Advisory 

Circular 

Subject: Date: 219196 AcNO:l20-5OA 

GUIDELINES FOR OPERATIONAL Initiated by: AFS-2 10 cha#@e: 

APPROVAL OF WINDSHEAR TRAINING 

PROGRAMS 

1 PURPOSE. This advisory circular (AC) provides guidance for 

approval of low-altitude windshear training for operations under 

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 121 and 

135. Compliance with these guidelines is not, in itself, 

mandatory and does not constitute a regulation. This AC is 

issued for guidance purposes to outline a method of compliance 

with the regulations. An applicant may elect to follow an 

alternate method, provided that alternate method is found 

acceptable by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

2 CANCELLATION l AC 120-50, Guidelines for Operational 

Approval of Windshear Training Programs, dated 10/10/89, is 

canceled. 

3 DEFINITIONS. The following definitions apply for purposes 

of this advisory circular only: 

a. Turbine-Powered Airplanes. The definition includes 

turbofan, turbojet, prop fan, and ultra-high-bypass fan-powered 

airplanes; but, specifically excludes turbopropeller-powered 

airplanes equipped with variable pitch, constant speed 

propellers. 

b Windshear Escape Maneuver. A pilot recovery technique 

used when an inadvertent windshear encounter is experienced. It 

is achieved by pitching toward an initial target attitude while 

using necessary thrust to effect escape. The objective of the 

recovery technique is to keep the airplane flying as long as 

possible in hope of exiting the windshear. The maneuver is an 

operational technique to be used to escape from an encounter with 

windshear. It was specifically developed to be effective, 

simple, and easily remembered by the crewmembers. The maneuver 

should also have general applicability. 

4 FOCUS. The guidance in this AC is applicable to operators 

subject to the training and qualification requirements of 

parts 121 and/or 135. 

FAA Form 132045 (4-82) Supersedes WA Form 132Ck2 
AC 120050A 219196 

5 RELATED MATERIALS. 

publication, 

A two-volume Windshear Training Aid 

which includes an "Example Windshear Training 

Program,“ may be purchased from the National Technical 

Information Service (NTIS)# 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, 

Virginia, 22161, telephone (703) 48704650. Volume I's order 

number is PB88127196, and Volume II's is PB88127204. A 

multimedia package is also available. Ask for "The Windshear 

Training Package/ order number AVAl9756KKOO. 

6 l BACKGROUND. 

a. National Transportation Safety Board investigations 

have shown that low-altitude windshear has been a prime cause of 

air carrier accidents. 

b In 1985, the FAA contracted with a consortium of 

aviation specialists from The Boeing Company, United Airlines, 

McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed-California, Aviation Weather 

Associates, and Helliwell, Inc., to produce a windshear training 

aid to enhance a pilot's understanding of windshear. The 

resulting Windshear Training Aid consists of documents, slides, a 

compact disc, and video tapes designed to present effective 

training for flightcrews in order to minimize the windshear 

threat. 

c. The consortium of aviation specialists who developed 

this uniform, industry-wide Windshear Training Aid focused on the 

cause and effect of windshear and developed instructions for 

windshear identification, avoidance, and recovery. This 

information provides any operator with the necessary data to 

create or update its own windshear training program. 

d There is a clear and independent need for effective 

windshear training. For this reason, windshear training 

requirements were established in 14 CFR parts 121 and 135, 

Amendment Numbers 121-199 and 135-27, which were issued on 

September 27, 1988. Section 121.404 states in part that after 

January 2, 1991, no certificate holder may use a person as a 

flight crewmember unless that person has completed windshear 

ground training in accordance with section 121.419 and windshear 

flight training, if applicable, in accordance with 

sections 121.409, 121.424, and 121.427. Section 

135.345(b)(6)(ii), in part, states that initial, transition, and 

upgrade ground training for pilots must include instruction in 

the knowledge and procedures needed to escape from severe weather 

situations, including low-altitude windshear. Section 135.351 

requires recurrent training and instruction as necessary in the 

subjects required for initial ground training, including the lowaltitude windshear training prescribed in section 135.341 and 

described by section 135.345. 

Page 2 Par 5 
219196 AC 120-5OA 

7 . APPROVAL PROCESS. 

a. Overall approval for a windshear training program will 

rest with the principal operations inspector (POI) assigned to 

each certificate holder. Certificate holders can use the 

"Example Windshear Training Program" section of the Windshear 

Training Aid. It is an example of a typical windshear training 

program. The checklists in the appendices can be used as a guide 

for training program approval. 

b Operators of those aircraft that were not included in 

the original Windshear Training Aid are encouraged to develop 

their windshear training programs to reflect necessary aircraft 

specific differences. Windshear training programs that include 

recovery techniques different from those presented in the 

Windshear Training Aid are acceptable as long as they are based 

on reliable engineering data. This data will normally be 

supplied by an aircraft manufacturer or other sources considered 

reliable by the FAA. 

