WINGS instead of Flight Review

eman1200

eman1200

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Bro do you even lift
Looks like you can complete a phase of WINGS to replace your flight review. I'm trying to understand what they mean here:

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b. Incentive Awards. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Airmen who participate in the program and satisfactorily complete a current phase of WINGS will not have to complete the flight review requirements of 14 CFR part 61, § 61.56. Section 61.56(e) states that participating airmen do not need to accomplish the flight review requirements of part 61 if, since the beginning of the 24th calendar-month before the month in which that pilot acts as pilot-in-command (PIC), he or she has satisfactorily accomplished one or more phases of an FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency award program. Each time a pilot earns a new phase of WINGS, it satisfies the flight review requirement regardless of how frequently or closely spaced the phase or award. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]are they saying if you complete the phase anywhere starting one month BEFORE the two year period or are they saying you need to complete one month PRIOR to the END of your two year period?
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Just like a flight review, you can't be PIC unless you have had one within the last 24 months. It's worded backwards.

When you complete a phase, the certificate has its expiration date on it, so there is no doubt.
 
It never made much sense to me. A flight review seems like a quicker, simpler process.
 
The Flight Review IS faster / simpler / cheaper
The Wings phase is more in-depth information, but the end result is the same ---
Ground Training and a Flight with a CFI + a sign-off (double sign-off --> one for the seminar, a second for the flight)
 
eman, you are looking at it a little backwards.

The language is exactly the same as for a flight review or any other flight review substitute in FAR 61.56. They don't care when you complete a flight review or a flight review substitute. The only requirement is that it has been done within the 24 calendar months before you act as PIC.

If you understand how flight review currency works, you understand how Wings substitutes for it.
 
Sac Arrow said:
It never made much sense to me. A flight review seems like a quicker, simpler process.
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I did a wings phase once. It was definitely a lot more effort/time/money than a flight review.
 
dans2992 said:
I did a wings phase once. It was definitely a lot more effort/time/money than a flight review.
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Maintaining proficiency by attending seminars or online courses and engaging in a series of spaced instructional flights focusing on different types of flight maneuvers over the course of a year typically does involve more effort, time and money than a single flight review point in time.

That's the goal of the program. To provide an incentive to pilots who choose to obtain recurrent training without requiring it.
 
I did Wings annually until the FAA ruined the program. I won't go anywhere near the FAA FAAST bureaucracy now.
 
The flight review is the easier,and cheaper way to get it done.
 
frfly172 said:
The flight review is the easier,and cheaper way to get it done.
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Depends. If you have a need for above-minimum recurrent training, it can often count for much of a WINGS phase. The CAP Form 5 and Form 91 check rides are examples. The Form 5 is not very surprising, as it's structured a lot like a flight review (except, it's annual). Sometimes, the Air Force pays for renewals, which makes it quite a lot cheaper than a flight review.

Also, a new rating qualifies. IR gives you an advanced level, just like that. This may affect insurance.
 
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I didn't ask which is the easier/cheaper way to go. i asked for interpretation on the bolded section below:

participating airmen do not need to accomplish the flight review requirements of part 61 if, since the beginning of the 24th calendar-month before the month in which that pilot acts as pilot-in-command (PIC)

I plan to take the normal flight review but was trying to figure out zactly what they meant above.
 
dans2992 said:
I did a wings phase once. It was definitely a lot more effort/time/money than a flight review.
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I might agree with the time and possibly the effort but not with the money.

Yeah, you need to spend the time attending the Wings events and sure that does require a little effort but they are free. The only costs would be the flight portion with your CFI and that is a much shorter time than a traditional flight review so I do not see how it would be more money. Plus my belief is that with Wings you learn more and get to meet other pilots and even get food sometimes. I prefer the Wings program.
 
Back a few years ago before they trashed the wings program, we actually had a couple of "wings weekends" at HEF. They ran pretty much continuous safety seminars all day. Then they had essentially a matchup:

Instructors with Planes
Non-Instructors with Planes
Instructors without Planes
Non-Instructors without Planes.

They matched people up so the non-instructors got their Wings flying done. The instructors were granted a free CFI renewal for their participation. I flew with a ACA pilot in his 150HP Cessna 150 (or was it a 152). Kind of neat.
 
eman1200 said:
I didn't ask which is the easier/cheaper way to go. i asked for interpretation on the bolded section below:

participating airmen do not need to accomplish the flight review requirements of part 61 if, since the beginning of the 24th calendar-month before the month in which that pilot acts as pilot-in-command (PIC)

I plan to take the normal flight review but was trying to figure out zactly what they meant above.
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I tried to answer that above - it means exactly the same thing as it does for "normal" flight reviews. Even the wording is the same. Since you still have your question, I guess you don't understand how flight reviews work. That's OK. It's more common a question than it should be but it is a common misunderstanding.

FAR 61.56 (the reg that deals with flight reviews) does not say you have to have a flight review every two years. What it says is that you have a 24 calendar month lookback in order to determine PIC currency today.

