Online Flight Review Course

SoCal 182 Driver

SoCal 182 Driver

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SoCal 182 Driver
Friends - My CFI is suggesting that I do an online flight review course for the ground portion of my BFR. If anyone has experience with such a course, I'd appreciate comments -- good and bad -- and if good, recommendations.

Thanks very much!
 
I had a year off flying while my plane was down and used the Jason Miller "Finer Points" video series and app for review. I did the ground and flying series for both private and instrument. He does a great job with it and I found it to be a great refresher.
 
Adventure said:
I had a year off flying while my plane was down and used the Jason Miller "Finer Points" video series and app for review. I did the ground and flying series for both private and instrument. He does a great job with it and I found it to be a great refresher.
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It doesn't look like they have a Flight Review course, but I sent them an email inquiry to confirm. Thanks for the referral.
 
My CFI suggested the same and I took the King Schools VFR Regulations refresher course. I do not recommend it. It's terribly outdated, has some information that's been overcome by events, the production quality sucks, and it's been patched together from several different sources.

I emailed my complaint to King and they assured me they were updating it. It's been two years and they haven't updated a blessed thing. Avoid it.
 
Half Fast said:
My CFI suggested the same and I took the King Schools VFR Regulations refresher course. I do not recommend it. It's terribly outdated, has some information that's been overcome by events, the production quality sucks, and it's been patched together from several different sources.

I emailed my complaint to King and they assured me they were updating it. It's been two years and they haven't updated a blessed thing. Avoid it.
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Not even Martha’s hairstyle. :)
 
Half Fast said:
My CFI suggested the same and I took the King Schools VFR Regulations refresher course. I do not recommend it. It's terribly outdated, has some information that's been overcome by events, the production quality sucks, and it's been patched together from several different sources.

I emailed my complaint to King and they assured me they were updating it. It's been two years and they haven't updated a blessed thing. Avoid it.
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They’ve been trying to update Martha’s hairstyle, but it just keeps springing back by the time the cameras start rolling.
 
For the record, my first and last King Schools training was the instrument rating VCR tapes 40 years ago. I realized they’re just teaching the test, and didn’t like that type of training.
 
I did the AOPA course ,the cfi reviewed it with me worked fine.
 
Tools said:
@Daleandee called it…

FAAST is about universally accepted. FAAST stuff can frequently get you a small discount on your insurance.
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I use FAAST for flight review prep. My CFI likes this and I also note these being completed on my insurance application ...
 
I know that Sporty’s has an excellent one. It’s been based for years on its own training videos and they recently added material from Pilot Workshops’ “Real World VFR”course (you can find samples online). It’s not cheap, but it earns you an endorsement for the ground portion of the flight review.
Disclaimer: I’m a member of the Pilot Workshops team and did a webinar for Sporty’s earlier this week.

Sounds like what your CFI is suggesting - a way to avoid the CFI spending ground time beyond briefing and debriefing the flight. Personally, I’d be asking my CFI for recommendations, since that might not be what they have in mind. And if they do, they should be making recommendations. I encourage my FR clients to take online courses which I will accept as satisfying part of the ground requirement, but I also give them a list of those I have personally vetted.

Alternatively, an CFI could also offer a WINGS based FR, so clients can use credits they’ve accumulated in the past year.
 
Wings does work, and is free, other than the blood pressure pills needed trying to find the info.
It's what I've used my last 3 reviews.
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
I've located the FAAST Flight Review, but haven't started it yet. Does it provide some sort of certificate or other documentation once the test is passed, so my CFI can log everything?

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I think (not positive) that course just prepares you for the ground portion of the FR, but doesn't replace it?
"This course offers a structured guide to reviewing the regulations and advisory material you need to know to complete the ground portion of your flight review. Completing this course in advance of your scheduled flight review will allow you and your instructor to use your ground time more efficiently."

The Wings credits allow you to bypass the ground portion of the FR with the instructor and only be required to do the flight portion. There are only specific courses that will count though, so you'll have to find those and complete them, after which you'll receive credits in your email that you can share with your instructor. I'd recommend communicating with your instructor/reviewer to ensure you're both on the same page.
 
