a notoriously “easy examiner” you are ultimately jeopardizing your own safety. Every honest pilot should want to discover their weak areas (thank you!) and fix them before something bad happens. This honesty should also be at the heart of every CFI’s flight review. We need to discover and improve weak knowledge and skills before they hurt us.  And the pilot looking for an “easy flight review” is as guilty as the applicant “shopping for a Santa Claus.”

Fortunately, these notices are rare and seem to be issued about once a year all around the country. But their effect on the training industry is very damaging and can last for years. Cinncinati FSDO is still experiencing a “DPE deficit” and re-flying check rides from  Michael A. Puehler. Unfortunately, many pilots in the area already know this dishonest testing is occurring. No one should be surprised (or mad) when this sketchy activity is shut down by the FAA:

I know someone that did their CFI with him. They passed and he asked if they wanted to do their CFII with him THAT DAY… the applicant hadn’t done any CFII training, wasn’t IFR current, the plane they were flying didn’t have a GPS and wasn’t IFR certified yet XXXX passed them and gave them their CFII. I thought it was sus and the owner of the flight school was pretty pissed about it since he knew the applicant wasn’t ready and the plane wasn’t even legal to do it. Reddit Thread

The Problem of New, Inexperienced CFIs

As regards pilot failures on flight tests, the finger is clearly pointing to the recommending CFIs. Our crazy “hour-building culture” of the FAA system is certainly a large part of the problem. Only in the USA do new aviation educators, just approved and with no real experience, enter the workforce to start teaching immediately. In Canada, a new CFI cannot legally teach one-on-one. They are required to be supervised by an experienced CFI (Class one or two). But in the USA, 2/3rds of “active CFIs” (the 8-10K doing the majority of the teaching) are on the job for less than one year before they move to more lucrative piloting jobs. Most new CFIs do not have adequate mentorship and they seldom have enough time on the job to get good at teaching. But these beginners are educating most of our new pilot applicants. We should not be surprised by a 50% failure rate.

SAFE CFI-PRO™ and SAFE Mentoring Program

The target audience for this program is newly minted CFIs. SAFE has experienced CFIs and DPEs traveling to flight schools (and teaching online) to bring up the professionalism of these new educators. And fortunately, most of these new CFIs are eager for more information and want to improve their skills. But the flight schools and academies also need to buy in to promote this initiative more widely. Please get in touch if you want to access these services. Individuals can join and sign up for mentoring . This effort pays you back with improved test results and safer pilots – everyone is happier. Fly safely out there (and often); have a great holiday!

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For safe instrument flight, skills are obviously an essential requirement. But the knowledge component is critical – and often underappreciated. Here are some common weak areas from recent checkrides and IPCs as well as resources to keep you sharp.

If you are still treating GPS as a new navigational system, get over it. The first FAA-approved IFR GPS navigator went into service on February 16, 1994; it’s OLD! The regulations are now written “backwards,” defining only the times when you cannot (legally) use GPS (all other times go for it).  Some pilots still err on the side of caution chasing wobbly VOR needles for conventional approaches. Life is a lot simpler (and safer) with the steady guidance of GPS and a vertical path indicator. There is a reason they called all those older approaches “non-precision!” Click HERE for a fact sheet on newer RNP approaches. (More FAA Fact sheets HERE.)

The basic legal guidance for GPS usage is in AIM Chapter One, Section Two. The ICAO term for this class of navigational magic is “Performance Based Navigation” (PBN). Instead of referencing the sensor systems, PBN only specifies the required accuracy for the system. Use whatever you like so long as it provides the “accuracy, integrity, continuity, availability, and functionality needed for the proposed operation in the context of a particular airspace concept.” (And of course it must be FAA-Approved) The guidance is straight forward for enroute operations, but gets a little muddier starting downhill.

AIM 1-2-3(C) Uses of Suitable RNAV Systems. Subject to the operating requirements, operators may use a suitable RNAV system in the following ways.
1. Determine aircraft position relative to, or distance from a VOR (see NOTE 6 below), TACAN, NDB, compass locator, DME fix; or a named fix defined by a VOR radial, TACAN course, NDB bearing, or compass locator bearing intersecting a VOR or localizer course.
2. Navigate to or from a VOR, TACAN, NDB, or compass locator.
3. Hold over a VOR, TACAN, NDB, compass locator, or DME fix.
4. Fly an arc based upon DME.

