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A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of "there are no old, bold pilots.")

Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner, master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us -- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators. Some of them, you may have heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we might never have considered before, or something that didn't "stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for the practical test.

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Aero-Tips 08.07.06

Get ready for changes in the FAA's WINGS program.

From the FAA: The Aviation Safety Program will soon undergo a change to the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team (FAASTeam). In addition to the name change, the program will be restructured to allow agency resources to be more carefully focused on accident causes. A system safety approach will be used to accurately identify hazards and develop strategies to mitigate them. This work will be carried out by our FAASTeam managers in the field in coordination with industry partners. Watch for these exciting changes in 2006.

I was privileged to meet with FAAST program managers at AirVenture. Although details are not finalized, they tell me:

• A new Advisory Circular will soon be released, describing the change from Aviation Safety Program to FAASTeam.
• The current, successful WINGS program will live on, although there will be changes… perhaps, for instance, Basic, Advanced and Master-level WINGS based on the amount of time and effort required to complete certain programs.
• The new program will incorporate new data-driven accident prevention studies. Current programs identify mishap causes and develop nationwide programs aimed at avoidance. FAASTeam programs will look more at regional mishaps and, intriguingly, mishaps common among pilots of geographic regions who fly into other areas. For example, mishap records may show that pilots from the Midwest are the ones most likely to have accidents when they take trips to the mountains. Mountain-flying courses, then, would be emphasized not only in mountain states, but (if this is true) in the Midwest as well.

Someone once said that all change, even change for the better, comes only with difficulty. Let's help our FAA friends make those the changes for what we hope will be an even more effective FAA safety program.

Aero-tip of the day: Watch for updates on the new FAA Safety Team.

FMI: Aero-Tips