Maybe an example. It is February 12, 2018. You are trying to determine whether you are flight review current to act as PIC. You forget about the "12" and count back 24 months, and hopefully get February 2016. If you had your flight review anytime in February 2016 or later, you are within the 24 calendar months and are flight review current.

All completing a Wings phase does is exactly what a new checkride does - reset the flight review lookback clock.
 
MAKG1 said:
Only about half the WINGS seminars are free. But that's quite a lot.
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Interesting observation. Looking at the current list for me, looks more or less correct.

But, looking at that list, I think that's because every paid course one might choose to take also happens to qualify for Wings credit. I see Sportys, King Schools and ASA, which have been doing paid courses long before Wings ever existed. Just installed a Garmin GPS and want to use the King Schools Garmin 430/530 Online course? Go ahead and purchase it. You'll also get Wings credit.

Leave those out and there is plenty. The list of courses available to me shows about 80 right now. All of the ones FAASafety sponsors directly are free. All the online ones from AOPA Foundation are free. Even some of the pay vendors have free offerings. All the live sessions sponsored by FBOs and flight schools I've attended as either attendee or speaker have been free.

I think I've paid for Wings credits in a total of three situations. Becoming a member of an organization or service that happens to provide Wings credits as part of its services. Paying for the pizza when a charge is being made for the food at a seminar. My CFI renewal courses.

That's since the original Wings program started.
 
Something else I've noticed is that almost all the free seminars are for Basic Knowledge 3. There are many fewer if you're Advanced and especially Master. Not that they aren't valuable -- there is a LOT of good stuff in there, worth going to even if it isn't for credit.

And as an instrument rated pilot, I'm Advanced now. When I get my CAP instrument check, I'll probably complete Phase 2.
 
I personally cannot see how anyone can believe that the WINGS program is more time consuming and costly than a traditional Flight Review.

At any point in your day when you have 30 to 45 minutes free you can log on to the WINGS site and complete a FREE on line course. Do three of these and you do not have to sit and be interrogated by a CFI for at least an hour while you pay for it.

Pick 3 Flight Activities that interest you and contract with a CFI to fly with you to complete these. The 3 that I do as part of my Tailwheel Training will take about 1.5 hours to complete if we go out to do nothing but these.

So, doing 3 FREE online courses when you have the time and paying for 1.5 hours of a CFI's time and your Flight Review date is up dated.

Also, the FREE online courses and the Flight Activities are good for a year to count towards your Flight Review so you can either do them all at once or spread them out over a year. The date that you complete the last one is your new Flight Review date.

This is so simple and easy.
 
Lets see, at $135 and hour plus instructor at $50 and hour.....

Flight review: about $235

WINGS: about $203

Personally I'd do the flight review just because its less time consuming and you don't have to deal with the WINGS website.
 
SkyDog58 said:
I might agree with the time and possibly the effort but not with the money.



Yeah, you need to spend the time attending the Wings events and sure that does require a little effort but they are free. The only costs would be the flight portion with your CFI and that is a much shorter time than a traditional flight review so I do not see how it would be more money. Plus my belief is that with Wings you learn more and get to meet other pilots and even get food sometimes. I prefer the Wings program.
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I don't mind going to the wings events. In fact, I often go even if I'm not looking for wings credit.

It's the flying. I figured it would only take one flight session with the CFI, but to cover all the stuff listed, it stretched into two separate flying sessions on two different days, and it almost went to a third. I had to push the CFI to get it all done on the second flight.

I think part of it may have been the CFIs interpretation of the wings syllabus.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
dans2992 said:
I think part of it may have been the CFIs interpretation of the wings syllabus.
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That could be. The problems that the FAA introduced by making Wings more complicated (acknowledged by many) aside, the task-orientation of flight credits leave a lot of room for flexibility.

Personally, I think the goal was to provide an incentive for pilots to get recurrent training spaced over the course of a year. From the Wings site:
The objective of the WINGS Program is to address the primary accident causal factors that continue to plague the general aviation community. By focusing on this objective, we hope to reduce the number of accidents we see each year for the same causes. As you will see, it is not a simple “Award” program but is instead a true proficiency program, designed to help improve our skills and knowledge as pilots.

The WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program is based on the premise that pilots who maintain currency and proficiency in the basics of flight will enjoy a safer and more stress-free flying experience.
***
The program encourages an on-going training program that provides you an opportunity to fly on a regular basis with an authorized flight instructor. The program is most effective if the training is accomplished regularly throughout the year, thus affording you the opportunity to fly in different seasons and in different flight conditions.
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You know, pilot not used to landing in substantial crosswinds wakes up one random morning on a windy day and decides to call a local CFI for some practice. Without Wings, the pilot will still need a full flight review at some point, and probably on that nice calm day without a breeze anywhere.

With Wings, a half-hour session in the pattern increases the pilot's proficiency in a way a FR might not and can also be used to meet two of the three credits toward a flight review.

If you are going to meet all three credits at once to save costs do it all at once, I don/t see the benefit over a "normal" flight review either.
 
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I quite like my flight review, I usually pick up a couple of useful tips from the CFI and he puts me straight on any bad habits I may have picked up since the last review
 
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