Airman Certification Standards On Deck

The FAA recently announced the new ACS guidance was ready for prime time and will be implemented this June for the private pilot-airplane and instrument rating-airplane practical tests. According to AOPA, the new ACS is designed to make the certification and testing process more relevant and meaningful to modern pilots.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is implementing new Airman Certification Standards (ACS) in June, replacing the previous Practical Test Standards (PTS) by integrating knowledge, skills, and risk management into pilot certification tests.
Legislation to privatize the FAA's air traffic control system has been sidelined, allowing general aviation organizations to refocus on priorities like aeromedical reform and Part 23 aircraft certification reform.
The FAA recommends pilots perform "advanced preflights" on aircraft recently returned from maintenance, involving a review of maintenance history and an additional checklist, to prevent accidents caused by maintenance errors.

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In our July 2013 issue, a feature article by regular contributor Robert Wright explored the FAA’s planned replacement for the practical test standards, PTS, which the agency was preparing. The new tool, known as the airman certification standards (ACS), is designed to, in Bob’s words, “integrate airman knowledge, skills and risk management expertise in a way that could be more effectively evaluated than through the current PTS.”

The FAA recently announced the new ACS guidance was ready for prime time and will be implemented this June for the private pilot-airplane and instrument rating-airplane practical tests. According to AOPA, the new ACS is designed to “make the certification and testing process more relevant and meaningful to modern pilots.”