The WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program is a voluntary pilot training and safety initiative supported by the
FAA Safety Team (stylized ''FAASTeam'') division of the
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
in the United States. The program was created by
advisory circular AC 61.91 on as the Pilot Proficiency Award Program,
and it has been continuously developed to promote
air safety by encouraging
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
pilots to maintain flying
proficiency through the use of
online learning, in-person
seminar
A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some part ...
s, and tailored
flight training.
Enrollment in the program is free to
all pilots in the United States; successful completion of each "level" grants members a set of metal aviator wings in addition to credit for the
flight review normally mandated by 14 C.F.R. § 61.56.
The program features two aspects: knowledge and flight. The knowledge portion presents online courses to maintain or increase an airman's knowledge. The courses are at a quality level found in college, air carrier or military education presentations. The flight portion provides an opportunity to practice and perform selected maneuvers to the standards found in the FAA Flight Test Guide for the certificate level you hold or choose to exercise. (Example: A retired airline pilot with an Airline Transport Pilot certificate may elect to perform at the Private Pilot level for the purposes of satisfying the Wings Program requirements.)
Program structure
Proficiency levels
* Basic
* Advanced—For those who wish to maintain a higher level of proficiency than required by the Basic level.
* Master—For those who wish to maintain the highest level of proficiency.
Background and history
In the United States, initial pilot certification is structured around highly-specific sets of criteria known as
Airman Certification Standards (formerly
Practical Test Standards). While professional pilots and military aviators are subjected to frequent and standardized recurrent training, general aviation pilots are only required to complete a generic and unspecified biennial requirement of 1 hour of ground instruction and 1 hour of flight instruction in accordance with 14 C.F.R. § 61.56.
In 1977, the FAA's Central Region (overseeing
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
,
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
, and
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
) developed a local program aimed at curbing an increasing trend of aircraft accidents attributed to
pilot error
In aviation, pilot error generally refers to an action or decision made by a Aircraft pilot#Airline, pilot that is a substantial contributing factor leading to an Aviation accidents and incidents, aviation accident. It also includes a pilot ...
.
By using recurrent training to focus pilots' attention on common contributing factors, the new "Pilot Proficiency Program" hoped to actively promote air safety.
Legacy program
As laid out in Advisory Circular 61-91H, (obsolete, superseded by AC61-91J) the program formerly offered twenty phases for a twenty-year recurrent training opportunity. Participants were eligible for more wings every year after earning their first set, each added set marking progress.
From the program's inception in 1996 until 2007, each of the first 10 phases of the program awarded a pin and a certificate.
* Phase 1 wings are plain
bronze color.
* Phase 2 wings are
silver color with a star added.
* Phase 3 wings are
gold color with a star and wreath.
* Phase 4 wings are gold tone and have a simulated
ruby
Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...
mounted in the shield.
* Phase 5 wings are gold tone with a rhinestone mounted in the shield.
* Phase 6 wings are gold tone with a simulated
sapphire
Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name ''sapphire ...
mounted in the shield.
* Phase 7, 8, and 9 wings are gold tone with the appropriate
Roman numeral
Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...
displayed within the wreath.
* Phase 10 wings are bright gold tone with the Roman numeral X and shield located within a ring of 10 stars.
Past phase 10, only a certificate is awarded.
Seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tech ...
pilots who specify “seawings” on the proficiency award application get a distinctive set of seawings.
2007 update
The original Wings program was updated in 2007. It was replaced by a new program from the new FAA. This new program attempts to provide better standards for pilots getting flight reviews and training, adding the most common causes of accidents into the curriculum and providing set standards for maneuvers, instead of giving a minimum flight time to complete.
While the
FAA does provide pins for completion of a level of the new Wings program under the updated program, it has entered into a partnership with aviation insurer
Avemco where is announced that Avemco will continue to sponsor the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program by supplying all WINGS participants with WINGS lapel pins upon program completion. The FAA does, however, intend to keep track of a pilot's recurrent training and will be able to remind the pilot by e-mail if their training is close to expiring, requiring them to get a new
flight review or complete another Wings course via a website link.
On 24 September 2010 the program was further updated to include specific recognition for those sea-rated pilots who complete a phase of WINGS in a seaplane or amphibian plane. The
Seaplane Pilots Association agreed to send a lapel pin to these pilots, and some insurance companies have started to offer "significant premium discounts" to members of the Association who complete a phase of WINGS in a seaplane.
FAASafety.gov
- "Sea WINGS" notice
See also
* List of aviation awards
References
{{reflist
External links
FAA Safety Website
FAA Advisory Circular 61-91H: Pilot Proficiency Award Program (PDF)
Aviation initiatives
Aviation licenses and certifications
Flight training
Aviation law
1979 establishments in the United States