Search the footnotes in section 2, for more detail and you will do great with hangar flying discussions – or checkride questions – regarding what is legal to fly with your panel-mounted WAAS unit. Obviously “legal” also requires careful verification of databases, manuals, updates, and satellite NOTAMs. This makes preflight and programming a little longer, but the safety and precision make it worthwhile.

So yes, your G-1000 or WAAS GPS can navigate conventional (ground-based) VOR approaches even if “GPS/RNAV” is not mentioned in the approach title. The FAA still requires the navaid to be operational and you must actively monitor it. Your PFD can be GPS/magenta, just keep a VOR source operational/visible. You can even legally navigate all the legs on an ILS right up until just before the final approach fix before switching to “green needles.” In fact, some newer PBN ILS approaches *require* GPS for transitions to final. This is certainly a critical item to ascertain in the pre-brief phase of your flight.

Dig deeper into AC90-108  “Use of Suitable RNAV Systems on Conventional Routes and Procedures” for trickier questions and deeper knowledge.  And even better, consult AC 90-119 (still in draft form) for future developments. This AC collects RNAV rules from numerous scattered sources. The YouTube below from Bruce Williams on conventional approaches summarizes all the requirements nicely. This site is a reliable source of IFR wisdom HERE.

With all this focus on the detailed rules regarding GPS, it is important to remember that the GPS constellation can go out of service. Consider your situation if it is suddenly unavailable. (BTW, any jamming is expressly prohibited by the FCC – the people who brought you 5G). GPS has become our “invisible utility” that runs modern society. Cell phones, energy companies and even the stock market depend on GPS (time stamps and system synchronization). So what would happen if we were up in the clouds and GPS went out?

FAA Navigational Redundancy: MON

The FAA has a plan for this and has extended the service volumes of many VORs to create a system called Minimum Operating Network (MON) using only ground-based navaids. If you noticed some jacked-up high-power VORs around, you are looking at it!

the FAA is retaining a limited network of VORs, called the VOR MON, to provide a basic conventional navigation service for operators to use if GNSS becomes unavailable. During a GNSS disruption, the MON will enable aircraft to navigate through the affected area or to a safe landing at a MON airport without reliance on GNSS. Navigation using the MON will not be as efficient as the new PBN route structure, but use of the MON will provide nearly continuous VOR signal coverage at 5,000 feet AGL across the NAS, outside of the Western U.S. Mountainous Area (WUSMA). AIM 1-1-1

Keep Learning! New Gold Seal IFR Ground School (Free to CFIs)

Aviation requires us to stay up to date with the continuous changes in knowledge and technology. But nowhere is this more important than with instrument flight (as illustrated above).  Every detail counts. Why did they put those two asterisks next to the minimums on that ILS mins? What does that snowflake above mean (Santa)? Preparing for an instrument flight  (or preparing for an IFR oral) you have to be totally tuned up and curious to be safe.

SAFE MCFI Russ Still has been working diligently last year researching and building a totally new instrument ground school course. And all his courses are free to CFIs! Every CFI (and any committed pilot) should watch this new course – I guarantee you will learn something new. His fresh animations and content are visually captivating and very worthwhile (and CFIs can track their student’s progress on the Gold Seal portal). Russ is a talented and committed educator. He really dug into the details and kept a lot of DPEs busy with his detailed questions. The Gold Seal team created an amazing course;  try it here (FREE to CFIs). And for everyone else, the free Gold Seal “Know It All” pdf is an excellent review. Fly safe out there (and often)!

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Join SAFE and enjoy great benefits. You get 1/3 off ForeFlight and CloudAhoy! Your membership also supports our mission of increasing aviation safety by promoting excellence in education (we are an educational not-for-profit).

Our FREE SAFE Toolkit App puts required pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smartphone and facilitates CFI+DPE teamwork. Our CFI insurance was developed by SAFE specifically for CFIs (and is the best protection in the business).

