The ACS is a good change that is essentially an evolution of the PTS, integrating the special emphasis areas, risk management, knowledge test components and the traditional flight maneuvers standards into one cohesive document.
Our long-standing flight training philosophy at Sporty’s has been to make the PTS an integral part of the training curriculum from day 1. This applies to both the student pilots training at our flight school here at Sporty’s Academy, and for those enrolled in our online pilot training courses.
This approach has never been more relevant than now. With the transition to the ACS, this new guide is designed to help students, instructors and examiners better understand how knowledge areas, skills, risk management elements and performance metrics are connected and apply to each task.
Both of Sporty’s video-based flight training and test prep courses, the Private Pilot Learn to Fly Course and the Instrument Rating Course, have been updated to include new interactive versions of the Airman Certification Standards. After logging into either course, you’ll find this Interactive ACS component in the Flight Resources menu.
There you’ll find a menu on the left side of the screen displaying each Area of Operation, with a listing of each ACS Task directly below, making it easy to jump to the maneuver or knowledge area you’re looking for. The details for each task are then displayed on the right side of the screen, broken down by Objective, References, Knowledge, Risk Management and Skills.
Our courses take the ACS a step further, by including a custom video review section at the end of each Task. Here you’ll find buttons that allow you to watch the corresponding video training segments that apply to that task.
For example, if you’re reviewing the Preflight task, you’ll find videos on how to conduct a thorough preflight on a Cessna 172, along with an Air Facts video segment containing real-world preflight tips. Getting ready to practice the Slow Flight maneuver? The video review segments there include 10 minutes of in-flight video showing how to perform the maneuver, along with another segment containing a review of aerodynamics.
By featuring the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) front and center in the courses, and integrating HD video training right into each task, pilots will quickly feel comfortable with the ACS and better understand the importance of this guide during their flight training and written test preparation. They’ll also feel more prepared for the practical test by continuously training to the standards listed in the ACS, instead of using it for a last-minute review while prepping for the checkride.
You’ll find the new interactive ACS in both the Online and iPad/iPhone app format of Sporty’s Private Pilot Learn to Fly Course and Instrument Rating Course.
Try a free online demo of the course:
For more information about our courses, or to order, visit the links below:
Learn to Fly Course - iPad/iPhone App
Instrument Rating Course - Online
Instrument Rating Course - iPad/iPhone App
For a detailed look at what’s new in the ACS, check out this report from Student Pilot News: Airman Certification Standards (ACS) – a pilot report.