8 0 GROUND TRAINING PROGRAM. 

a. General Training Objectives. 

(1) Reduce windshear related accidents and incidents 

through flight crewmember education; and 

(2) Stress the importance of windshear avoidance to 

flightcrews. 

b 

knowleiges 

Specific Training Objectives. Provide pilots with the 

needed to: 

m Identify the actual or potential presence of 

windshear from a variety of information sources and cues. 

(2) Adhere to a policy of avoiding, whenever possible, 

encounters with windshear. 

(3) Adhere to a policy that when executing a missed 

approach or go-around in weather conditions conducive to 

windshear that the missed approach or go-around be conducted in 

an aggressive manner, and the flightcrew is ready to accomplish 

windshear escape procedures should an ensuing windshear be 

encountered. 

(4) Use operating procedures and techniques designed 

to enhance the possibility of surviving an inadvertent encounter 

with windshear during takeoff, approach, or landing. 

Par 7 Page 3 
AC 120-50A 219196 

w Identify unique stall characteristics and 

windshear recovery techniques that are specific to the aircraft 

type. Special attention should be given to low airspeed lateral 

control characteristics, loss of climb capability, unique 

windshear characteristics, windshear flight guidance system 

limitations, etc. 

NOTE: See the Windshear Training Aid for an example of an 

acceptable ground training curriculum. 

9 FLIGHT SIMULATOR TRAINING. Flight Simulator Training is 

required for part 121 operators of turbine-powered airplanes and 

is recommended for part 135 operators. It primarily addresses 

the second major goal of windshear pilot training-windshear 

recovery techniques. Training and practice will be provided in 

critical pilot functions, which include operational precautions, 

use of standard operating techniques (to improve cockpit 

recognition of a windshear encounter), and the recommended 

recovery techniques for inadvertent windshear encounters. The 

following applies: 

a. Flight Simulator Training Objectives. The training 

objectives of the simulator training program will be to provide 

pilots with the necessary experience and skills to: 

(1) Recognize onset of a severe windshear encounter 

using available flight instrumentation. 

(2) Coordinate cockpit activities to improve the 

pilot's ability to recognize and take the appropriate actions to 

recover from an inadvertent windshear encounter. 

(3) Make proper use of pitch, power, and airplane 

configuration to recover from an inadvertent windshear encounter. 

b l Simulator Equipment. 

(1) Flight simulators used-for windshear training will 

be specifically qualified for that purpose by the National 

Simulator Program Manager (NSPM), AFS-205. Only then can the 

simulator be approved by the PO1 for use in a windshear training 

curriculum. (Refer to the current edition of AC 120-40, Airplane 

Simulator and Visual System Evaluation). 

(2) The simulator used for windshear training will be 

equipped with windshear avionics operationally equivalent to that 

which is in the type of aircraft the pilot will fly. Such 

equipment may be actual aircraft-type hardware, or a simulation 

Page 4 Par 8 
219196 AC 120-5OA 

thereof, which presents to the pilot an accurate replication of 

displays and aural warnings. 

NOTE: See paragraph 9(d)(5) for predictive windshear 

simulator avionics equipment. 

c. Training Plan. 

(1) An operator's training plan will define the 

windshear avionics equipment in its flight simulators. All 

pilots, who operate aircraft in part 121 operations, must receive 

flight simulator training on windshear techniques and procedures7 

(2) Training must ensure that pilots know how to 

operate the windshear avionics equipment. 

(3) All flight simulators used by the operator for 

windshear training will be equipped with windshear equipment that 

is operationally equivalent to that which is in the aircraft the 

pilot will fly. 

w Flight training, for the purpose of compliance, is 

considered complete when all the basic windshear escape maneuvers 

have been trained in the simulator. 

d 0 Flight Simulator Curriculum. 

(1) Pilots should be thoroughly familiar with the 

material contained in the ground training program prior to flight 

simulator windshear training. 

(2) A flight simulator training program (other than 

recurrent) should include at least one encounter in each of the 

following three phases of flight. Recurrent training should 

include at least one of the following on a rotating basis during 

successive training periods: 

bl Takeoff prior to Vr. 

@I Takeoff after Vr. 

kl On approach. 

(3 The pilot should be trained in the proper 

windshear recognition criteria and crew coordination and the 

correct use of pitch, power, and airplane configuration to 

control flightpath. 

