FAA WINGS Activity

Issue: Brett needs to get a flight review or complete a phase of WINGS training to be able to act as pilot in command for gliders again.   Since it's been several years, it might be a few sessions with an instructor to get back to the level he had when he was regularly flying several years ago. 

Solution #1: Brett can pair up with one instructor  in one or more sessions to  do a 61.56 flight review, without WINGS.  This consists of a sum total of at least 1 hour of flight instruction, and at least one hour of ground instruction. Gliders have the option of substituting three flights to pattern altitude instead of one hour of flight instruction.  Since Brett is rusty, he probably isn't going to be back in flying form with just 3 flights, and probably isn't going to get it done in one flight consisting of one hour of duration. 
Advantage: Once the flight review is completed, Brett gets to fly gliders solo (and take passengers!) again. 
Disadvantage: Brett doesn't complete a phase of the FAA Wings program. Also, if Brett can't get it done in one day, and sets up appointments with different instructors, it may be like he's starting all over again with each instructor. The club situation at Skyline doesn't necessarily have a member flying with just one instructor every weekend. 

Solution #2: Brett can work with a flight instructor to complete flying WINGS activities described in one of these: 

1. WINGS Proficiency Flight Review 

2. Glider Flight Review 

3. Glider Student Activity 

Issue: Instructor Mike needs to be compliant with 61.56 before he can act as pilot in command of any aircraft.  

Solution #1: Instructor Mike can go do one hour of flight instruction in a glider with a certified flight instructor. If the instructor believes that all of the maneuvers are completed for a 61.56 flight review, the instructor must sign off Instructor Mike's log book indicating that a 61.56 flight review is completed. Since Instructor Mike is a certified flight instructor, he does not need to accomplish 1 hour of ground instruction, according to 14 CFR 61.56(f). It does not matter if Instructor Mike renewed via a FIRC, or by assigned activities, or by issuing enough WINGS credits. Since Mike is an active instructor, he need not complete the ground portion. Upon completion, the instructor who flew with Mike should log into WINGS and give credit for the flight activity named "A130628-01 WINGS Proficiency Flight Review"   
Advantage: The issuing instructor gets credit toward his CFI renewal by issuing 3 flight credits. Instructor Mike gets a head start on earning credit toward completing a phase of WINGS.  Instructor Mike also can go fly on Sunday, since the flight instructor signed the log book. Another positive is that Instructor Mike need not complete that hour of flight instruction.
Disadvantage: Mike doesn't complete a phase of WINGS on Saturday. This flight review must be 1 hour of flight instruction, or 3 glider flights to pattern altitude. 

Solution #2: Instructor Mike can go do WINGS credit flights with a certified instructor.  The certified flight instructor can choose three different flight activities from the table above. Let's suppose that Mike did the activities covered in A070405-25, A00126-05, A100125-31 with this flight instructor. These are 3 activities with "Basic" level, for topics 1, 2, and 3, respectively.  It is conceivable that these activities could be covered in less than an hour, and done in fewer than three flights. WINGS training has no requirement for a minimum number of hours for this activity, and there are no prohibitions on combining WINGS flight activities in the same flight.
Advantage: The issuing instructor gets WINGS credit for 3 flight topics. The issuing instructor need not sign Mike's log book indicating a successful completion of a flight review. Depending on how many of the activities were accomplished, this could have been done in two flights, or less than an hour of flight instruction 
Disadvantage: After flying for the day, Mike must go home, log into WINGS, find and finish three different knowledge courses on WINGS.  Only after completing 3 knowledge courses on WINGS, would Mike complete a phase of WINGS and become compliant with 61.56(e).

