CFI expiration dates no more; FAA updates multiple ACs, CUG

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Numerous important changes.

CFI Expiration Removal – AOPA
This final rule, published as 14 CFR 61.197 goes into effect Dec. 1. See a detailed FAQ here.

AC 61-65J – Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors
Previously 61-65H, this is the AC that documents and provides guidance on endorsements for CFIs.

AC 61-98E Currency Requirements and Guidance for the Flight Review and Instrument Proficiency Check
This AC provides best practices and guidance for the conduct of flight reviews and IPCs.

AC 91-91K WINGS—Pilot Proficiency Program
This AC provides information about the use of the FAA Wings proficiency program.

AC 61-145 Flight Instructor Enhanced Qualification Training Program (FIEQTP)
This AC will be relevant to the new ability for some programs to provide training to initial CFI candidates with instructors who do not meet the traditional two-year CFI requirement and have had specific training. This is a new AC.

Chart User’s Guide
Effective Oct. 31, 2024; check the “What’s New?” update on p.9 for details.

Legal or Not? Protecting your Pilot Certificate

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The first segment in a video series, Protecting your Certificate-Keeping it Safe and Legal, presented by the Federal Aviation Administration and @AopaOrg_General-Aviation. This series covers important information that pilots and aircraft owners need to know and understand when it comes to flying passengers and property, safely and legally.

Get Advisory Circular 61-142 at https://bit.ly/AC61142.

NTSB Safety Alert: Flight in Snow

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“Assess the risk of flight in wet snow conditions, especially at low altitudes,” says the NTSB.

“Flight in wet snow and associated icing conditions can lead to deadly consequences. While snow is typically thought to consist of all-frozen water, snowfall can also contain liquid particles either on the flakes or liquid particles falling amongst the snowflakes. This is what is commonly referred to as wet snow. The liquid portions of wet snow have the potential to freeze onto surfaces that the snow comes in contact with (for example, aircraft) and pose a significant hazard to safety of flight through structural, engine, and windshield ice accumulation.”

More on wet snow, related accidents and possible actions by operators are discussed in NTSB Safety Alert 082.

Click here to read the Safety Alert.

From The Flight Deck – Winter Weather Challenges

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From the Flight Deck – Winter Weather Challenges (FAA)

FAA’s From the Flight Deck video series uses cockpit mounted cameras to capture runway and taxiway footage and combines them with diagrams and visual graphics to clearly identify hot spots and other safety-sensitive items. Learn more at https://www.faa.gov/go/FromTheFlightDeck

This video focuses on airport surface operations during winter weather. Failure to properly prepare for and execute appropriate cold weather airport operations has led to runway incursions, resulting in collisions with snow removal or maintenance operators, and serious runway excursion accidents.

Several risk factors are present during winter weather that are not normally found during the other seasons. Contaminated surfaces including runways, taxiways, and ramps can present a major hazard to aircraft. An iced over taxiway and a strong wind can easily move a general aviation aircraft in a direction other than the direction the pilot intended. Snow drifts can obscure signage and markings both on the surface and alongside the runway or taxiway, making it difficult for the pilot to know where to hold short or turn. Several systems and initiatives are in place to help pilots better understand the surface conditions at their airport, and how they may affect aircraft performance.

These videos are intended to assist pilots in navigating complex taxiway and runway configurations ahead of actual flight operations. Cockpit and wing mounted GoPro cameras were used to capture 4K resolution video and combined with airport diagrams and visual graphics to clearly identify hot spots and other safety-sensitive items that pilots may encounter.

It’s better to ‘know before you go’ — FAA’s From the Flight Deck video series is available exclusively on YouTube. Subscribe to this channel to watch actual approach and taxi footage from airports across the U.S., or visit https://www.faa.gov/go/FromTheFlightDeck for a map of featured locations.

Additional links and resources on this topic can be found at the video’s YouTube page.