Wings does work, and is free, other than the blood pressure pills needed trying to find the info.
It's what I've used my last 3 reviews.
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Agreed...the website can make you go crazy. I had to reach out to my local FSDO numerous times just to get signed up.

I have used the wings for my BFR, and it works great. My one issue at first was finding a CFI that #1. knows about the program and how to use it, and #2. want to use it for flight reviews in the first place. I have been to many wings seminars locally and there was a lot of discussion on getting the word out to the CFI's to make BFR's easier, and in general educating everyone on how the wings program is a safety benefit to all. During one of our local wings safety seminars, I made a connection with a Local CFI that I now work with who uses the wings program himself.

TIP: CFI's benefit from using this as well. If a cfi uses the wings program to do BFR, they get there CFI certificate renewed in the process.
" To use the FAA WINGS program for flight instructor certificate renewal, a CFI must have evaluated at least 15 flight activities for at least five different pilots within the preceding 24 calendar months and have received appropriate logbook endorsements for each activity. They must also complete a phase of the WINGS program themselves. "

The main take away is that you complete 3 activities of ground sessions, either in person seminar or online course, and 3 flight activities.

There are list's on the website https://www.faasafety.gov/default.aspx

In the Header of the website, you can look under "courses" for a list of activities you can complete for the particular phase of wings you are working on.

Go to Courses, Activities, then click the 'wings" courses. Choose the level your working on, then click for the 3 levels of the knowledge portion, and the 3 levels of the flight portion.

Once you complete your three ground activities, you go fly. Complete 3 flight activities, and you have now completed your BFR. The flight activities can normally all be completed in one flight. Working with a CFI that is also participating in the wings program is a huge value. If you fly regularly with a cfi, and sprinkle in a few wings activities with each flight, your flight review takes no time at all.

I got a late start in life, and received my PPL at age 60. I wanted to take advantage of every safety resource I could, and became an active wings member long before I received my PPL. I like the program and recommend it. My one observation during most of the in person seminar's I have attended is that I'm the youngest person in the room. We need to get the newly minted CFI's on board. Wings is a great program.
 
flyingron said:
Don't get me started on WINGS. They FAA took a simple, well functioning program, and ruined it by layering needless silly-assed bureaucracy on it. The fact you have to have a course to figure out how to take a course is telling.
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C'est la FAA. Bureaucrats gonna bureaucrap.
 
From my research, I think the ones below count. I used the middle 3 last time and it worked well.

This is what I do, and may help:
Login to FAAST, then go to https://www.faasafety.gov/WINGS/pub/accreditedactivities/activitySearch.aspx and search for the courses, then enroll, review, then take the exam. I suggest searching by title rather than number. It just seems to filter better. There is a way to submit those to your instructors email and they can validate them. Then fly the flight portion of the FR.


Course No.Course Title
ALC-36Positive Aircraft Control
ALC-42Airspace, Special Use Airspace and TFRs
ALC-62Aeronautical Decision Making for VFR Pilots
ALC-214Avoiding Loss of Control
ALC-485Takeoff, Landing, and Aircraft Control


added: Your instructor may need to log in to their account to see/validate them.
 
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SoCal 182 Driver said:
Friends - My CFI is suggesting that I do an online flight review course for the ground portion of my BFR. If anyone has experience with such a course, I'd appreciate comments -- good and bad -- and if good, recommendations.

Thanks very much!
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FAASafety.gov "WINGS" Complete 3 recommended online ground courses.. complete 3 recommended training events with your instructor. He has to endorse those training events in Wings and the FAA Administrator issues the Flight Review completion endorsement.
 
BillTIZ said:
FAASafety.gov "WINGS" Complete 3 recommended online ground courses.. complete 3 recommended training events with your instructor. He has to endorse those training events in Wings and the FAA Administrator issues the Flight Review completion endorsement.
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Which three ground courses? What's involved in having the FAA Administrator issue the endorsement?
 
midlifeflyer said:
I know that Sporty’s has an excellent one. It’s been based for years on its own training videos and they recently added material from Pilot Workshops’ “Real World VFR”course (you can find samples online). It’s not cheap, but it earns you an endorsement for the ground portion of the flight review.
Disclaimer: I’m a member of the Pilot Workshops team and did a webinar for Sporty’s earlier this week.