(41 The training scenarios should have windshear 

encounters of sufficient severity to allow the pilot an 

Par 9 Page 5 
AC 120-5OA 2/9/96 

opportunity to develop windshear recognition skills as well as 

recovery procedures. In addition to windshear training scenarios 

containing environmental conditions conducive to windshear such 

as turbulence, heavy precipitation, rapidly changing airspeed, 

etc., windshear training scenarios should also be offered in 

which no turbulence or rapid airspeed changes are presented. 

Actual windshear events have occurred where turbulence was 

absent. 

(5) Predictive windshear flight simulator training is 

needed for pilots who operate aircraft equipped with predictive 

windshear detection. Currently, predictive windshear avionics 

are unique in that no flight command guidance is provided. Some, but not all, predictive windshear avionics should be installed in 

simulators used in predictiv e windshear training programs. The total predictive windshear avionics package need not be installed 

in the simulator; however, simulators used in predictive 

windshear training programs must be qualified for that purpose by 

the NSPM and have predictive windshear alerting systems installed 

(aural and visual caution alerts). Flight simulator training 

should be conducted using generic windshear escape procedures 

identified in paragraph 9(d)(2)(a, b, and c). 

WI If more than one type of windshear equipment is, 

installed on the aircraft fleet that a pilot will fly, the 

training program should include specific training on each type of 

windshear equipment. This should be in the form of flight 

simulator training for, at least, one type of windshear 

equipment, and "differences" training (videos, bulletins, 

classroom lecture, etc.) on the other types of installed 

windshear equipment. 

10 PART 135 OPERATORS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A TRAINING PROGRAM. 

Section 135.341(a) states that certificate holders who use only 

one pilot in their operation are not required to establish and 

maintain an approved pilot training program. Pilots of such 

certificate holders are responsible for knowing the factors 

associated with windshear including weather conditions conducive 

to windshear, the importance of avoiding such conditions, and the 

proper windshear escape maneuver for aircraft they operate. 

See section 135.293(a). 

William J. White 

Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service 

Page 6 Par 9 
219196 AC 120-50A 

Appendix 1 

APPENDIX 1. CHECKLIST (PART 121 OPERATORS) 

1 l 

airplanes? 

Does the certificate holder operate turbine-powered 

2 Does the certificate holder perform its windshear 

FLIGHT training requirements in a qualified flight simulator? 

3 Does the certificate holder include the windshear 

FLIGHT training program in each of the flight crewmember FLIGHT 

training programs listed below? 

a. Initial, Transition, and Upgrade flight training. 

b 0 Recurrent flight training. 

c. Differences training (if appropriate). 

4 Does the certificate holder perform its windshear 

fiight training requirements in an approved flight simulator for 

each airplane type the holder operates? 

5 Does the Initial, Transition, and Upgrade GROUND 

training for pilots and flight engineers include procedures 

listed below? 

a. Procedures for recognizing and avoiding severe 

weather situations. 

b l Procedures for escaping from severe weather 

situations in case of an inadvertent encounter, including lowaltitude windshear. 

6 Is windshear flight training (in an approved 

simulator) conducted during both recurrent training periods and 

proficiency checks? 

Page 1 (and 2) 

2/9/96 AC 12005OA 

Appendix 2 

APPENDIX 2. CHECKLIST (PART 135 OPERATORS) 

1 Does the certificate holder include in its initial and 

recurrent pilot oral testing requirements procedures listed 

below? 

a. Procedures for recognizing and avoiding severe 

weather situations. 

b 0 Procedures for escaping from severe weather 

situations in case of an inadvertent encounter, including lowaltitude windshear (rotorcraft pilots are not required to be 

tested on escaping from low-altitude windshear). 

c. Procedures for operating in or near thunderstorms 

(including best penetrating altitudes), turbulent air (including 

clear air turbulence), icing, hail, and other potentially 

hazardous meteorological conditions. 

2 Does the certificate holder include in its initial, 

tiansition, and upgrade ground training the procedures listed 

below? 

a. Procedures for recognizing and avoiding severe 

weather conditions. 

b l Procedures for escaping from severe weather 

situations in case of an inadvertent encounter, including lowaltitude windshear (rotorcraft pilots are not required to be 

trained in escaping from low-altitude windshear). 

c. Procedures for operating in or near thunderstorms 

(including best penetrating altitudes), turbulent air (including 

clear air turbulence), icing, hail, and other potentially 

hazardous meteorological conditions. 

3 It is recommended, although not required, that if the 

krtificate holder has access to a flight simulator, that 

windshear recovery training be given in a flight simulator. 

Page 1 (and 2) * 


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