FAA Wings Program

AKBill

AKBill

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AKBill
I was wondering if the wings program would benefit me. I don't know a lot about it yet just starting to look into it.

My background is PPL, SEL, 25 years flying, +1200 hours. I try to fly at least once a week, more if weather and schedule are kind to me. Lately with the C-19 stuff I'm working 3 to 4 weeks straight with no chance to fly. This work schedule will most likely be the new norm for me. I do get 3 weeks off and can fly my butt of if weather permits.

I was thinking parts of the wing program might help keep me proficient and thinking about safety. I would appreciate anyone with personal experience/knowledge of the wings program to share their thoughts

Thanks
 
Yes, it will.
It can lower your insurance costs.
I'm 71 and I'm paying $283.00 a year for $40,000.00 hull, etc

You might even learn something useful.
I just finished 5 online courses, offered by the people at GBR during the pandemic.
Some things have changed in the last couple years. Who knew?
 
I do them. Like lots of things, the quality varies considerably. Some are very well done, extremely professional and you can get a lot out of them. Others start out that way, but then the story tellers take over and they, along with the legal experts who need to demonstrate their knowledge of the FAR or AIM, can dissolve the seminar very rapidly, and the important information never gets out because the speakers run out of time, or it gets rushed and there isn’t an opportunity to ask questions. That used to happen only in live seminars but I had it occur just the other day on a Zoom webinar which by the way, they should never allow participants to orally ask questions but rather just submit questions through the chat function.

YMMV, but I still think they are worth it. The great thing about Zoom is if the webinar goes off the rails, you just shut it down, and you don’t have a 50 mile drive home.
 
I do lots of the safety webinar thingies but I don’t care about the wings program. I do report the ones I take to insurance, but u can keep the wings certificate or trophy or lollipop or whatever u get, I don’t care about that.
 
I participate in the WINGS program and have for many years. i think it helps promote safety, especially the Knowledge tasks. I dislike the way the Flying tasks are setup. The old program was better in that regard. The FAA is currently revamping the Flying portion, so hopefully it will be better soon. There are so many Knowledge tasks available that you are sure to be able to find some that help you in your particular circumstances.
 
I do WINGS. But one place it has never helped me is with a flight review. Theoretically if I have the class credits, any 1 hour instructional flight becomes a FR, but it never works out that way. Every instructor has still insisted on doing the same ground instruction every time.
 
I do Wings and most of my flight reviews over the past few years have been based on Wings credits. Included in that group is my most recent flight review. I thought I had lost currency right in the middle of COVID. Looking at my logbook, I found a flight a few months earlier which would qualify for the one flight credit I still needed. I contacted the instructor who agreed to issue the credit and BINGO, new flight review. I have also received a "surprise" flight review.

A possible benefit is insurance discounts. Apparently, WINGS pilots have lower accident and fatality rates than the general pilot population. Given insurance rates these days, even a 5% discount can be significant.

The biggest downside of WINGS is its complexity. But there are ways to work the system to put together standard packages so all recurrent training can count.

For those who subscribe, the August 2020 issue of IFR Magazine has a WINGS article.
 
bflynn said:
I do WINGS. But one place it has never helped me is with a flight review. Theoretically if I have the class credits, any 1 hour instructional flight becomes a FR, but it never works out that way. Every instructor has still insisted on doing the same ground instruction every time.
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That is not correct, Brian. WINGS requires three ground credits and three flight credits on specific tasks. There is nothing in the program saying ground credits by themselves count for the 1 hour ground.

(Nor for that matter, anything for the FAA saying that "any" hour of instruction counts as the 1 hour for a fight review)
 
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midlifeflyer said:
That is not correct, Brian. WINGS requires three ground credits and three flight credits on specific tasks. There is nothing in the program saying ground credits by themselves count for the 1 hour ground.

(Nor for that matter, anything for the FAA saying that "any" hour of instruction counts as the 1 hour for a fight review)
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Disagree. The Wings syllabus, if completed can substitute for the ground portion of 61.56
Here’s an example
https://www.faasafety.gov/WINGS/pub...accreditedActivityViewer.aspx?aaid=22887&pf=1
 
When we had an emergency off-airport landing, The FAA inspectors were quite terse and seemed suspicious of our abilities and safety concerns. Then they asked if we participated in the wings program. When we replied in the affirmative, their whole attitude seemed to change from finding and placing blame to being helpful. We have local meetings, except during pandemics, and Leslie and I attend all of them. Often the local ATC controllers will attend and make a presentation. It is cool to meet the faces you usually only talk to on the radio.
 
Stated badly - not any instruction time, but time covering the three flight topics, which should be able to be accomplished in a single one hour flight.

My point was really that I’ve never had an instructor who would use the WINGS education for the ground instruction. The only time I’ve ever completed a wings segment was as the the result of doing a FR, never the opposite. That removes a lot of value from it for me.
 
Jaybird180 said:
Disagree. The Wings syllabus, if completed can substitute for the ground portion of 61.56
Here’s an example
https://www.faasafety.gov/WINGS/pub...accreditedActivityViewer.aspx?aaid=22887&pf=1
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I'm familiar with it. It is more of an exception than an example. Another is the pay-for Sporty course which substitutes for the hour of ground. It is one of a very select set of WINGS-specific activities which, in this case, identifies very specific tasks, certain "ground" courses with some CFI leeway in accepting equivalents, and the accomplishment of the three flight credits. That's not quite the same as going to three WINGS seminars because they happen to be held locally and expecting a CFI to automatically accept them.
 
bflynn said:
Stated badly - not any instruction time, but time covering the three flight topics, which should be able to be accomplished in a single one hour flight.

