Flights grounded, training centres locked down, simulator deliveries hampered. Yet the training device industry has proven remarkably resilient. CAT Editor Rick Adams, FRAeS, spoke with several company leaders about how the market is changing.
This is an industry that’s bounced back from terrorist attacks, volcano ash, and previous economic crises. Did anyone think a microscopic virus would dampen the make-it-happen spirit of people whose daily mission is to defy gravity?
The initial assumption was no flights, no pilots necessary. No training, no schools, no simulators. Possibly for a very long time.
But that’s not necessarily the case. As airlines restart operations, pilots need to be current, which may require more than the usual training if they’ve been idled for awhile.
Before the world faces another pilot shortage, the industry needs to learn how to recruit, train and retain new pools of people. Rona Gindin reports.
When the pandemic is past, or at least under control, and air traffic climbs toward and beyond 2019 levels, a pipeline of new commercial pilots will again be needed. The industry must look beyond men to fill airline cockpit seats.
The forecasts may fluctuate as the airlines recover from the Covid-19 crisis, yet in coming decades military, commercial and private staffs will be populated with hundreds of thousands of additional pilots, and they’ll look different.
Women alone can provide a virtually unlimited supply of candidates. In each region, various sub-groups of the population can also join the ranks. In the United States, for instance, that includes African-Americans, Latinx, LGBTs and Asian-Americans, among others.
The industry-wide proposed “standardized curriculum” concept for pilots training to fly Part 135 aircraft could become the norm with momentum growing. Robert W. Moorman explores CAE's involvement in SC.
What does Bombardier Aviation think of the proposed standardized curriculum (SC) concept for pilot training on Part 135 aircraft? They provided these comments to CAT.
Bombardier Aviation applauds the FAA for forming a working group that addresses this important topic. Ensuring the highest levels of air safety is consistently a top priority across all of civil aviation – from ANSPs, airports and regulators to operators, service providers and OEMs. While it’s fundamentally important to recognize that “one-size-does-not-fit-all” and that Part 135 flight operations are often varied and quite different depending on their respective mandates/missions, Bombardier is generally in favor of a standardized curriculum for pilot training on Part 135 aircraft.
It’s something we have encouraged for some time, as we believe that this approach will have a positive impact on safety. We feel that this approach can contribute toward elevating standards across the board and will favor a consistent output
The use of operational and training data in pilot training which grew out of the airline industry. Independent and airline-affiliated training houses years ago began using Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) data for training commercial airline pilots operating under Part 121 Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs).
In the wake of the pandemic, training organisations have had to cater for an increased demand of remote training solutions. Mario Pierobon looks at what is on offer.
Safety advocates’ push for a standardized approach to training pilots for Part 135 operations has gone from being a pipedream to near-reality. Robert W. Moorman explores this development.
The industry-wide proposed “standardized curriculum” (SC) concept for pilots training to fly Part 135 aircraft is gaining steam and could become the norm. Announced through an FAA Advisory Circular (AC 142-1) in May 2020, the SC, if adopted, will address administrative inefficiencies that exist between Part 135 operations and Part 142 training centers and enhance safety.
Safety is a key driver of the SC, which supports The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Most Wanted List initiative to increase safety in Part 135 operations. The SC concept is designed to increase safety by improving the consistency of training, testing, and checking delivered to Part 135 operators. Various segments of the aviation community are supporting the idea of the SC and its common-sense based approach to training.
What makes the proposed initiative unusual is that it is voluntary. In addition, the SC would not alter or modify existing regulations regarding Part 135 pilot training or operations. AC 142-1 describes the SC concept as an “acceptable means, but not the only means” for Part 142 training centers to obtain authorization to offer training for Part 135 operators, according to the FAA.
Halldale CEO Andy Smith relaunches the new monthly SCT e-newsletter by discussing the coronavirus' effect on the safety critical workforce and how it will change the training industry.
Resilient Pilot, the free pilot mentoring service, has launched a new product to help pilots return safely to the flight deck when airline recruitment recommences.