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New ACS for Nearly Every Pilot Category Now in Effect

New certification standards are in effect for every pilot category except remote pilots and aviation mechanics.

FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. [Credit: Shutterstock]
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Key Takeaways:

  • New Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and Practical Test Standards (PTS) went into effect on May 31, requiring instructors, learner pilots, and DPEs to familiarize themselves with the changes.
  • These updates affect nearly all pilot and instructor categories, including ATP, Commercial, Private, Instrument, and Flight Instructor ratings for airplanes, rotorcraft, and powered lift, as well as Aircraft Dispatcher PTS.
  • The only categories unaffected by these updates are Aviation Mechanic and Remote Pilot.
  • An updated ACS Companion Guide for Pilots is also available to assist with the new standards.
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Instructors, learner pilots, and DPEs alike will need to brush up on the new Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and a couple of Practical Test Standards (PTS) that went into effect nearly across the board May 31.

The two unaffected categories are those of Aviation Mechanic (ACS-1) and Remote Pilot (ACS-10B).

Amy Wilder

Amy Wilder fell in love with airplanes at age 8 when her brother-in-law took her up in a Cessna 172. Pretty soon, Amy's bedroom walls were covered with images of vintage airplanes, and she was convinced she'd be a bush pilot in Alaska one day. She became a journalist instead, which is also somewhat impractical—but with fewer bears. Now she's working on her private pilot certificate and ready to be a lifelong student of the art of flying.

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