Changes in Instrument Proficiency Check Requirements

"Richard Kaplan" wrote
I do not think there is any profession that has been improved by removing
discretion or judgment.

I don't disagree. However, it's a mistake to call the average CFII a
professional. He is at best an apprentice.

Come to think of it, maybe that is why this new PTS hit such a nerve with
me -- it seems as if the FAA is starting to micro-manage CFIs just like
managed care tries to micro-manage my judgment as a physician. Neither is
likely to improve the quality of the underlying service.

I don't think this is the same thing at all - after all, the goal of
managed care is reduced cost. Quality is irrelevant. The goal here
is to improve quality, and the need is real. The solution, like most
FAA solutions, is incompetent. Remember when the decision was made to
have all initial CFI rides done with the FAA?

CFIs who will sign off an IPC today based on only a vectored ILS will still
do so after October 1 and would still do so even if 61.57(d) were made more
restrictive

That's the one area where I do not concur. I think that setting out
specific rules will stop that in most cases. It won't stop the CFII
willing to lie to sign off his buddy (you would be amazed how many
BFR's are done in a bar rather than an airplane, though I know of no
ICC's being done that way - yet) but it will stop the CFII who doesn't
know any better.

While we are at it though, why not require specific tasks for a BFR as well
as an IPC?

It would not surprise me in the least if this were to happen.

Michael