Update from the DPE symposium last week. (10/10/22)

The FAA announced the activation dates for new and revised knowledge test questions. Plan to take your knowledge test well before these dates. Remember that it takes a while for the test prep providers to discover these. So, try to avoid taking a test right after theses dates.

For 2023:

January 30

April 24

July 31

October 30

FAA is clearning the way to release new ACSs.

FAA. representatives were on hand at the DPE symposium to update and answer questions. The big question is when the FAA will release the ACS' which currently are held up due to challenges to whether they represent rulemaking and need to go through that process. The answer is that they are working on it. They plan to use a technique that makes the ACS' required references for FARs. Currently the ACS' that are held up must line up exactly as the items in the Aeronautical Knowledge and Flight Proficiency sections state. They don't quite do that now. In addition, FAA handbooks are in the same boat. So, there will be a solution, but they aren't giving an expected date yet.

Flying Hacks - How about No.

No flying hacks, please. Those are for cooking or removing a stain. They have no place in flying. I'm not too fond of it when some Youtuber or whoever decides they will show you an easier way to do a maneuver that defeats the whole purpose of the maneuver. They are all over the place because everyone wants to be an "influencer" on Youtube, regardless of their experience or qualifications. Sometimes, very experienced instructors come up with these "hacks".

Remember that the entire purpose of any maneuver is to improve your flying. For example, there is a Youtube video on how to do an "automatic" Lazy Eight. The hack is just that. It completely defeats the whole purpose of learning to perform a Lazy Eight. It won't improve your flying at all. For those of you struggling to perform lazy eights, well, they are supposed to be hard to do. Once mastered, you'll find that coordinating the airplane is more automatic. Learning how to do them correctly will improve your flying, and that is the point. hack should be left for things like removing a stain from your shirt or quickening the process of letting bread rise. they have no place in actual flying.

This months - Three Pro Tips.

Use a good mnemonic for before-takeoff checks.

Here's a mnemonic that you can use before picking up the checklist that you can use for almost any piston airplane. You would do this before takeoff and then use the regular checklist to see that you did everything.

Cigar Tips:

C - Controls free and correct.

I - Instruments - Both flight and Engine/Electrical.

G - Gas - Fuel sufficient and fuel selector on the proper tank.

A - Attitude - Set all trim controls for takeoff.

R - Run-up - Magneto drops within parameters, and engine/electrical instruments are normal.

T - Transponder - Code set and switched on.

I - Interior - Doors, windows closed, baggage secured.

P - Position and beacon or strobe lights on.

S - Seatbelts on and safety briefing.

Coordination exercise

Are you uncoordinated when starting and stopping a turn? When you roll left, the nose of the airplane swings to the right if you haven't applied enough rudder. Suppose you use too much, then the nose swings too quickly in the direction of the turn for the given bank. So, what do you do to correct this problem? Try aileron reversals. Make sure you do this with a CFI so that you can concentrate on the maneuver and they can concentrate on flight safety.

Here's how to do aileron reversals:

1. First, pick a safe altitude above 2,000 ft AGL.

2. Then, slow the airplane to about 70 kts. (For a 172)

3. Line up the nose of the airplane on a prominent feature.

4. Using no rudder input, deflect the ailerons to the left and then to the right multiple times with the control wheel without ever stopping. As soon as full aileron is applied, reverse the direction. You will see and feel the nose of the airplane go opposite of the bank. (Adverse Yaw).

5. using rudder and aileron together, use enough rudder to keep the nose fixed on the feature as you apply aileron to the left and the right without stopping. This eliminates adverse yaw, and you don't feel like you are sliding around in your seat.

Aiming the airplane

When you land, you must have the airplane touchdown on the runway. Ideally, you'd like to pick the spot on the runway where you will touch down. unfortunately, people get this wrong a lot. They get caught up in Altitude is controlled by power, and airspeed is controlled by pitch. That is only true at slow speeds. Let's look at a technique that will bring the airplane down to the spot you want at the airspeed you want.

Remember that. the airplane is going where it's pointed. Whatever is fixed in the windscreen but getting more prominent as you approach is where you are going. If you don't like where you are going, point the airplane somewhere else. Use the elevator to keep the point where you want t o go fixed in the windscreen about 1/2 way from the horizon to the cowing of the airplane. Use pwer to control the airspeed; like magic, you'll go to that point at your chosen airspeed.

Make sure you have a flight instructor with you so that while practicing, flight safety is still maintained.

What's the difference between a part 141 and 61 school?

First, the FAA does not define an unapproved school. In the business, we cal lthose schools Part 61 schools. The FAA does define an approved school as either one operating under FAR Part 141 or 142. These schools have an approved curriculum approved by the FAA for each rating or course the school wants. The advantages are significant, but the oversight and administrative work are also considerable. For example, you can get an instrument rating under Part 141 without completing the 50 hours of cross-country that are required by part 61.

The most significant disadvantage of operating an approved 141 school is the record-keeping and staffing requirements. There are also inspections required by the local FAA office and a specific pass rate that must be maintained.

One of the most significant advantages and, in many cases, the only reason a school would become an approved school is the ability to offer training to international students. An approved school can apply to be authorized to issue I20 application forms to students outside the country. These students can legally come to the US and complete their flight training. Another benefit is the ability to accept VA (Military) benefits. Lastly, FedEx and other companies help pay for training but require the school to be an approved school.

One thing most 141 schools aren't good at is CFI training. It takes too long to use an approved 141 syllabus, around 2 to 3 months or more, and schools are usually not top-heavy on 2-year CFIs. Even if they have two-year CFIs, most don't know the material well enough to teach things like the Fundamentals of Instructing, Complex endorsements, training requirements, and so on. When a senior CFI teaches an in-house CFI program, they can't keep the factory running by doing stage checks, end-of-course checks, etc.

Solution: CFI Bootcamp has a press-and-play syllabus that schools like this can use on a cost-per-student model. These schools can turn out a CFI in about two weeks using our program and custom-created content.

We believe that CFI training is a specialty and should be conducted with that in mind. Image a student's reaction when you tell them they only need to be at the school for two weeks instead of months and months.

For more information about this program, email mike@cfibootcamp.com