Certification Using ACS

After years of living with a multitude of imperfections in the process of certifying airmen, in September 2011 the FAA decided to act. Now nearly five years later, a totally revamped system called Airman Certification Standards (ACS) is planned to take effect on June 15, 2016, starting with Private Pilot and Instrument Airplane certification.

Fred Simonds

Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is implementing the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) starting June 15, 2016, to replace the outdated Practical Test Standards (PTS) and address long-standing imperfections in airman certification.
The ACS explicitly integrates task-specific knowledge, skill, and risk management elements into each area of operation, providing clearer, more consistent expectations for applicants, instructors, and examiners.
A new ACS coding system directly links regulations, guidance, and test materials, making knowledge tests more relevant, scenario-based, and effective for evaluating essential competencies, ultimately aiming to produce safer, better-prepared pilots.

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The FAA recognized many flaws in our existing practical test standards and knowledge tests and, in particular, how those flaws evolved. One objective of the ACS is to better facilitate updates so the new system doesn’t get stale like the last. We’ll take a look at that.