Excellent safety & currency training available to you

[Jack Tyler]

In an off-forum discussion, Paul and I both thought it would be a good idea to recommend two safety/currency training venues to everyone here, licensed pilot, student pilot, and not-yet-student member alike. And let me emphasize: both of these are really good programs, directly related to safe and competent flying. And one is totally free for students while all but free for licensed pilots, while the other is 'free' in the sense it will cost no more than to stay current legally but will add competency, reduce stress and perhaps reduce your insurance premium.

Air Safety Institute - ASI - a division of the AOPA Foundation
Here's a piece of how ASI describes its mission: "... devoted to GA & provides online interactive courses, which qualify for AOPA Accident Forgiveness and the ground portion of the FAA WINGS program. Learn about runway safety, radio communications, airspace, weather, and more. Check out the Real Pilot Stories series to hear the pilots' detailed accounts of what went wrong and, more importantly, what they learned. And view the Accident Case Studies, which re-create accidents using audio and flight simulation and include careful analysis and safety tips allowing pilots to examine an accident in detail.

There is far more - lots more. Free webinars, free regional safety training sessions, a variety of safety quizzes, and more. For just a quick glimpse of their interactive on-line seminar content, warm up your scroll wheel and visit: www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/ And as for record keeping, ASI will keep your current, ongoing transcript of all courses attempted and passed. (To learn why you would care about that, read on...)

Cost: Free access to all of ASI's services is available to anyone with an AOPA membership. For student pilots, a 6 month AOPA membership is free. For pilots, it's $45 (and it costs a bit less if you choose auto-renewal). And ASI aside, the services, on-line content, direct access to technical counselors, PILOT or Training Safety magazines, etc. of AOPA would take several more paragraphs to describe. (aopa.org)

FAA Wings Program:
Everyone who becomes a licensed pilot is obligated to maintain flight proficiency, at the very least by completing a Flight Review with a CFI every two years (actually, 24 months following the previous qualifying event). The FAA, to improve on this 'minimum' requirement in hopes of improving GA safety, established their WINGS program, which in part involves more frequent currency training (tho' not, in the end, more than what a Flight Review might require) coupled with ground instruction events (seminars and such). You'll notice that the ASI seminars qualify for the ground portion of the WINGS program.

There's more to this, and I hesitantly offer the following URL to read further, altho the eyes might glaze over and prevent the reader from understanding what a good deal this can be.
www.faasafety.gov/wings/pppinfo/requirementDetails.aspx

Some insurance companies offer premium reductions for WINGS proficiency, which means both that this is good for the flying budget and also that no insurance company would do this unless the accident rates justify them to do so. But more important - at least to your passengers and loved ones - it's a means to an end: It helps you stay current - and therefore safer.

Take a look at their course catalog (first of the links in the top pane). If you have additional questions, Paul (drseti) has been involved with the various WINGS-related FAA programs for decades, so considering PM'ing him for more info or comment.

Bottom Line: Flying costs money. Flying also poses some additional risk in one's life. Both the above resources will help you to reduce the cost and the risk. Check 'em out. They're worth a bit of your time.

[ka7eej]

GREAT POST JACK!!!... Thanks for the info as we should all continue to learn how to be safe.. As a retired police officer, one of the things we always said is our shift was not over until we were back at home safe with our families.. Same with flying, the flight is not over until we return home safe...

Brian