EBT Review Reveals What Really Works in Pilot Training

Based on the presentation from Michael Varney, CEO of Salient at EATS.

Evidence-Based Training (EBT) has changed the landscape of pilot development—but what genuinely delivers results in day-to-day operations? After reviewing EBT programs across a substantial portion of Salient’s 90-airline client base, including data representing 8,000 pilots and 1,000 instructors, Salient CEO Michael Varney has seen firsthand where theory ends and real transformation begins.

The outcomes are compelling: reductions in remedial training of up to 90%, significant decreases in failure rates, and a training environment where pilots can truly learn—without fear.

The Drift Problem

EBT was designed to move aviation training from rote checking toward meaningful learning. Yet, as Varney warns, “Over the first two or three years, we see drift. There’s always the danger of slipping back into something that looks like the old legacy approach.”

To combat that drift, Salient introduced a structured three-month “EBT Health Check.” The review process includes simulator observations, confidential pilot and instructor feedback, analysis of training data, examination of safety performance, and the use of EBT as a mitigation tool. The goal: to verify progress and identify areas for further development towards an individual needs-based learning process with strong links to improving safety.

Pilots: Engaged, Confident, and Fear-Free

If engagement is the first measure of learning success, EBT is excelling. Across 90 airlines, more than 90% of pilots said EBT improves their confidence and competence. “If they’re not engaged, they won’t learn,” Varney explains. “But when they feel safe, learning explodes.”

The key lies in EBT’s non-judgmental tone. Instead of punishment, instructors frame errors as learning opportunities. “When we threaten people by discussing problems in great detail, there’s a very negative emotional reaction,” says Varney. “But when we say, ‘What could have helped you in that situation? How could you do that?’—the coin flips and we talk of future strategies to improve processes on the flight deck. Notwithstanding the quality of performance, pilots walk away thinking about solutions, reflecting, and learning.”

The impact is profound. Pilots report feeling calmer and more adaptable, even when confronted with the unexpected. In one airline outside Europe, Varney observed that “the fear has gone completely. They walk into training unafraid. They’re ready.”

Instructors: Motivated but Uneven

Instructor feedback is equally encouraging—88% believe EBT genuinely helps pilots improve—but the quality of facilitation varies widely. “Facilitation is a tough skill,” Varney admits. “We see brilliance. We see effort. And sometimes, we see people not trying at all. But nothing worth having is easy. We have to practice. We have to get back on the horse.”

Across multiple airlines, instructors ranked “facilitation” and “competency observation” as the skills they most want to strengthen. Varney notes that honest self-assessment like this is invaluable: “It’s anonymous, so they tell us what they really need—and we can help.”

When Numbers Lie

While data analysis is at the heart of EBT, Varney cautions against relying too heavily on grades. “Numbers give us signposts,” he says, “but stories tell us where to go.”

His team found that instructors often assign high marks for “Application of Procedures”—something pilots are already expected to do. “If you know and apply the procedures, that’s not exceptional performance; it’s standard. The grades tell us they may be measuring the wrong thing.”

Conversely, when First Officers received low grades for procedures, the cause was often distraction or decision-making under pressure, not ignorance. “Rarely, they don’t know what to do,” says Varney. “It’s workload management, problem-solving, or prioritization.”

His takeaway: “Numerical grades don’t tell us very much. The real learning happens in the narrative—the story of what actually happened.”

The Power of the Comfy Chair

In perhaps his most memorable discovery, Varney describes visiting Icelandair, where briefing rooms had been redesigned with armchairs instead of traditional furniture. “It was like a fireside chat,” he recalls. “Everyone relaxed, communication opened up, and learning happened naturally. I thought, “This is wonderful.”

He now encourages training centers everywhere to embrace this “comfy chair revolution.” Physical space, he argues, affects psychological space: “When people feel safe, they talk. When they talk, they learn.”

Proof in the Numbers

The results of well-implemented EBT are undeniable. One airline reduced check failures from 3.4% to 0.4% immediately on implementation, and the trend continued for the last seven years. Another, after introducing EBT, saw a 65–70% reduction in runway safety incidents within three years. “That didn’t just happen,” says Varney. “It happened because we intentionally went after the story of what was happening and fixed the underlying performance.”

And the reduction in remedial training is staggering—up to 90% fewer failures and repeats. “One customer told me, ‘We can’t be doing this right; no one’s failing anymore.’ But that’s the point,” he says. “We don’t want pilots failing training. We want them learning from it.”

Where EBT Still Falls Short

Despite the success, Varney is candid about persistent weaknesses in implementation:

Observation Accuracy: “People are still nervous about evaluating non-technical skills,” he says. “They’re not fully confident in coding what they see. Observation accuracy remains a weak point.”

Debrief Preparation: Too often, instructors enter debriefs without clear learning objectives. “It’s that thought—‘What do we want these pilots to take away?’—that drives learning,” he stresses.

Day-Two Coaching: In EBT, the second simulator day should focus on intensive coaching. “We see a lot of nothing,” Varney admits. “Day two should be the most valuable part.”

Safety-Training Integration: While most airlines claim close coordination between safety and training departments, Varney says the reality is often superficial. “They meet and say, ‘We’ve had three of these and five of those.’ That kind of declarative data doesn’t help training developers develop mitigations. We need actionable, story-based insights.”

Artificial Intelligence: Not Quite There

On the ever-popular topic of AI, Varney remains cautious. “AI isn’t bad,” he says, “but assessing human performance is incredibly complex. Most AI systems still think in legacy terms—checking and grading. We’ve moved into a learning paradigm.”

He believes AI will one day assist instructors by flagging trends or analyzing session data—but insists it will never replace them. “As long as we’re training human beings, we need human beings in the simulator. No question.”

Learning from LOSA

Looking ahead, Varney highlights the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) as a powerful driver of EBT evolution. “LOSA gives us real data on how crews behave in normal operations,” he says. “When we analyse high versus low-performing crews, the difference comes down to three things: anticipation, monitoring, and response.”

Top crews don’t just fly—they think ahead. “They anticipate threats, brief effectively, share information, and plan. The weaker crews sit and wait for things to happen.” Embedding these insights into EBT modules, Varney says, creates a thematic, scenario-driven approach to learning.

The Future: Learning as Culture

Perhaps the most powerful endorsement of EBT comes from one of Salient’s largest customers: “In time, people will forget we ever did it another way, because we put adult learning back into the cockpit.”

For Varney, that’s the ultimate goal. “EBT isn’t about passing checks,” he says. “It’s about developing thinking pilots—people who manage surprise, who reflect, who learn.”

But sustaining that vision requires constant attention. “EBT works when facilitation works,” he reminds instructors. “That’s the hinge everything swings on. Observation, coaching, narrative—all of it depends on facilitation done well.”

The evidence is overwhelming: EBT transforms pilot performance when implemented with integrity, supported by skilled instructors and driven by meaningful stories, not numbers. The challenge now is to keep it from drifting—by coaching, listening, and always learning.

 

Interested in exploring EBT and Competency-Based Training further? Join industry leaders at WATS 2026 in Orlando, May 5–7, where experts will explore more on CBTA/EBT frameworks.

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