This is the first in a series of stories on the FAA’s WINGS program.
You know it’s good for you, but you just get so frustrated, you give up.
No, it’s not the latest diet, but the FAA’s Pilot Proficiency Program known as WINGS.
While some pilots and CFIs navigate the program seamlessly, even more find it confusing and, well, just not worth the effort.
The good news is the FAA is aware of these problems and is in the midst of fixing them, according to Heather Metzler, an FAASTeam Program Manager and expert in WINGS.
“We have heard folks and we agree with them,” she says. “We’re in the process of revamping and redoing the program.”
While there’s no official date for launching the new program, Metzler assures pilots that the changes are “moving along.”
“We want to make sure we get it right,” she reports.
To that end, the FAA has partnered with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to update WINGS.
“In the meantime, it’s still the best thing that we have and so we need to continue to use it,” she notes.
The Basics
Launched in 1996 and last revamped in 2007, the WINGS program encourages general aviation pilots to continue training and maintain proficiency — all in an effort to prevent aircraft accidents.
Each phase of the program contains two portions: The knowledge portion and the flight portion. You must complete both in 12 months to complete a WINGS phase.
“The biggest thing that folks really don’t understand about WINGS is the flight portion,” Metzler says. “We’ve got great attendance at seminars and online courses, but what we don’t really have great numbers on is an airman completing a phase of WINGS. Right now that is done by obtaining three flight credits.”
Another thing most pilots don’t understand: Those three flight credits can all be done in one flight.
“They just have to fly to the standard for the instructor to validate that,” she explains.
She notes that “back in the day” three separate flights were required, but that changed when the program was revamped in 2007.
“There’s not even a minimum hourly requirement,” she adds. “You just have to meet the standard for the instructor to validate the credit.”
Don’t Do It Alone
Still confused? Metzler says the best way to navigate the program is to contact a WINGS Pro.
“A WINGS Pro is a volunteer with the FAA who has the skillset for knowing how to navigate WINGS,” she explains.
She added the FAA has recognized that WINGS is tough to navigate, so it developed a program to train these volunteers to give them the skills to help others understand WINGS.
“The first thing is don’t do this alone,” she says. “We have experts to help you.”
She adds that “hopefully” once the new program is launched, pilots won’t need a “live helper” to help them understand the system.
“But right now a WINGS Pro is really the best way to do that,” she says.
How do you find a WINGS Pro?
“You almost need a WINGS Pro to find a WINGS Pro,” she says with a laugh, before turning serious again.
“What you can do is contact a FAASTeam program manager like myself. There should be a FAASTeam program manager for every local FSDO,” she says.
Besides connecting you with a WINGS Pro, the FAASTeam program manager can point the way to webinars and seminars that help explain WINGS more fully.
“Not only that, we’re working with certified flight instructors to help them understand how the WINGS program works,” she says. “It’s a big moving piece to be able to put everything together.”
The Big Why
Why should a pilot spend the time and effort to participate in WINGS?
There’s a myriad of reasons (which we will cover in upcoming stories), but the bottom line is safety and proficiency.
Metzler uses her own experience to illustrate the program’s importance.
“I’m a pilot and back in the day I used to fly 300 to 500 hours a year. Last year I flew 25 hours,” she says. “I’ve talked about WINGS for a long time, but I’m living it now.”
As a corporate pilot and airline pilot, she would find herself “back in school” every six months or at least once every year.
“But there’s nothing that requires me as a GA pilot to do that,” she says.
The need for continuing training “really hit home” when Metzler went to work for the FAA in a non-flying job.
“Every year it seems I fly less and less,” she says.
And, as a GA pilot, she’s only required to do a flight review every 24 calendar months, which includes an hour on the ground “talking about stuff” and “an hour in the air flying, doing whatever the instructor thinks I need to do.”
“Well, how does that instructor know what I need? It’s legal, but it’s not safe,” she says.
With the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program, you get to know your instructor very well.
“Ideally you are flying once a quarter with an instructor,” she says.
Ironically, she says she sometimes get pushback from her instructors.
“They say, ‘Heather, you already know how to fly. You don’t need me,’” she reports. “And I say, ‘no, I do need you because maybe I’ve picked up a bad habit. I need you to tell me I still don’t need you.”
Participating in the WINGS program also gives structure to the continuing training of pilots.
“The WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program gives me the same training program that the air carriers or corporate aviation has,” she says, noting one big difference: “It’s free except for the time I spend with my instructor.”
“Obviously, I have to pay for the airplane and the instructor — but that’s 100% cheaper than an accident,” she continues. “That’s why a pilot should be interested in that.”
There’s other economic benefits, including discounts on your insurance.
“Insurance companies recognize that a more proficient pilot is going to be a safer pilot. It’s going to make you more comfortable flying because if you haven’t been in that airplane in a while and you’re getting ready to go fly, you’re like ‘man, I hope I can do this.’ Well, you won’t have those thoughts if you’re regularly flying with an instructor and doing a structured program.”
The Key to Success
Metzler notes the CFI is the key to the success of WINGS.
