The new Wings Program here

Don Jones

Line Up and Wait
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DJones
The FAA has unveiled the new Wings Program. I am not sure it is going to
be any more successful than the old one. They said participation was not very good with the old program and I feel it is more complicated now so I can not imagine any better participation. It has some good points, like web based tracking of your progress and more guidance for instructors on what the training is to include. Here is a link to the 20 minute program overview.

http://www.faasafety.gov/articulate/wings/default.htm

"Automation of WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program
Notice Number: NOTC0890

The long awaited release of the automated WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program is here, and with it come exciting opportunities for you to improve your piloting knowledge and skills!
An obvious incentive to pilots is the added level of safety and professionalism that can be obtained through incorporation of a consistent recurrent training program. Another real plus is that qualifying for the Basic phase of WINGS meets the requirements under 14 CFR, Part 61.56 for a flight review. Maintaining at least the Basic phase means that your flight review will always be current.
The new Internet-based system allows you to have ownership and control of your aviation training and proficiency. You will be able to customize your individual pilot profile so the training you receive is relevant to your flying environment. You will also be able to track your progress on-line through your FAASafety.gov user account.
As a registered user of FAASafety.gov you may already have WINGS credits, even if you have not yet signed up to participate in the new WINGS program. For example, you have automatically received credit for eligible on-line FAASafety.gov courses you completed in the past. These credits will appear on your "My WINGS" page once you have signed up to participate in the new WINGS program.
Remember, though, that WINGS credits expire every 12 months. The FAASafety.gov system will automatically send you a reminder when one or more of your WINGS credits are within 30 days of expiring. During the initial roll out of the new system, anyone who completed a course more than 11 months ago has already received this email for each course previously taken, whether you have signed up for WINGS or not. If for some reason you choose not to participate in the WINGS program, you can disregard that reminder email.
This notice does not apply to any requirements you may have accomplished under the "old" WINGS Pilot Proficiency Award Program, which remains valid through December 31, 2007. However, we strongly encourage you to participate in the new WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program. For a limited time, completion of at least the Basic phase under the new WINGS program will also qualify you to receive the phase of WINGS you are working on under the old program. Contact your local FAASTeam Program Manager or FAASTeam Representative for details.
For more information about the WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program, log on to FAASafety.gov. Information regarding the new WINGS program can be found by selecting the "WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program" link on the lower left side of the home page, then selecting the "WINGS Help" link. Here you will find an overview of the new program as well as additional help links, including an on-line help tutorial.
Please contact your local FAASTeam Program Manager or FAASTeam Representative if you have questions about the new WINGS program or any other products or features of the FAA Safety Team.

You have received this notice from FAASafety.gov because you have selected
"General Information" in your preferences on your FAASafety.gov account.
Edit your FAASafety.gov preferences by logging in to the URL below:
https://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/preferences.aspx
 
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is there any way to find out if an instructor is registered for the WINGS program?

I looked on the faasafety.gov website, but didn't see anyway to do that.
 
any cfi can give wings dual, no registration required, unless that has changed with this new program.
 
any cfi can give wings dual, no registration required, unless that has changed with this new program.

Yes, any CFI can do the training, but must be registered on FAASafety.gov to validate the training with the online system.

I see no way right now to know if a CFI has registered, I will e-mail my FAASteam manager and see if there is a way.
The other way is to submit it online to your local FAASteam rep and he can validate the training for you. As a rep I can validate training submitted to me, I just have to see logbook entries with enough detail and a statement from the CFI saying the training was done to PTS standards.

See what I mean about making the system harder to use!! I don't think it will help the participation at all, in fact it's gonna hurt it.
 
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that sounds like a major PIA Don...but what should we expect? :dunno:
 
Yes, any CFI can do the training, but must be registered on FAASafety.gov to validate the training with the online system.

I see no way right now to know if a CFI has registered, I will e-mail my FAASteam manager and see if there is a way.
The other way is to submit it online to your local FAASteam rep and he can validate the training for you. As a rep I can validate training submitted to me, I just have to see logbook entries with enough detail and a statement from the CFI saying the training was done to PTS standards.

See what I mean about making the system harder to use!! I don't think it will help the participation at all, in fact it's gonna hurt it.

Sounds good. I'd just like to know if the local CFI's are available to validate any training online... if so, it sounds like it works pretty well...

I guess we'll see...

Thanks.
 
that sounds like a major PIA Don...but what should we expect? :dunno:

Agreed, I was really hoping they would include some added benefit in using wings(besides being a better pilot). Not sure what that would be, without rewriting the rules regarding flight reviews and making them only good for 1 year but wings be good for two.
 
See what I mean about making the system harder to use!! I don't think it will help the participation at all, in fact it's gonna hurt it.

Never, ever, have I seen the Government move to an online system that was simpler than the old method. For that matter, many corporate systems are the same way.

I agree, the more hassle there is, the less likely people will participate, and that will hurt safety.
 
OK...while some pilots here prefer the old guages, most recommend staying proficient with them while using all of the latest and greatest in-cockpit technology.

How stinking hard is if for a CFI to register on the site? It takes all of ten seconds....at which point they can log in forever after that and validate training.

I do not think it is harder, though it is different from the old way and some people equate different with hard.

This is the 21st century for crying out loud, how hard is it to use the web?
 
While not as harsh as tdager, I agree to a point.

I'll bet that after you've registered, things will actually be easier to do. You'll have everything you need online instead of having to look in multiple places for a single piece of information.

Assuming the FAA doesn't botch this one.
 
OK...while some pilots here prefer the old guages, most recommend staying proficient with them while using all of the latest and greatest in-cockpit technology.

How stinking hard is if for a CFI to register on the site? It takes all of ten seconds....at which point they can log in forever after that and validate training.

I do not think it is harder, though it is different from the old way and some people equate different with hard.

This is the 21st century for crying out loud, how hard is it to use the web?

I agree with you, it is not rocket science. Having said that, we have a 20K hour DPE here that refuses to use IACRA. Us younger guys don't have a problem with it, it is some of the "more mature instructors" lets say that have a problem with it.
 
Well here is the fsdo's reply:

[FONT=Default Sans Serif,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Default Sans Serif,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Don,

You are correct, any CFI can give the training, but it takes a CFI, FAASTeam Representative, of FAASTeam Program Manger that is registered in SPANS ( www.faasafety.gov ), to validate the training event on line. Right now there is no way to get a list of CFIs that are in the system that can validate activity. It should be noted however, that once a CFI has validated your activity, their name and email address will appear at the bottom right side of the page anytime you go back in the future to request validation.

The thing to encourage everyone to do is to ask the CFI if they are registered in SPANS, an if so, what their email address is, so you can put that adress in when you ask for the validation. If they are not registeed on line then encourage them to do so.

Hope that helped.

Thanks,

John

John H. Boatright
FAASTeam Program Manager
LBB FSDO
(806) 740-3811
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