A recent letter to all PSI testing centers announced a drastic reduction in the amount paid to private FAA Testing Centers from $65 per test to only $22 per test (and potentially less if the candidate does not use the full allotted time). Our local testing center has already decided it cannot afford to stay open with this rate change. (And this test center provided income that helped support a local flying club). With this new lopsided PSI contract, only larger academies will be able to afford to maintain an FAA testing center; the others will wither away.

The FAA awarded PSI monopoly control of all FAA knowledge testing in June 2018.  Their new contract with independent testing centers at local airports, effective Jan. 1, 2023, will essentially kill many of these approximately 800 local testing centers. There are huge costs to local businesses providing PSI tests: a quiet, dedicated room for testing, four computers (one required for monitoring), security systems (required), and live proctors present to qualify and monitor pilot applicants.  There are also the associated business expenses of rent, insurance, heat, etc. In this contract, PSI only supplies the electronic test. By paying themselves $45 more dollars on 207,000 tests (2022) PSI is giving themselves quite a raise!

The current FAA testing revenue partially supports our local aviation infrastructure at small airports across America. These facilities not only provide testing, they also provide local flight training and a place for pilots to gather and socialize. Applicants for an FAA Knowledge Test will have to drive hours to test, while local clubs and schools will be scrambling for lost income. This avoidable “ wreck scenario” guts the local GA community. I encourage every reader of this blog to write immediately to the ACTS email “AirmanKnowledgeTesting[a]faa.gov” and object to this change. Join the list below to provide the strength of numbers.

I wrote to the FAA address pointing out all of the above issues, and signed onto the AOPA appeal (on behalf of all the “alphabets”). The FAA response to SAFE,  basically said “we assigned a contractual monopoly to PSI with no control of how they should carry out their mission.” It seems the only specification was not raising the price to the testing candidate: very bad contract!

How the testing vendor decides to compensate testing centers, proctors, call center personnel, software engineers, administrative personnel, test content staff, or any other key position associated with carrying out the requirements in the SOW is at the complete discretion of the testing vendor and outside the scope of the FAA’s authority. FAA Reply

I’m not a lawyer, but assigning a monopoly contract with no protections for the end-user pilots seems like a pretty poor arrangement. GA will again suffer, just when the industry is finally experiencing a steady growth cycle. Get your local testing location on board by having them write the above address and also please join the list below. There is strength in numbers and we need to win this fight.

If you buy your holiday gifts from Amazon, please login to Amazon Smile. Amazon will contribute 0.5% to SAFE if you set it up and this donation costs you nothing!

Join SAFE and enjoy great benefits. You get 1/3 off ForeFlight and CloudAhoy! Your membership also supports our mission of increasing aviation safety by promoting excellence in education (we are an educational not-for-profit).

Our FREE SAFE Toolkit App puts required pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smartphone and facilitates CFI+DPE teamwork. Our CFI insurance was developed by SAFE specifically for CFIs (and is the best protection in the business).

The legal mess that has held up the publication of the FAA testing standards is finally starting to move forward. If you are an aviation educator (or a learner in training) you can now see these forth-coming standards HERE (published yesterday in the Federal Register). A previous SAFEblog described the reason for this long legal delay. All the new proposed testing standards are HERE.

One of the most important ACS documents that has been on the shelf is the Flight Instructor ACS. This is HERE for your review (the ACS committee is in session as this is published discussing any necessary changes to the standards). Please log in and SUPPORT the publication of these essential flight training documents.

BTW, I hope savvy CFIs notice the return of “Minimum Controllable Airspeed” in the CFI ACS in Section 10B – stall warner on…Yeah, we fought for that…

PSI is Quietly Killing Your Local Test Center…

A recent letter to all PSI testing centers announced a drastic reduction in the amount paid to FAA Testing Centers from $65 per test to only $22 per test (and potentially less if the candidate does not use the full allotted time). PSI is an FAA-enabled monopoly and this contract change will essentially kill many of the 800 local testing centers. These essential businesses already supply a quiet room, with four computers (one required for monitoring) with security systems (required) and live proctors to qualify to be a test center (combined with all the business expenses like rent, insurance, heat, etc). Flight test applicants now sometimes have to wait a month for a flight test, but soon a pilot may have to drive hours to access an FAA Knowledge Test; this is an avoidable “train wreck scenario.”