“The instructor is the key to aviation safety,” she clarifies. “The designated pilot examiner just sees an airman for a short amount of time to make sure they meet the minimum standard on that day. Then after that it’s all up to the instructor.”
When a pilot needs a flight review, that’s a great time for an instructor to introduce them to the WINGS program, she says.
“They can do a flight review about what you are doing in flying, what do you plan on doing in flying, and how we can make this program work for you,” she says.
That’s because there are so many options available in the WINGS program, covering all facets of flight. For instance, are you good at normal landings, but not so much on crosswind landings?
By using the WINGS program, the CFI can “help you work on your weaknesses, while you are continuing to hold onto your strengths,” she says.
I Wish I Had Known About This Before
Metzler adds that as a FAASTeam program manager, one of her responsibilities is remedial training.
“A pilot goes out and has a bad day in aviation that’s pilot induced and then they wind up in a remedial training that’s offered by the FAA instead of an enforcement action. The majority of the time — I’m going to say 99% of the time — after we’ve talked through the curriculum that they’re going to do and I share with them the WINGS program and how it can benefit their aviation safety 99% of the time, they say, ‘I wish I had heard of this program before I had to talk to you.’”
“And that’s my goal — to reach all airmen before they come in for remedial training or have an accident or have an incident,” she says. “The FAASTeam is a proactive side of the FAA and we try to get out and get people to operate safer. The analogy would be it’s no different than the U.S. Coast Guard saying wear your life jacket. It’s a safety program.”
I have completed multiple webinars with the Bonanza Society that were offered by the FAA for Wings credit.
When you select the course or webinar, you are transferred from the FAA site to the Webinar. After completing the webinar, it is as if you have never done it. The FAA has no record, the Bonanza Society has no record, so no credit can be had for the wings program.
Someone is dropping the ball. These kinds of credits are given on a regular basis.
“Heather Metzler, an FAASTeam Program Manager and expert in WINGS“
After completing 7 phases of WINGS, a significant pain point remains the VALIDATORS for flight activities.
It’s CFIs and DPEs that need a WINGS Pro!
When even a former FAASafety Team Manager, who is a DPE, is unable to validate flight activity (Initial Certification-ATP), frustration increases, pilot interest decreases, and the future of WINGS becomes … meaningless.
Please, would you focus on educating and motivating participation from VALIDATORS for flight activities.
… unbelievable.
As a validator and FAASTeam Representative I agree that the WINGS online interface needs improvement, but I have to say that if validators are having issues the problems can’t be attributed to the the WINGS program interface itself.
Mike you make a great point about the validations and that is an area that we are working on simplifying with the new WINGS. Pilot proficiency is the key to WINGS. I am assigned to help develop the new WINGS and hope that you could take the time to provide your thoughts as to how WINGS can be better. My email address is [email protected]
Thanks Heather. WINGS feedback and suggestions for consideration, sent via email. Whenever convenient, appreciate your time to have a look. Hope it’s helpful.
This year I used WINGS for my FIRC (Flight Instructor Renewal). As a CFI< I was able to get credit for WINGS endorsements with my clients. It was a bit confusing process but with the help of David Strassburg CFI and WINGS expert and Dan Carter at FSDO we were able to get it accomplished. It was definitely not painless as the system is lacking. That said, I hope that the new WINGS program will work better.
Recurrent training is most important to safe flying. I hope that the new WINGS will encourage more CFI to work with clients do more training.
The WINGS program in the Northwest was great when it was all face to face and held at different airports. A real fly in atmosphere, camp out under your wing experience. I learned a great deal in the seminars, and on my 3 one hour required flights given by volunteer CFI’s. After completion I was sent a certificate and a WINGS pin. Unfortunately the program was discontinued due to lack of funds, and maybe community support. I then transitioned to the online program, and was with it for a couple years. Boring. All of my flight instructors that performed my flight portion had no experience with WINGS and had a difficult time entering my flight portion. I gave up the program. When the Rusty Pilots program started I attended those seminars and presented my completion certificate to my biannual CFI , which was sufficient for the ground portion of the biannual, which saves time and $. This year the AOPA regional flyins were cancelled, so I will have to do the courses online. I also have to do the Basic Med required online course every other year. Some of us older pilots are not comfortable with all this online stuff.
You wrote: “Biannual” Did the FAA change it to every 6 months?
I went through both of the WINGS programs. I completed ALL of the requirements in both. Got my Diamond Wings pin from the first program. If I recall there were 20 levels in the first one and 10 in the second. I went into my records last month to check on the Status and found out that all the work that I did was deleted. No record of any of it. I still have the little wing pins and certificates showing my accomplishments. When I questioned the program they told me that the achievements are dropped after 3 years if you don’t continuously repeat the activities.Not good.
“While some pilots and CFIs navigate the program seamlessly, even more find it confusing and, well, just not worth the effort.”
