I enjoy your blog very much (check it nearly every day to see if there is something new), but not quite sure how to post a comment — so sending this email instead.

Concerning Mr. Spangler’s article and suggestion that the new Wings program is an “improvement” over the old — I could not disagree more. In my view, the new Wings program is DOA — a total waste of time offering no benefit whatsoever — at least to pilots like me. So why bother to participate in it? I won’t!

By way of background, I have been a licensed pilot for 38 years (Commercial, ASEL, MSEL, Instrument), have a bit over 4,600 hours PIC (including more than 1,200 PIC in single-pilot military jet aircraft), own an Aerostar PA-60-602P/700 that I have flown over 2,600 hours since buying it 13 years ago (day, night and in all sorts of weather), have completed recurrent Aerostar-specific training every year for the past 12 years, and completed Wings XIV before the introduction of the new program — so I obviously used to find the Wings program worthwhile. In addition, I have never had an accident (albeit have had to declare a few emergencies over the years).

The benefit of the old Wings program was that it recognized the value of my annual recurrent training, which includes, among other things, eight hours in the SIM focused on instrument proficiency and emergencies (e.g., engine-out take-offs, single engine landings to zero-zero conditions, etc.) that are inherently TOO DANGEROUS to perform in the aircraft. In return for (successfully) completing such training, I did not have to bother with a BFR (and also, of course, was able to renew my insurance each year).

The new Wings program effectively provides no reward for recurrent training, which in my case is to a far higher standard than a typical BFR. Rather, regardless of whatever other training I complete, the new program requires me to fly with a CFI, who may have direct experience in nothing more “high performance” than a Piper Seminole. I must demonstrate to him or her the ability to conduct slow flight, hold a heading with foggles, make turns to a heading and make a safe crosswind landing — boy that’s going to really sharpen my skills! And flying with a CFI as part of the Wings program only counts for one year whereas a BFR with a CFI counts for two years.

It seems to me that any competent, licensed pilot is better off flying a BFR every two years than bothering with the new Wings program, which appears designed primarily for student pilots and those licensed pilots that need to fly with a CFI beside them just to be safe. That, unfortunately, is a small minority of the pilot community.

Wish whoever designed the new Wings program had thought about that.

AJG

I think the new system effectively kills the Wings program, even though the web page is nice.

The advantage of the old system is that it wasn’t a checkride, it was just ongoing training.

Formerly I and my CFI could concentrate on areas we mutually decided needed work. That’s over now.

The Wings program now requires a more demanding evaluation than a BFR. Why not save time and money and just do a BFR?

Now they’ve essentially made it