More important than the inconvenience, the current FAA testing revenue often partially supports your local aviation business at small airports across America. These facilities provide a place for pilots to gather and fly. These are often a local flight school, flying club or a small FBO. This change could be catastrophic to the fabric of general aviation. I encourage every reader of this blog to write immediately to the ACTS email “AirmanKnowledgeTesting[a]faa.gov” and object to this change. Fly safely out there (and often).

[Added 12/14/2022] FAA response to my letter pointing out all of the above, said basically “we assigned a monopoly to PSI and we did not specify how they should carry out their mission so long as they do not raise the price to the testing candidate:”

How the testing vendor decides to compensate testing centers, proctors, call center personnel, software engineers, administrative personnel, test content staff, or any other key position associated with carrying out the requirements in the SOW is at the complete discretion of the testing vendor and outside the scope of the FAA’s authority. FAA Reply

Really? Maybe the FAA should have included vendor protections in the contract? We pilots are the end-users and we pay for this testing service.

If you buy your holiday gifts from Amazon, please login to Amazon Smile. Amazon will contribute 0.5% to SAFE if you set it up and this donation costs you nothing!

Join SAFE and enjoy great benefits. You get 1/3 off ForeFlight and CloudAhoy! Your membership also supports our mission of increasing aviation safety by promoting excellence in education (we are an educational not-for-profit).

Our FREE SAFE Toolkit App puts required pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smartphone and facilitates CFI+DPE teamwork. Our CFI insurance was developed by SAFE specifically for CFIs (and is the best protection in the business).

54% of fatal aviation accidents occur where we spend only 4% of our time; “Johnny can’t land!” Landing well requires proficiency in every separate skill practiced and learned during the pre-solo phase of flight training. These famous “15 items” listed in CFR 61.87 (slow flight, ground reference, etc) are seldom practiced to proficiency during the original mad rush to solo. And unfortunately, these skills are seldom ever practiced in isolation after pilot certification either. But basic skill practice is exactly what every pilot needs to land better.

the term “full-control” means “fully under control” (with no reliance on luck). Good landings require “aggressive PIC” but also patience. Landing is definitely a time to “grab it a growl.” One of the main CFI challenges during initial flight training is building up a learner’s confidence to achieve this level of full confident control; “you got this!”

What pilots do when they are having problems with their landing is just go out and practice more landings. Though this makes intuitive sense, it is an ineffective method of achieving lasting improvement. Landing problems are always more fundamental; “the roof is crooked because there is a problem with the foundation.” In landing, the real problem is a weak underlying skill. Improving your landings requires deconstructing the complex landing process into individual components and practicing those core skills. Physical therapy for a weak or painful joint or muscle utilizes this exact process; isolating the problem area and working that area in isolation. When you reconsider the accident statistics, this is time well spent; deconstruct!

Weak Slow Flight Skills

Excellent slow flight skills are the secret to “full-control landings.” Pilots seldom ever fly slow except when landing (several seconds of exposure) and usually have lost their feel for rudder control. The interrelated pitch and power requirements in slow flight are also vital to achieving solid control. So step one is to leave the pattern and work through slow flight in detail with a savvy CFI. Mastery here immediately pays dividends with better landings. The newer FAA focus on entering slow flight and also powering out is really “working your core muscles!” Take a look at the SAFE Extended Envelope Syllabus and add some full deflection steep turns (while slow). This adds some real confidence to a pilot’s landings. It is essential to be fully in control – “aggressive PIC” – when landing.

Centerline Slow Flight

Step two is bringing that slow flight practice right down onto a longer runway centerline. We are climbing the ladder of complexity by adding the level off judgment and the ground effect buoyancy, making this maneuver quite different. Additionally, maintaining centerline accuracy also requires good aileron and rudder control for wind drift correction. For advanced learners, a significant crosswind can be a valuable demonstration later on. Power application must be balanced with the drag of slipping to hold the centerline. Switching from crab to slip a few times demonstrates the drag nicely.

