The new airman certification standards (ACS) unveiled in June were created to update elements of the private pilot and the instrument rating knowledge exams, both of which were often riddled with outdated or confusing questions that did little to evaluate an applicant’s decision-making or risk-management skills.
Pilot Examiners Debate ACS Definition of Slow Flight
Key Takeaways:
- The new Airman Certification Standards (ACS), designed to update pilot evaluation for private and instrument ratings, is now controversial due to an unapproved FAA change to the definition of "slow flight."
- This revised definition specifies slow flight as 5-10 knots above stall speed without activating a stall warning, shifting from the previous focus on proximity to an immediate stall.
- Critics, including flight examiners and instructors, argue this promotes reliance on stall warnings over true aerodynamic understanding, potentially leading to less skilled pilots, a higher risk of loss-of-control accidents, and is practically unfeasible due to stall warning activation thresholds.
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