Question about WINGS credit - for a student

[kimberlyanne546]

Tonight I will be attending my third WINGS seminar (hey, with one exception, they have all been free, I get to see other 99s and say hi, and they handed out free stuff at the end, and I learned something).

I am not sure if / how they "help" me since I don't have a PPL.

And just yesterday I logged in to the WINGS site and realized there are FLYING things I have to do. I "submitted them" to my flight instructor using the search but he hasn't done anything yet (not sure why, all that stuff we did and he wrote in my log book).

How does WINGS help a student pilot? Besides showing the FAA or others that I'm trying to be a good and safe pilot.....

Kimberly

 

[ziege]

"Student pilots are encouraged to participate in the WINGS Program and will receive Phase 1 at the Basic Level upon satisfactory completion of their Private Pilot practical test." -- From an official sounding PDF

I think that means you get a bronze pin out of the deal.

 

[silver-eagle]

In the old "WINGS" program, students couldn't collect credits but your first award was your checkride with the DPE.
Keep the signoffs and talk it over with your CFI. What you might save is the additional costs for ground school. You might also lead your CFI to find out more about the program. I know that was the result aound my airport.

 

[TMetzinger]

You can collect credits as a student pilot.

What WINGS can do for you is give you a structured way to maintain proficiency - just complete a phase every year. If you buy an airplane, you can get discounts on the insurance based on WINGS participation. And of course every phase can act as a substitute for a flight review.

Your CFI can give you credit for the flight training you've done together, and he can also earn a CFI renewal for his participation in the program.

If you have more questions about WINGS, drop me a PM.

Your friendly FAASTeam Lead,

Tim

 

[nosehair]

Your friendly FAASTeam Lead,

Tim

WoW! Cool!

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Well, I never actually made it to the seminar tonight, long story. But I do plan on participating in other WINGS stuff soon. Good to know there is an expert on here.

Kimberly

 

[gkainz]

Well, I never actually made it to the seminar tonight, long story. But I do plan on participating in other WINGS stuff soon. Good to know there is an expert on here.

Kimberly

We're "ALL" experts here - just ask anyone!!!

 

[MBDiagMan]

I went to a session last Saturday. I opened an FAASafety account and got credit for it, but I could never find any information about how many sessions it took for each "award."

How many sessions per year does it take advantage of the programs Tim mentioned?

Doc

 

[gprellwitz]

I went to a session last Saturday. I opened an FAASafety account and got credit for it, but I could never find any information about how many sessions it took for each "award."

How many sessions per year does it take advantage of the programs Tim mentioned?

Doc

Log into www.faasafety.gov.
Click on Pilots -> My Wings
At the bottom is a chart showing what you need to complete. It suggests activities. Click on Search under More Choices to see other activities that meet the requirements for that particular item.

Basically, it's 3 knowledge credits and 3 flight credits for each phase and for each level. There's a link to the User's Guide and Advisory Circular on that page, too.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

I went to a session last Saturday. I opened an FAASafety account and got credit for it, but I could never find any information about how many sessions it took for each "award."

How many sessions per year does it take advantage of the programs Tim mentioned?

Doc

Doc,

I had to do a lot of clicking but basically discovered there are three components:

1. The in person seminars (like you just did)

2. Flying (activity outlined, such as crosswinds, and you need a validator to verify you did these flights)

3. Their own online courses with course materials (same website)


Hope this helps.


Kimberly

 

[TMetzinger]

Doc,

I had to do a lot of clicking but basically discovered there are three components:

1. The in person seminars (like you just did)

2. Flying (activity outlined, such as crosswinds, and you need a validator to verify you did these flights)

3. Their own online courses with course materials (same website)


Hope this helps.


Kimberly

One caveat - the flights MUST be dual instruction. You can't go practice solo and then have someone give you credit. You CAN go fly with a CFI and have someone else (like a FAASTeam rep) give you the credit based on the logbook entry. For each flight activity you select, there's a syllabus code and even a handy cheat-sheet for the CFI to mark off the tasks you performed and sign it.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

One caveat - the flights MUST be dual instruction. You can't go practice solo and then have someone give you credit. You CAN go fly with a CFI and have someone else (like a FAASTeam rep) give you the credit based on the logbook entry. For each flight activity you select, there's a syllabus code and even a handy cheat-sheet for the CFI to mark off the tasks you performed and sign it.

But I already did the required flights with him in April. If he didn't use that cheat sheet or those exact codes or words does it count? I did a search and he was listed as a validator. When I talk to him on the phone tonight I will ask him if he got my request.

Kimberly

 

[TMetzinger]

He should be able to validate it. and if not, by looking at the logbook entry we should be able to figure it out.

 

[denverpilot]

If you buy an airplane, you can get discounts on the insurance based on WINGS participation.

That's been said all the way back to the original Wings program (of which I had a few and always wondered why the idiots at FAA can't fill in that information instead of asking me to go find it in my records in the new program, they have the master records after all...).

Not knocking the program at all. Just find this claim dubious.

I've never seen a "Wings participation" field on an insurance form ever, since 1991... renter's insurance or owner's.

Got a real reference to an insurance company that really does give a discount that ends up lower priced after comparison to a carrier that doesn't ask for it?

Or anyone here seen it actually make a significant difference in insurance costs on a non-high-performance piston single like our 182?

I've seen insurers give DEEP discounts for Instrument recurrency training at places like FlightSafety on larger more complex personal aircraft, but never for Wings. I think the FAA *wishes* that were true, but if wishes were fishes...

I'll probably finally get around to using the Wings system to re-up my BFR this year if I don't get time to finish up a CAP Form 5 with a CFI who will sign it off as both a BFR and the CAP checkride. All depends on timing.

Or maybe I'll just wander up to Nebraska and let Jesse beat on me. I haven't been up with a CFI in quite a while and would love to fly with one that actually knows what an iPad is, let alone how to use it. My last flight with a CFI for a Mountain checkout was strictly paper. He was over 70 years old and I get it, and he had some good reasons to avoid the use of eyes-inside-the-cockpit devices when VFR in the mountains, but still. A touch annoying that the device couldn't be referenced at all. I took his points and folded them into my flying style, but I don't fly without the iPad anymore unless it's ultra-local sightseeing or pattern work.

Co-owned LLC aircraft are a pain in the ass in this one regard. Many independent CFIs want to be named-insureds on the insurance which triggers meetings and phone calls and stupidity that I just don't have time for. I can't blame the CFIs for covering their bases on insurance, but the paperwork drives me nutty. Insurance companies want signatures and haven't come into the 21st Century with regards to digital ones yet. Fax machines and snail mail. Retarded.

 

[denverpilot]

No ones mentioned for Kimberly that there's other non-FAA approved online courses that qualify for Wings credit too.

Most if not all of AOPA's Air Safety Foundation's online graded subjects can also qualify. You have to dig a bit to find the place on the FAA website to submit a request for credit, similar to requesting it from a CFI, but ASF usually has the approval done in a few days.

I was in the habit of poking at AOPA/ASF stuff on a catch-as-catch-can basis when I was bored at a computer just for my own proficiency and knowledge, and stumbled upon links explaining how to apply for Wings credit for them.

One of the only reasons I even keep paying my AOPA dues, really. They could dump all the money they spend on the AOPA "Lifestyles" stuff and Wine Club Bravo Sierra into ASF and I wouldn't complain a bit.