The Proficiency Training Program has been designed to encourage participation in annual proficiency training by all chapters and all members. Events will be held locally by each chapter and will consist of a combination of hosting a safety seminar or other ground-based pilot proficiency activity, finding instructors willing to fly with members to achieve Wings certification, and members flying with instructors toward new ratings, checkrides, or other flight training. Chapters can report what they've done using the forms provided by the Section.

The goal is to encourage participation in the Wings Program as well as ongoing re-currency training by enabling all chapters to participate, and to include non-flier involvement. The award will be based on how many total members participate, not just how many active pilots take part, so as not to penalize chapters with non-flying members. We will acknowledge and encourage participation by publishing in the Southwesterly and on the Section Web site chapter names and the percentage of participants. We want to be sure to emphasize that all chapter members can participate and earn credit, not just the flying ones.

The program is managed by the Southwest Section Proficiency Training Program committee in conjunction with a chapter Proficiency Coordinator, appointed by each chapter board. The chapter Proficiency Coordinator coordinates, recognizes and reports activities at the chapter level.

Program Cycle

The activities can take place any time during a one year period, which will span from January 1 to December 31.

• Proficiency Training Program form.
  
  
• Recognition will be given at the Spring Southwest Section Meetings based on reports on file with the Section Proficiency Coordinator dated as of December 31 of that year. Chapter have until February 1 to run in reports for the prior year. .

Qualified Activities

The following procedures detail all aspects of the program.

Ground-based Activities

Qualifying activities include:

• Safety Seminars - led by official FAA representative.
• Industry-conducted re-currency training - includes simulator training and research studies.
• Physiological training - one example is the high-altitude chamber.
• Aviation judge training - one example is NIFA judging, another is WPFC judging.
• Aviation judging - such as Spot landing, NIFA, WPFC, etc.
• Re-currency ground training for Flight Instructors.
• Aircraft maintenance training - one example Cessna Powerplant Course.
• Attendance at AOPA Town Meetings and seminars.
• Any ground school course - in addition to official FAA ground schools, ground courses such as mountain flying or floatplane also qualify.
• Parachute ground training.

Flight Activities

Qualifying activities include:

• Wings certification - any level.
• Biannual Flight Review (BFR).
• Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC).
• Any new rating.
• Check out in new aircraft type - examples are high-performance, tailwheel, glider, ultralight
• Recurrence flight training for flight instructors.
• Check rides with organizations such as Angel Flight, Los Medicos, CAP, Sheriff's Patrol, etc.
• First parachute jump.

Management

Duties of the Chapter Proficiency Coordinator

• Validate all submittals.
• Maintain records of all member activities.
• Acknowledge activities by presenting members with a card to be provided by the Section committee. This can be done immediately as submittals are validated, or later at banquets or meetings. (Our goal is to acknowledge as soon as possible.)
• Report by September 5 of each year to the Section Proficiency Coordinator all qualifying activities for her chapter using either the spreadsheet or hard-copy form provided by the Section Proficiency Coordinator.
• Multiple submittals by an individual are accepted and encouraged. Each separate event must be tracked to ensure proper credit is given to the chapter.

Selection of Winners

Awards will be given for small chapters (20 and under), medium sized chapters (21-50), and large chapters (over 50 members). Winners will be derived by calculating the total number of members participating and factoring in multiple events per person as a percentage of total chapter membership. Ground and air activities will be weighted equally.

Reports turned in after the February deadline will not be included in award calculations. No exceptions.