Basic centerline slow flight has the additional benefit of overcoming every pilot’s very natural fear of being low and slow. This becomes comfortable pretty quickly. As soon as this maneuver is proficient it is time to add a gentle “squeak and go.” Reduce power slightly while flying slow down the centerline and the tires touch briefly. A touchdown on this maneuver is just a natural extension of flying slowly down the centerline. Usually, three circuits down the centerline and every pilot is feeling a better sense of control and landings become easy. Again, control builds confidence and this technique also makes every pilot familiar with the go-around.

Reassembly

Finally, putting all the skills back together again yields a more comprehensive understanding of landing and illuminates items many pilots missed during initial flight training. Landing is not just “glide, flare land.” It really requires a more nuanced approach requiring a subtle “level-off and hold-off” in the middle. There are five (or more) steps to a good landing. Most pilots ignore or minimize this center section and try to “force a plane to land.” In actuality, the only good landing is achieved by stabilizing all the proper conditions and “waiting for the plane to land.” Patience is not something most pilots are good at; especially in the level-off/hold-off phase of landing. I encourage all my initial landing learners to count “one potato, two potato, three potato” while in the level-off to build patience until the aircraft settles into the flare phase of landing. Every airplane will talk to you here…be vigilant and patient when landing! AOPA also has a bunch of resources on landing better HERE. Have fun; fly safely (and often)!

Join SAFE and enjoy great benefits. You get 1/3 off ForeFlight and CloudAhoy! Your membership also supports our mission of increasing aviation safety by promoting excellence in education (we are an educational not-for-profit).

Our FREE SAFE Toolkit App puts required pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smartphone and facilitates CFI+DPE teamwork. Our CFI insurance was developed by SAFE specifically for CFIs (and is the best protection in the business).

The FAA recently updated their advisory circular for professional pilots: “Flightpath Management.” Though directed at professional flight crews, this document provides essential ideas for every pilot. This guide recommends examining every flight through the lens of total energy and flight path management in both manual and automated flight modes: “planning, execution, and assurance of the guidance and control of aircraft trajectory and energy.“

Automation dependency and energy management have been emphasized as a concern for larger aircraft for years. But increasingly this is also a GA concern with even the most basic LSAs coming equipped with sophisticated (and sometimes “creative”) avionics systems. The commonly heard “what’s it doing now?” is the first indication of danger. Fight path awareness and metacognitive skills are essential to ensure positive control and undistracted awareness of every phase of flight; even in smaller airframes.

This Advisory Circular grew out of the larger/earlier Operational Flight Path Study. Sophisticated automation/navigation systems are in almost every aircraft now, stealing attention and driving the future flightpath. And ironically, the demands on the pilot and/or flight crew have actually increased with automation!

the role and requirements for pilot knowledge and skills has not diminished as a result of automated systems or modern flight deck design, but has actually increased to include being a manager of systems as well as maintaining all their basic knowledge and skills.

Failures for which there are no crew procedures or checklists may be becoming more prevalent. This may be partly because avionics systems are now increasingly integrated and complex as opposed to the federated systems used in the past.

The critical element in managing flight path and energy is understanding the timeline; projecting the aircraft’s flight path and energy state into the future. None of this planning makes sense unless the pilot understands and adjusts the aircraft trend vectors into “future flight path and energy state.” Many new avionics systems assist here by supplying “trend vectors.” This tool is depicting the basic pilot aptitude that must be built and internalized early in flight training.

Every savvy CFI knows before entering the downwind for landing whether their clueless new VFR learner will be “high/low or fast/slow.” This aptitude must be internalized by every new pilot. Understanding and manipulating the future flight path and energy state is vital to the success (and safety) of each flight. This “energy profile” is also distinctly different for different airframes (compare a DA-40 in glide to a Cherokee Six).

This AC and the underlying study also address the training provider, emphasizing the importance of qualified educators providing creative challenges for pilots. Falling back onto the same stale and predictable flight maneuvers for training and review is unacceptable. How many flight reviews have you had that just reviewed the same hackneyed “3S” (steep, slow, stall)  you did in private-level training? Does your CFI know your avionics thoroughly?  Does your CFI provide useful and creative challenges both for manual skills and automation? In the manual flying arena, the SAFE Extended Envelope Training provides an excellent syllabus for beneficial future dual instruction with a savvy CFI.

