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update elements of the private pilot and the instrument rating knowledge exams, both of which were often riddled with outdated or confusing questions that did little to evaluate an applicant’s decision-making or risk-management skills.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), which replaced previous pilot training standards, are facing controversy over an FAA-mandated change to the definition of "slow flight."
- Critics argue that the FAA's redefinition, specifying slow flight as being 5-10 knots above stall speed *without* activating a stall warning, was made without working group consensus and fundamentally alters how pilots are taught.
- This change is seen as problematic because it could lead to less knowledgeable and skilled pilots who rely on stall warnings rather than understanding the aircraft's aerodynamic limits, potentially increasing the risk of loss of control.
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