Sounds like what your CFI is suggesting - a way to avoid the CFI spending ground time beyond briefing and debriefing the flight. Personally, I’d be asking my CFI for recommendations, since that might not be what they have in mind. And if they do, they should be making recommendations. I encourage my FR clients to take online courses which I will accept as satisfying part of the ground requirement, but I also give them a list of those I have personally vetted.

Alternatively, an CFI could also offer a WINGS based FR, so clients can use credits they’ve accumulated in the past year.
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Mark,

How does this work and remain in compliance with the regulations? In particular with 61.56(a) and 61.195(d)(5)? Has there been a General Council opinion issued that allows an online course to be used to satisfy the ground training requirement?
 
John Collins said:
Mark,

How does this work and remain in compliance with the regulations? In particular with 61.56(a) and 61.195(d)(5)? Has there been a General Council opinion issued that allows an online course to be used to satisfy the ground training requirement?
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Are you asking whether Sporty's and others who provide group ground) are providing an invalid ground training endorsement?
Or you asking about my use of online, professionally-prepared materials as part of the ground portion to generate questions and topics for discussion?

I guess my answer to both is the same. No, the Chief Counsel has not spoken on the issue. But I don't see anything in 61.56 which suggests that is says or means,
"a flight review consists of a minimum of 1 hour of flight training and 1 hour of ground training. 100% of the ground training must be provided one-on one by the same instructor who provided the flight training without the use of quizzes, professionally-created materials, or courses which have been vetted by the FAA."​
 
I am asking about this endorsement requirement.

61.195 Flight instructor limitations and qualifications.
(d) Limitations on endorsements. A flight instructor may not endorse a:
(5) Logbook of a pilot for a flight review, unless that instructor has conducted a review of that pilot in accordance with the requirements of § 61.56(a) of this part

I do see that a ground instructor may provide the training required for the ground portion of a flight review.

61.215 Ground instructor privileges.
(a) A person who holds a basic ground instructor rating is authorized to provide—
(2) Ground training required for a sport pilot, recreational pilot, and private pilot flight review;

So I would assume there should be two endorsements, one for the flight training and another for the ground training if accomplished by two instructors? Does an online course provide an appropriate endorsement? If so, is it based on a ground instructor privilege or other privilege?
 
I used the Pilot Proficient course the last couple of times. It was OK, I guess. I picked it the first time because it was free, the next time they charged for it but about the same as the others. I (re)learned a couple of things that don't apply to the kind of flying I do.
 
John Collins said:
So I would assume there should be two endorsements, one for the flight training and another for the ground training if accomplished by two instructors? Does an online course provide an appropriate endorsement? If so, is it based on a ground instructor privilege or other privilege?
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As mentioned, some courses, like the Sportys FR one, gives an endorsement, so there will be two in that case. But that’s not what I’m doing. I’m using my client’s confirmed use of a online course I have vetted as a component of my ground training obligation, just as I might use a chart, a PowerPoint, a quiz (I use those too), or a book containing the FAR. The endorsement is all mine and I have no concerns about making it.
 
midlifeflyer said:
As mentioned, some courses, like the Sportys FR one, gives an endorsement, so there will be two in that case. But that’s not what I’m doing. I’m using my client’s confirmed use of a online course I have vetted as a component of my ground training obligation, just as I might use a chart, a PowerPoint, a quiz (I use those too), or a book containing the FAR. The endorsement is all mine and I have no concerns about making it.
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“After completing the video training and receiving a minimum score of 80% on the included quiz, you will be eligible to receive an endorsement from Sporty's Academy stating that you have completed the required one hour of ground training for the Flight Review. To satisfy the complete Flight Review requirements, an additional one hour of flight training (minimum) is required.”

How does this online course complete the required 1 hour of ground training for a flight review if an additional 1 hour of ground training is required? It can’t because this online course is self study curriculum, not ground training. There are regs allowing self study, some allow completion of courses (CFI renewal) and others require instruction.

