FAAST-Track Your Flight Instructor Success
How the FAA Safety Team Supports the Flight Instructor Community
By Tom Hoffmann, FAA Safety Briefing magazine
Earning a flight instructor certificate is no easy task. It requires a great deal of study, dedication, and a passion for aviation and teaching. Like any profession, it also requires significant continuing education to stay sharp, whether with the latest cockpit technology, changes in regulations, or how to be a more effective teacher. With the constraints of a busy schedule, it can be challenging for an instructor to find the right resources to help with continuing education. The good news is you have an ally right here in the FAA to help with this endeavor. The FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) and its predecessor organizations have been strong advocates for the flight instructor community for many decades, offering numerous resources to improve safety, efficiency, and professionalism in the flight training arena. Let’s have a closer look.
High-Flying Forums
Probably one of the most unique and impactful ways the FAASTeam helps the flight instructor community is through quarterly forums (CFI Forums) that are held at various locations across the country. FAASTeam Program Managers (FPMs) in each Flight Standards District Office area are tasked with coordinating and hosting these events per the FAASTeam’s National Performance Plan (NPP).
As stated in the NPP, these forums “provide an in-person or online opportunity for aviation educators and evaluators to engage in dialogue to share and employ best practices in pilot training and evaluation, discuss and address local instructional challenges and opportunities, and to promote continuing education through the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program.”
Generally, two to three hours long, these forums cover a host of important operational topics broken up into a presentation segment, followed by an open discussion of local instructional issues and best practices. The presentation materials are produced by the National FAASTeam and typically aim towards supporting accident mitigation strategies developed by the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee (GAJSC) and highlighting nationwide operational issues. The presentations also cover perennial safety subjects like professionalism and proficiency, and they can be tailored to address more specific instructional-based issues derived from recent data. The current fiscal year’s theme covers human factors and safety culture and how instructors can better integrate these concepts within a learner pilot’s training curriculum.
FPMs are free to augment the forum curricula as they see fit, sometimes recruiting the help of volunteer FAASTeam Representatives (Reps) or bringing in guest speakers to share their expertise. For some FPMs, this means inviting some of the local designated pilot examiners (DPEs) to pass on what they’re seeing regarding any negative trends and/or shortfalls in certificate and rating applicants.
“I always try to encourage interactive exchange with attendees,” says Scott Allen, an FPM from the Honolulu area. “It’s critical to allow for questions and comments — particularly with some of our senior instructors — to point out areas we can improve. The more interactive it gets, the better it is for meaningful takeaways.”
There’s Still Room to Zoom
While the pandemic relegated flight instructor forums to a virtual format, these days, in-person presentations are alive and well — a preference for FPMs like Allen who place value in being able to read the room and see what kind of reactions they’re getting. Many flight instructor forums now maintain a hybrid approach, allowing for both online and in-person participation. In either case, there is the added benefit of networking and collaboration with like-minded individuals.
Flight instructor forums may be held at FAA facilities, airport buildings, or be hosted by flight schools or industry members. “I like holding the forums at a flight school and will invite other flight schools to attend as well,” says Allen. “Many are very cooperative and enjoy working with us, sometimes offering pizza or snacks to entice more attendees.”
Attendance can vary depending on the time of year and location, but the virtual option has allowed many areas to attract about 25 to 30 total participants. Keep in mind that with an event like this, bigger doesn’t always mean better. “A smaller group can lead to a more intimate and meaningful discussion,” says National FAASTeam Products Manager John Steuernagle. He also points out there is a force multiplier with these forum attendees (whether in small or large audiences) who are trained to help impart the knowledge they gain at the forums.
One important footnote on the flight instructor forums: you don’t have to be an instructor to attend. “If you’re aspiring to be a future flight instructor, you’re welcome to attend, too,” adds Steuernagle. “It’s an opportunity to interact with your future peers and pick up a lot of good tips on how to be a good instructor.”
Beyond the Forum Stage
More good news: The learning opportunities certainly don’t stop there! The FAASTeam regularly hosts seminars and webinars featuring flight training-related content throughout the country and provides outreach directly to flight schools and at several major aviation events like the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo and EAA AirVenture. FPMs and Reps are also actively involved with promoting and participating in the FAA’s Runway Safety Action Team meetings and pilot/air traffic controller forums. These events are uniquely designed to bring together pilots and instructors with controllers and airport authorities to discuss local safety issues, including surface safety concerns or the impact of airport construction projects.
Notifications about upcoming flight instructor forums, seminars, or local safety meetings are sent via email through the FAASTeam’s Safety Program Airmen Notification System, or SPANS. If you’re not receiving these notices, check your settings or set up your account at FAASafety.gov. Note that there is a specific email preference setting for instructors and flight schools.
Come Online with Us
Speaking of FAASafety.gov, getting connected to and familiar with the FAASTeam’s website presents another vast resource available to flight instructors. There are several hundred online courses and training materials designed to enhance a flight instructor’s knowledge and skills. These include training and testing scenarios, handbook links, best practices, and tips on how to conduct an effective flight review. To view these and other materials, navigate to the online library or the online resources section under the Resources tab on FAASafety.gov.
WINGS is an important part of promoting pilot safety, allowing any airmen at any level to pick and choose a path to maintaining proficiency. Flight instructors play a special role when it comes to WINGS since they’re validating the instruction taking place.
With that in mind, flight instructors will want to take note of the Instructor Portal section of FAASafety.gov where they can directly issue WINGS credit to airmen without having to log in. (Note — you can also go to EZWings.net to validate requested credit). Browse the Instructor Tools to learn more about how the program works, how to validate and issue WINGS credit, and how WINGS activity can help you renew your instructor certificate. (Please also see Advisory Circular 61–91J). We hope you’ll see the value in this program and encourage its use with your students.
Holding FAAST To Safety
As you can see, the FAASTeam provides critical support to the flight instructor community by providing access to education and training in a variety of mediums. “We’re all in this together,” says Allen. “And the FAA is firmly committed to being a valuable resource to help you succeed in furthering the field of flight training and aviation safety.”
