IPC Scenarios

A lot of attention has been directed at the FAAs new airman certification standards (ACS), which prescribe how practical tests are conducted. Last year, the FAA implemented ACS for the private pilot-airplane certificate and instrument-airplane rating. A chief difference between the ACS and its predecessor practical test standards (PTS) is expanded integration of risk management principles. Another involves how slow flight is performed.

Robert Wright

Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's new Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for instrument ratings significantly integrate risk management principles into Instrument Proficiency Checks (IPCs), a shift from previous standards.
The article argues that existing FAR 61.57(c) currency requirements and traditional IPCs are often minimums that don't fully ensure real-world IFR proficiency or adequately cover comprehensive risk management skills.
Pilots are encouraged to adopt proactive "instrument proficiency scenarios" (IPS) that replicate typical missions and emphasize Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM) to achieve true safety and proficiency beyond regulatory minimums.

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A lot of attention has been directed at the FAA’s new airman certification standards (ACS), which prescribe how practical tests are conducted. Last year, the FAA implemented ACS for the private pilot-airplane certificate and instrument-airplane rating. A chief difference between the ACS and its predecessor practical test standards (PTS) is expanded integration of risk management principles. Another involves how slow flight is performed (“Revising Slow Flight,” February 2017).

The new ACS for the instrument-airplane rating issued in June 2016 also prescribes the minimum content of an instrument proficiency check (IPC), as did its predecessor. Unlike the PTS, for each task pilots are required to perform during an IPC, the ACS requires the pilot to demonstrate specific knowledge and risk management proficiency. That’s a change from the ways IPCs were done before. Let’s explore how the new ACS envisions an IPC will be conducted.