I’ve been teaching AOPA’s two-day, 16-hour, in-person Flight Instructor Refresher Courses, for several years (until COVID shut us down…). In it, we have a required block of instruction on the WINGS Program. I always start that class by polling the students (typically @ 25-40 CFIs): “How many of you are actively instructing using the WINGS Program?” I’ll be lucky to get one or two…..
Okay, maybe I’m being petty here, but I dropped wings for two reasons. First of all, I was skeptical of giving the Feds access to my training records. No, nothing embarrassing here, but just simply it’s none of their business! I don’t like being monitored by the government while pursuing my hobby.
Second reason, the petty one, is they stopped giving out wings pins! Those pins were a visual reminder of accomplishments to fellow pilots and non-pilots alike. I was proud of my collection and working to get higher and higher levels….. Then POOF they were gone. All that’s left is a computer record in Washington DC.
Another example of government lack of insight.
Those WINGS pins are still part of the program; donated by AVEMCO.
The Wings program is the “Best Kept Secret” in General Aviation. Few instructors talk about it with students, fewer still participate.
The website is pretty tough to navigate, and I participate in the system frequently. I’m hoping the Overhaul is going to simplify that a lot. Getting people to ‘do the right thing’ is easier, if doing the right thing is pretty easy.
As for getting the word out, wouldn’t it be great, if right before your Private Pilot Check Ride, you’d have completed the Basic Level Wings? Or an Advanced for commercial pilot certificate? It would add no extra effort, since all the activities are being trained already, but it would give that brand new pilot a great introduction into the system.
So sad. “Lost Comm” wrt elitism.
Until FAA leaders listen to wisdom, and realize how complicated the “reformed” ATD rules are, and ask for experienced helpers, to allow ATD (BATD) currency and training, forget about helping improve WINGS. Far too complicated to qualify simplified desktop systems esp since a $100 software and joystick with a CFII exist. It seems no one is listening.
All pilots need refresher training…as they do in airlines or military… done both areas…it’s normal.review of regs is always applicable cos they change as time goes by.thats the business were in,so roll with it.
The problem with WINGS it is unmanaged and not understood by most of us. The crediting is inconsistent and flaky and as a commenter noted below, I had no idea there was a flight aspect either. There should be a website for the program, not just email blasts and random seminars. On that site a pilot should be able to have an account as SEE their credits ( and not have them expire). There should REAL benefit to doing the work like a reasonable number credits allows someone to skip a bi-annual review which is costly and a hassle. The website would let us keep track of our progress and give us a target for achieving the paybacks.
Actually, much of what you suggest is available now, including an accounting of your credits and customizable options for the flight portion. The unused credits do expire after 12 months, but everything in life usually does.
Again, every time you accomplish a WINGS phase you get a Flight Review (no longer called a BFR, BTW) and the 24 month Flight Review clock resets.
Suddenly from nowhere the FAA sent me the link to the website I did not know existed. Maybe the FAA should advertise this site more. Or remind people at the seminars about it…
” skip a bi-annual review which is costly and a hassle. ”
Agreed. I think the BFR ought to be satisfied by a certain number of recent hours flown and type of flight (X-country, night, etc). The current BFR requirement is an expense hassle and a waste of time for private pilots who only fly on clear days for “recreational” reasons.
Completing a WINGS phase also gives you a Flight Review. We use it in a Sheriff’s Aero Squadron as annual recurrent training with emphasis added for specific mission necessary flying.
I understand the reluctance some may have for recurrent training with a CFI, but there are benefits to be had with the WINGS program. Flying with your buddy isn’t the same. The key is to find a CFI who has common sense knowledge and experience beyond the bounds of the ACS structure.
Glad to see the FAA doing the needed restructuring of the program.
FAA WINGS will be *much* better with the overhaul. We surveyed over 5,000 pilots and CFIs to learn the “pain points” and misunderstandings and a very dedicated group from FAA and industry has created a plan that should result in first beta this fall. Thanks to all CFIs that have supported this cranky interface (help is on the way!)
I did the first level of WINGs a number years ago. Last spring, when it was Flight Review time, I decided to return to WINGs. My Bronze level had expired, and I was told I’d need to do another Bronze before I could go for the next level. I was OK with that. But here’s what I wasn’t OK with: I had advanced ground credits for over a dozen classes I had taken, but the website wouldn’t let me apply them to a lower level. I ever wrote the WINGs folks who confirmed that higher level ground credits can’t be applied to lower level phases. How crazy is that?
I thew in the towel and just went for a flight review.
I’ve been going to WINGS seminars from time to time, and I always find them interesting and useful.
Until *today* when I read this article, I had ZERO clue that there even was a flight component. Nobody mentioned it, it isn’t in the announcements, I never saw it on the FAA website. Top secret – burn before reading.
I’d also like for the list of seminars I have taken not to disappear after two years. I’m OK with them not being “current”, but I’d like to see my history as well, just like a logbook. (Can I log WINGS seminars in my logbook? Might be a good idea to do it just so I know what I’ve done in the past.)
I”m glad that you are doing this series. WINGS is absolutely something that needs to be improved. It’s an excellent idea and the premis is sound. Just needs to be usuable.