Flight instructor training, experience, and line-operation familiarity may not be sufficient to effectively train flight crews for successful flight path management. This will be especially important for future operations…Operators should consider that many exercises required to be hand flown are well-known and repetitive and may not measure the true underlying skill level outside of those specific exercises (e.g., single-engine, hand-flown approaches).

Another vital skill mentioned in the AC that is the “reasonableness check.” When any maneuver is undertaken either manually or especially with automation, a pilot should pause a moment and ask “does this really make sense?” With an autopilot, assuring the correct mode for both lateral and vertical path is critical (“score board” on pfd). Always ask: “What am I asking the aircraft to do here?” Metacognitive skills  have been repeatedly emphasized in the SAFE blog, and need to be examined for both manual and automated operations. Don’t let the “magic” operate unmonitored! This awareness requires achieving an “outside perspective” of your actions and the total flight path and energy state.Safety requires verifying that each selected action or input makes sense from this larger perspective. This skill has been described throughout aviation history as an “angel on my  shoulder,” “gut feeling” or “view from the balcony.” Metacognition is the heart of maintaining situational awareness. A loss of situational awareness almost always immediately precedes every accident. Fly safely out there (and often)!

The mission of SAFE is to build pilot and CFI professionalism by sharing skills and knowledge (education) thereby enhancing aviation safety. This picture embodies the essence of that mission for me; two aviation professionals eagerly learning and growing. Michael Hare (blue hat) is a SAFE board member, who in addition to flying fighters in the Air Force, spent years as a captain with a legacy airline. In retirement, he is mentoring new CFIs and generously sharing his many hours of experience with pilots and schools (and working for SAFE). But he somehow got a bug about competing in the national aerobatics competition (with the stated goal of “just not finishing last”). So I introduced him to Jim Wells at Sun N Fun a few years back. Jim is a longtime CFI in everything with wings and has flown (and won) competitions at the national level. He now is an aerobatic judge for the national event and has lots to share with others. Sharing ideas and techniques, and spreading aeronautical goodness, is the heart of SAFE. Both of these talented individuals are aviation mentors to many new pilots and CFIs.

If you have the time and inclination to share your knowledge and experience, please sign up to mentor young CFIs on our new website; this is an area of critical need (and we have some eager learners here). This is the heart of our mission of raising CFI professionalism. Another opportunity is creating a course share on our new member resource center. The new website has quite a collection of fresh courses available for members, but we always need more, and I am always amazed at the diversity of our group. Creating a course is also a great way to enhance your resume for a Master Instructor accreditation. This kind of personal challenge keeps your learning and your motivation growing. Fly safely (and often) and please share our mission with other CFIs and pilots 🙏.

See our newly launched SAFE website HERE

Join SAFE and get great benefits. You get 1/3 off ForeFlight and your membership supports our mission of increasing aviation safety by promoting excellence in education.  Our FREE SAFE Toolkit App puts required pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smartphone and facilitates CFI+DPE teamwork. Our CFI insurance was developed by SAFE specifically for CFIs (and is the best value in the business).

AOPA Legal on Basic Med. for checkrides.

CFII teaching “simulated instrument flight” with Basic Med.

This just changed 2 days ago and will be legal 30 days after publication in the Federal Register (told you those stairways move frequently). If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the most common above, try searching the FAA’s Legal Interpretations website. Fly safe out there (and often).

Mark Kolber has written many excellent legal articles for IFR Magazine. I find his following example of “legal vs safe” a vindication of all the risk management/judgment standards SAFE has helped embed into the testing standards:

a technically legal operation can be “careless and reckless” under 91.13, depending on the circumstances. The warning is not hollow. In a 1993 case, George Murphy was tired of waiting for his IFR release from a nontowered airport, so he took off uncontrolled IFR into low ceilings with passengers, figuring he would reach VMC before entering controlled airspace at 700 AGL. The violation for operating without a clearance was dismissed, but that did not stop the NTSB from giving him a 90-day flight vacation for careless and reckless operation.

See our newly launched SAFE website HERE

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