I should probably stick to telling flying stories, but occasionally I get so worked up that I can’t resist taking off on what I see as some new wacko FAA-mandated requirement or procedure. So it’s no surprise that the agency’s current “initiative” (in Bureaucratese) of replacing the Practical Test Standards with the Airman Certification Standards has me seeing red.
Unusual Attitudes: ACS Makes My Head Ache
Key Takeaways:
- The author, an experienced pilot, strongly criticizes the FAA's new Airman Certification Standards (ACS), viewing them as an unnecessary, complex, and costly replacement for the previous Practical Test Standards (PTS).
- He argues the ACS makes practical tests significantly longer and more expensive by overemphasizing abstract risk management, judgment, and situational awareness through extensive oral examinations and checklists, while downplaying actual flying mechanics.
- The author questions the effectiveness of attempting to teach or objectively test subjective concepts like good judgment and risk assessment through rigid frameworks, advocating instead for a simpler, less bureaucratic approach to pilot certification.
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