Issue: Unfortunately, since Carl hasn't been flying airplanes in the last ten years, he never had a 61.56 flight review.   61.56(c) clearly states that in order for Carl to solo, and therefore be a pilot in command, needs to complete a flight review. The FAA also made a legal interpretation to this effect in 2016, called the Beard Interpretation. Prior to the Beard interpretation, it was colloquially interpreted that Carl was a student pilot, and therefore wasn't subject to the flight review because of 61.56(g)  However, the Beard interpretation reinforces that Carl is a private pilot, not a student pilot, and that a 61.87(a) solo endorsement for student solo is not appropriate. For those who are curious: the appropriate endorsement is 61.31(d)(2).

Solution #1: Carl can surrender his private pilot ASEL certificate, then re-apply for a student pilot certificate.
Advantage: It works but it's dumb. Don't do it.
Disadvantage: Carl will have to take the FAA knowledge test for gliders. He would not have to if he retained his ASEL pilot certificate.  If Carl ever decided to fly airplanes again, he would have to repeat the whole ASEL training program, including FAA knowledge tests, and FAA practical tests in order to regain any ASEL ratings. 

Solution #2: Carl has to "bite the bullet" and go complete a 61.56 flight review in airplanes, even if he doesn't want to fly airplanes again.
Advantage: After successfully completing the 61.56 flight review, it will allow Carl to go fly airplanes again, and would be able to solo a glider, after all of those endorsement requirements are met. 
Disadvantage: Theoretically, Carl wouldn't need to have his medical certificate re-issued, but the instructor may insist on it.  It is a significant expense to go get a flight review to return to flying status after 10+ years, and that is a cost Carl would have to absorb, without adding specific relevance to flying gliders. 

Solution #3: Carl has to "bit the bullet" and go get FAA Wings training in an airplane, even though he doesn't want to fly airplanes again.
Advantage: after completing a phase of WINGS training, Carl can immediately fly airplanes again, and would be able to solo a glider, after all of those glider solo endorsement requirements are met.
Disadvantage: Much like Solution #2 above, it's significant expense for Carl to get up to flying skills necessary for each of the ASEL WINGS credits that the CFI-A is willing to give out. 

Solution #4: Complete FAA WINGS flight training in a glider. Have the CFI-G endorse Carl for the FAA WINGS activity named "APT-Glider Student Activity" Note at the top of this WINGS course, it clearly states, "This Accredited Activity is available to all airmen." Also note that this WINGS activity has all of the knowledge and flying credits needed to complete the basic phase of WINGS. This means that after successful completion, Carl can use this FAA WINGS credit to become compliant with 61.56(e). It also means that Carl can do this flight activity in a glider, despite not having a glider pilot certificate.  

There is often confusion about this scenario.  Many instructors incorrectly conflate completing WINGS activity with 61.56(c)(1), which states that a flight review must be accomplished in a category, class and type in which the pilot is rated. Remember, completing a phase of an FAA sponsored proficiency program (WINGS in this case, as described in 61.56(e)), makes a pilot exempt from having to perform the flight review in 61.56(c). Carl didn't complete a flight review in a glider, Carl completed a phase of the WINGS training with a specific activity that is explicitly available to all airmen.  

Advantage: Carl doesn't have to get a 61.56 flight review in airplanes. After completing the WINGS training and his glider solo endorsement, Carl will be able to solo gliders. All of that training Carl did to prepare him for his first solo in gliders is pretty much what's required to complete the "APT-Glider Student Activity" WINGS program, so there's no unnecessary duplication.
Disadvantage: Beyond the difficulty of logging into WINGS and finding the right credit to give, there really isn't any disadvantage. 

Important Caveat: the instructor issuing WINGS credit should note that immediately following the completion of the WINGS activity, Carl could legally go for a solo in his old Bonanza.  In Carl's case, a flight review or a completion of a phase of WINGS activity is all that's needed to go fly an airplane if the pilot has an ASEL rating. There's no such thing as a 61.56 flight review in gliders, then another 61.56 flight review in airplanes.  One flight review per 24 calendar months is all that is needed to exercise any part of an airman certificate. The recommending instructor should have a conversation with Carl to let Carl know that just hopping in a Bonanza after getting WINGS credit in a glider would be reckless.