Anxious about the new Airmen Certification Standards? Don’t be, says Rich Martindell, and aviation and safety consultant, ATP, CFII and an FAA Safety Team representative. In a new blog post, he notes: “The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) replacing the familiar Practical Test Standards (PTS) for the private pilot and instrument ratings went into effect and the earth continued to rotate about its axis. This should be a fairly seamless transition but I have heard a lot of anxiety and trepidation expressed by pilots in training, their instructors and even designated flight examiners. Most of that anxiety is about changes to the written (knowledge) tests.
There are actually two things going on that are related but really not earth shaking. The first concern I have heard is a fear that the knowledge tests are being completely revised and nobody knows the “new” questions. The tests are being revised for two reasons but the knowledge required hasn’t changed a bit so the ground school to prepare for the written really doesn’t need to change.”
Read the full post here.
Listening to my fellow aviators, I think the biggest problem with the change to ACS is it is a CHANGE. They like the old way and found a method to “guarantee” success passing your examinations to Private Pilot Certificate. Scenario based training is the best way to train and prepare for any flight examination since that is the way we fly anyway.