FAA Updates Their Advisory Circular For Transitioning To Unfamiliar Aircraft

As the FAA continues to take action to reduce loss of control accidents, they are stressing the importance of transition training. The following information was published in the most recent FAA Safety Briefing magazine to remind us of an important FAA publication that addresses this issue.

The FAA says they recognize the need to devote resources to preventing accidents occurring because of inadequate training when transitioning between aircraft types. Specifically, accidents resulting from loss of aircraft control or situational awareness frequently result from pilot unpreparedness for challenges presented by the aircraft.

Pilots transitioning to unfamiliar aircraft require specific training in the new aircraft’s systems and operating characteristics to include normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures. To help address this, the FAA last June released an update to an Advisory Circular (AC) on transitioning to unfamiliar aircraft. AC 90-109A is intended to help plan the transition to any unfamiliar fixed-wing airplanes, including type-certificated and/or experimental airplanes.

The Advisory Circular provides information and guidance to owners and pilots of experimental, simple, complex, high-performance, and/or unfamiliar airplanes. It also provides information to flight instructors who teach in these airplanes. In order for the recreational, educational, and experimental benefits of airplanes to flourish, both the FAA and the GA industry agree on the need for improvements in safety.

Through collaboration between the FAA, GA, and amateur-built community, the recommendations developed in this AC mitigate some of the risks found in transitioning to unfamiliar airplanes. The recommendations are also applicable to pilots transitioning into an unfamiliar type certificated aircraft. To view the AC, click on the Advisory Circulars tab after going to the link provided below.

FMI: www.faa.gov