I believe an online review course prior to a flight review would benefit a lot of private pilots, but the Sporty’s endorsement doesn’t have much value other than to communicate to the CFI the person did some pre flight review prep.
 
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Clip4 said:
“After completing the video training and receiving a minimum score of 80% on the included quiz, you will be eligible to receive an endorsement from Sporty's Academy stating that you have completed the required one hour of ground training for the Flight Review. To satisfy the complete Flight Review requirements, an additional one hour of flight training (minimum) is required.”

How does this online course complete the required 1 hour of ground training for a flight review if an additional 1 hour of ground training is required? It can’t because this online course is self study curriculum, not ground training. There are regs allowing self study, some allow completion of courses (CFI renewal) and others require instruction.
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If you are saying an additional hour is required after receiving an endorsement that you have completed the required hour of ground training, I disagree. I don't see anything which says that.

Clarification: the "two in that case" I was referring to is the ground training endorsement from one source and the flight training endorsement from another.
 
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Clip4 said:
“After completing the video training and receiving a minimum score of 80% on the included quiz, you will be eligible to receive an endorsement from Sporty's Academy stating that you have completed the required one hour of ground training for the Flight Review. To satisfy the complete Flight Review requirements, an additional one hour of flight training (minimum) is required.”

How does this online course complete the required 1 hour of ground training for a flight review if an additional 1 hour of ground training is required? It can’t because this online course is self study curriculum, not ground training. There are regs allowing self study, some allow completion of courses (CFI renewal) and others require instruction.

I believe an online review course prior to a flight review would benefit a lot of private pilots, but the Sporty’s endorsement doesn’t have much value other than to communicate to the CFI the person did some pre flight review prep.
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I’m guessing it falls under this FAR.

§ 61.215 Ground instructor privileges.
(b) A person who holds an advanced ground instructor rating is authorized to provide:
(2)The ground training required for any flight review except for the training required for an instrument rating.
 
JScarry said:
I’m guessing it falls under this FAR.

§ 61.215 Ground instructor privileges.
(b) A person who holds an advanced ground instructor rating is authorized to provide:
(2)The ground training required for any flight review except for the training required for an instrument rating.
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There are FAA approved online courses that may fulfill regulatory ground training requirements such as the Flight Instructor Renewal Courses and the Gleim Part 141 Private Pilot Ground Course. The Gleim Part 141 Ground School may be used by a 141 student enrolled in a 141 school approved to use the Gleim course.

If a pilot desires online ground training connected to meeting 24 month currency, the FAA provides the Wings program. When you complete a WINGS course, which includes online courses and flight training, you are not required to complete a flight review. The FAA is the provider for the ground training and the CFI is the provider for the flight training. The CFI certifies you completed the Wings phase and a flight review endorsement not required.

The Sporty’s course is not FAA approved and 1 hour of ground instruction from an authorized instructor is required for a flight review.
 
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Clip4 said:
There are FAA approved online courses that may fulfill regulatory ground training requirements such as the Flight Instructor Renewal Courses and the Gleim Part 141 Private Pilot Ground Course. The Gleim Part 141 Ground School may be used by a 141 student enrolled in a 141 school approved to use the Gleim course.

If a pilot desires online ground training connected to meeting 24 month currency, the FAA provides the Wings program. When you complete a WINGS course, which includes online courses and flight training, you are not required to complete a flight review. The FAA is the provider for the ground training and the CFI is the provider for the flight training. The CFI certifies you completed the Wings phase and a flight review endorsement not required.

The Sporty’s course is not FAA approved and 1 hour of ground instruction from an authorized instructor is required for a flight review.
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They have a different opinion than you do of whether it counts as the ground portion. I’ll believe them since teaching the regulations is an important part of their business.
 
JScarry said:
They have a different opinion than you do of whether it counts as the ground portion. I’ll believe them since teaching the regulations is an important part of their business.
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A CFI should give you an endorsement stating you completed the 1 hour flight instruction / evaluation required for a flight review and advise you to have Sporty’s provide the flight review completion endorsement after you complete their ground course.

Flight training is an important part of their business and they have plenty of CFIs on staff.
 
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