My point was really that I’ve never had an instructor who would use the WINGS education for the ground instruction. The only time I’ve ever completed a wings segment was as the the result of doing a FR, never the opposite. That removes a lot of value from it for me.
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I don't disagree with your experience. The program is not as much part of the instructional community as it should be. Some instructors are downright resistant to it. I'm not. Here's two example scenarios:
  • I am not doing a WINGS-based FR, I typically assign a course or two and accept them as part of the ground. If the courses the pilot have already done meet my standards, I will use them.
  • A pilot comes to me saying, "I have met the WINGS ground requirements and would like to use them to satisfy the 1-hour ground component." In that case we create a FR plan of action which fulfills the three flight activities. ( I did that last month)
A third of course, is what @Jaybird180 mentioned - If they come to me in advance, a WINGS activity specifically designed to fulfill the FR ground requirement. I did that just a few years ago for a rusty pilot returning to aviation after a long, many year layoff. Perhaps obviouslt, the flight component lasted longer than an hour.
 
JOhnH said:
When we had an emergency off-airport landing, The FAA inspectors were quite terse and seemed suspicious of our abilities and safety concerns. Then they asked if we participated in the wings program. When we replied in the affirmative, their whole attitude seemed to change from finding and placing blame to being helpful. We have local meetings, except during pandemics, and Leslie and I attend all of them. Often the local ATC controllers will attend and make a presentation. It is cool to meet the faces you usually only talk to on the radio.
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Very common. It's a checkbox on the form and a "yes" can make a lot of difference in attitude.
 
Hi guys, I'm new to the wings program. I did 2 knowledge courses of basic wings. The 3rd is for the garmin 530 training which I will have to pay. Do any of you pay for those wings courses or do you substitute for the free ones?

Also, I see the flight portion has the instrument proficiency, however, I'm not IR. Would it be feasible for me as a VFR to substitute for another flight activity that I can do as a VFR pilot? FYI, I'm a deaf pilot so I'm limited for anything with radio contact.
 
papogator24 said:
Hi guys, I'm new to the wings program. I did 2 knowledge courses of basic wings. The 3rd is for the garmin 530 training which I will have to pay. Do any of you pay for those wings courses or do you substitute for the free ones?

Also, I see the flight portion has the instrument proficiency, however, I'm not IR. Would it be feasible for me as a VFR to substitute for another flight activity that I can do as a VFR pilot? FYI, I'm a deaf pilot so I'm limited for anything with radio contact.
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Hard to tell without seeing what you are seeing. If you did not set up a profile saying you were instrumet rated, you shoudn't be seeing an IPC as a recommendation.

I have both paid and free Wings credits.

We did a WINGS discussin here back in May. Take a look. It might answer some of your questions: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...edge-requirements-to-complete-a-phase.125986/
 
bflynn said:
Theoretically if I have the class credits, any 1 hour instructional flight becomes a FR, but it never works out that way. Every instructor has still insisted on doing the same ground instruction every time.
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Well for now I'm just thinking of using wings as a means to review standards and refresh myself on things I have forgotten.

I have a good working relationship with the current CFI that I use for the FR and enjoy flying with him. Scheduling the FR has always been a challenge do to weather and the difference in our work schedules.

Thanks @Shepherd , @JOhnH, @papogator24 , @midlifeflyer and everyone else that has commented.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Hard to tell without seeing what you are seeing. If you did not set up a profile saying you were instrumet rated, you shoudn't be seeing an IPC as a recommendation.

I have both paid and free Wings credits.

We did a WINGS discussin here back in May. Take a look. It might answer some of your questions: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...edge-requirements-to-complete-a-phase.125986/
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I checked my profile and the only check box I have is ASEL and Private Pilot.
 

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papogator24 said:
I checked my profile and the only check box I have is ASEL and Private Pilot.
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That's funny. I never even noticed that there is no "instrument" checkbox in the certificate and rating screen.

Ah well. To find alternate activities, click (LOL) "Find Alternate Activities." If that does not work go to "activities" in the main menu and fill in the search box with the appropriate topic numbers.
 
I use WINGS, but getting credit is usually incidental. When I see a course on line or at SnF or elsewhere that looks useful to me, I sign up and take it. If it happens to give WINGS credit, that's a bonus.

The WINGS website looks like something that could only have been designed (???) by a USG committee. Learning to navigate it should qualify one for a TAA rating.
 
The WINGS program used to be a good idea, a way to recognize people who wanted to make a concerted effort in maintaining proficiency. Unfortunately, it was turned into a bureaucratic nightmare and the people responsible for the online tracking must have bribed someone high up in the administration to get that piece of absolute horse manure approved.
 
flyingron said:
The WINGS program used to be a good idea, a way to recognize people who wanted to make a concerted effort in maintaining proficiency. Unfortunately, it was turned into a bureaucratic nightmare and the people responsible for the online tracking must have bribed someone high up in the administration to get that piece of absolute horse manure approved.
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You stated that much more eloquently than I.
 
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