New Airman Certification Standards for CFIs Is Released

By summer the long-awaited, 111-page update will apply for certifications.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, April 02, 2024 at 05:12 PM ET

Verified

The ACS contains the minimum standards that a pilot must meet for certification. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has released the updated Flight Instructor for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-25), replacing the previous 2012 practical test standards.
A significant revision allows stall warning activation during slow flight demonstrations and includes secondary stalls, addressing loss-of-control incidents and enhancing critical flight envelope training.
The new ACS integrates modern aviation technology, permitting the use of electronic flight bags, ADS-B alerts, and computer-generated flight plans for instruction and evaluation.
Overall, the update emphasizes improved risk awareness, mitigation, and fundamentals of instructing to enhance aviation safety and prepare prospective flight instructors.

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It takes a special kind of aviation enthusiast to get excited about the release of a new Airman Certification Standards (ACS) from the FAA, but here we are.

The long-awaited update to the Flight Instructor for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-25) has been released. The 111-page document has been in development since before the pandemic, the process was slowed when COVID-19 shut down the world. It replaces the FAA-S-8081-6D, Flight Instructor Practical Test Standards for Airplane, dated June 2012.