Safety: The WINGS Program and You

Welcome to the Safety Section of the Flying Clubs Newsletter, Club Connector!

Each month we provide resources for flying club safety officers so that they can keep their clubs informed and safe.   We also include links to the PowerPoint slides that we use for our own club meetings, so that you always have a topic for your club’s next safety meeting.  Along with the slides, we often provide links to relevant articles, videos, and other media that you may also find useful.

Alright then, let’s get on with this month’s safety topic!

March 2023 Safety Topic of the Month: Pilot Proficiency and WINGS:

Once you have completed your flight training and have that “license to learn” in your pocket, it can be easy to slip into a routine with your flying. Many flights have a similar profile and don’t allow us to practice all the skills we had to master for our checkride. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a proficiency program that makes it easy for pilots to stay sharp?  Luckily the FAA has a program that does just that! It’s called the FAASTeam WINGS program. Read more to learn how this proficiency program can make you a safer and more confident pilot.

Background: 

Proficiency training is so beneficial to aviation safety that it is required of most professional pilots. Proficiency training is also beneficial to general aviation pilots as well. Studies have show that pilots who participate in regular proficiency training are much less likely to experience accidents.

The FAA WINGS pilot proficiency program is one way for general aviation pilots to ensure they are competent, confident, and safe in their flight operations.

Learning Points:

• WINGS is FAA’s Pilot Proficiency Program.
• WINGS is most beneficial if training is not done all at once but rather spaced out throughout the year.
• The WINGS Topic of the Quarter is an easy way to pursue regular proficiency training.
• Completion of any phase of WINGS satisfies the 14 CFR 61.56 requirements for flight reviews.
• A cadre of WINGSPros is available to assist flight instructors and pilots with the WINGS program

March 2023 Safety Topic of the Month:  Pilot Proficiency and WINGS

References:

• WINGS Information and Guidance

Other Safety Resources:

Here is a quick reminder of just some of the resources available to all pilots:

1. The FAASTeam website is the portal to a vast array of courses, videos, links, and much more.Remember that WINGS not only encompasses “knowledge” activities, but also flight activities.Use the various search options to narrow done, to, say flight activities for a basic phase of WINGS and you’ll be able to find a syllabus and often a worksheet for each flight activity.
2. AOPA’s own Air Safety Institute, which by the way, is funded by the AOPA Foundation just like the Flying Clubs Initiative, is packed with amazing content, including exceptional videos, podcasts, accident analysis, online courses, recorded webinars and more.Completing these activities may also earn WINGS credits.Of particular interest to flying club safety officers is the recently updated Safety to Go section.Here, you can download a selection of topics, each coming with PowerPoint slides and speaker’s notes!

WINGS for Clubs:

If you are interested in using the FAASTeam WINGS program with your flying club, feel free to contact Steve, who is a Lead Representative and WINGSPro, and uses the program in his club.  More on WINGS for Clubs can be found here in Flying Clubs Radio Episode 8 and the May 2020 Question of the Month.