[ Home ] [ Up ]

ASC, PO Box 589, Marshall, MI  49068    phone 269-781-4021   fax 269-781-7400  email kimojim@aol.com

The Call for Instructors

Since the beginning of the transition to Sport Pilot the need for instructors has been the largest concern.  That is the development of enough instructors and examiners.  And now just 6 months from the last deadline, we are seeing our worst fears come true.  There are not enough instructors to complete the transition.  This is especially true for Powered Parachutes and Weight-Shift Control, and even for Airplanes.

Manufacturers have difficulty with sales when they cannot match them up with training.  The beautifully new SLSA aircraft don’t mean sales if they are unflyable.  There are a lucky few who have close access to examiners and instructors, but they are few.

We need more instructors.  How do we get them?  Is it money, or time, or difficulty, which is keeping our people from going to instructor?  Worse yet, is it an old line mentality that will not adapt to these light ships.

As for examiners, there are only 17 PPC examiners for the entire country and 16 WSC examiners.  From anywhere on the east coast, the closest PPC examiner is in Central Florida or Indiana . The exceedingly long distances to get to examiners are a major barrier.  Many pilots must travel over 600 miles to get flight test.  Compare that to the FAA guidelines for General Aviation of having examiners within 100 miles and flight tests within 5 calendar days.  This barrier to instructors is also a barrier to Sport Pilots and is now compounded by the need for additional instructors after the 1/31/07 deadline.

FAA has been quick to point out that pilots have not applied for examiner.  FAA has also been quick to impose both GA questions and standards to these pilots.  At least 3 examiners have dropped there ratings because of difficulties.  These include large costs of yearly recurrency and travel to get to FAA personal.

We need ways to sponsor instructors and support them.  When you pay for instruction you should expect to pay enough that the instructor can survive to be there tomorrow.  Manufacturers must recognize the need for instructors and begin fostering dealer/instructors. 

FAA needs to review its question databases and remove inappropriate questions from Sport Pilot and Sport Pilot Instructor tests.   There is a problem when a PPC pilot must answer the question, “Which aileron should be down when taxiing in a quartering tailwind”!  Weight and balance questions are a similar problem when applied to WSC and PPC pilots!

Will this work out OK?  Yes, but it will have its pains and problems.  Together, we need to make it happen.  And the FAA is part of that “together”.

It is time for an extension.  The final deadline needs to be extended by two years to 1/31/2010 .  That means extending the BFI programs to allow instruction for program students.  That means extending the time a BFI can use their organizational letter for going to instructor.  And it means an extension to the time to bring in existing fleet aircraft.   The startup deals have made this extension necessary.

Jim Stephenson

Copyright all rights reserved, ASC(r) 
Last updated: July 05, 2008.