Page 8 - MFW Dec 2024

questions around preflight checks, flying site specific rules
and local airspace rules and knowledge. Neither of these
two elements is expected to be onerous or difficult – more
a refresher of your knowledge and ability to operate safely.

Here is what we have told the examiners regarding test
people they know, don’t know or have doubts about;

Examiner Discretion
EXAMINER TRAINING & REQUALIFICATION As an examiner, it is expected that the majority of renewal
candidates you are asked to check will be already familiar
UPDATE to you. It is likely you will have seen them operate on many
During August and September two hundred and forty nine occasions and will have already formed a mental
of our Wings Examiners completed the airspace and rules impression of their ability.
training and exam required by CAA. 33 are yet to If that impression is a favourable one, then the test should
complete the training and by the end of October there will only need to comprise of the bare minimum requirements
be some who are no longer qualified. A small number as follows:
have asked to resign from the role mainly due to • Prepare the aircraft for flight
advancing age. • Start the aircraft safely -Taxi/launch the aircraft
• Climb to a safe height and perform 1x left hand turn
Each examiner watched a short video explaining the and 1x right hand turn -Land the aircraft and shut down.
reasons for the new program, what’s expected of them as If you have any doubts about the candidates ability to
examiners, how to conduct the oral quiz and flight check safely fly the aircraft then, entirely at your discretion, you
parts of the requalification program. Once they had can require the candidate to re-fly the test with an
watched the video they completed the same Airspace and expanded list of manoeuvres or a more complex model
Rules Quiz that all members will need to do before their relevant to the wings badges held.
own requalification starting next year.
If the candidate is not familiar to you, you must review the
Feedback from the examiners has generally been quite candidates list of wings qualifications and then select a
positive. A few of the questions caused confusion or had model type and list of manoeuvres that will allow you to
low pass rates. These issues have been tidied up as the determine if the candidate is safe to fly.
intention of the program is not to catch you out – rather to
provide a good learning experience of valuable Only one test is required irrespective of the various wings
information. qualifications held by the candidate.

An examiners handbook can be found on the MFNZ The absolute bottom line of this part of the Renewal test is
website under the Wings Program Button. for you to ascertain:-Is this person Safe to Fly?

Members Wings Renewal Program
From January 1st 2025 and over the following 5 years all Stabilisation?
members with a wings badge will be expected to renew My model has stabilisation – can I fly it during my wings
that qualification. The timeline for this will be based on renewal test? The wings program has recently been
your wings badge number as per the table below. A notice updated to read;
and reminders will be sent in the year you are due for this.
It is acceptable to use an electronic stabilisation device if
In 2025 membership numbers 0-5000 will be expected to the aircraft has one fitted, however the electronic
complete the renewal process stabilisation must only act to dampen oscillation in the roll,
pitch and yaw axis.
Wings holders will sit an open book 20 question quiz
related to Airspace and Rules with all the answers During testing, the electronic stabilisation must not take
findable in a document linked to the exam. This is over control from the pilot or achieve automated
intended to improve our knowledge of the airspace we fly flight.
in and our responsibility to other airspace users. It is not
something to be worried about passing or failing – you can Initial Issue of Wings Qualification
go back and sit again until you get to the required pass Effective from Jan 1st 2025, the initial issue of the Wings
mark. Qualification will include requirement to complete the
Airspace and Rules training – the same as for the Wings
Once that is completed online, book a time with an Renewal Program. A link to the training and quiz will be
approved Wings Examiner. The list of approved available on the MFNZ Website Wings Page. This should
examiners can be found on the MFNZ website under the be completed before the Wings Qualification Flight test
Wings button. and Oral questions.

On the flight check day there will be a short flight to
demonstrate continued competency and some oral
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