Inside the World’s Largest Airline Training Center

It was perhaps 25 years ago when I first visited the United Airlines Flight Training Center (FTC) in Denver. Since that time, United’s FTC has expanded and developed into the world’s largest airline training facility.

With multiple buildings covering almost 25 acres, the center sits on land that is part of the Stapleton Airport development area. All United pilots come to Denver for initial and recurrent training. Operating 24 hours a day for 362 days each year, the facility has the capacity to train hundreds of pilots every day. It has 86 training platforms, including both full-motion simulators and flight training devices.

The current facility is at capacity, but United’s overall training center footprint will still get bigger: In 2023, United purchased two parcels of land near Denver International Airport (DIA) that will allow for future expansion.

During my recent visit, I connected with Jeff Ohman, Director – Flight Training Operations, and Jeff Jaynes, Director – AQP & Pilot Training Support. We spent our time discussing the current state of the industry covering topics such as pilot hiring, use of new technology, and what lies ahead.

Pilot Hiring Remains Strong

With planned fleet expansion, additional routes, and pilot retirements, United foresees continued growth of pilot hiring. Candidates for new hire classes come from several sources.

Through United’s Aviate Program, new pilots who have been at one of United’s participating regional partners have a path to United. Some new hires with time-in-type flight hours come from carriers that have downsized or discontinued operations. Military pilots who have ended their service are also part of United’s new hire mix.

With the high-quality experience many new hires bring, United’s training operation enjoys a very high training completion rate.

Data Driven Training

United trains under the Advanced Qualification Program (AQP),a data-driven and scenario-based alternative to airline pilot training and qualification that is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Jaynes confirmed that United pilots return to Denver every nine months for recurrent training and qualification. On alternating visits, pilots complete either a Maneuvers Validation (MV) or a Line Oriented Evaluation (LOE). They are two different types of pilot evaluation used within an AQP: MV focuses primarily on whether pilots can correctly perform specific aircraft maneuvers and procedures to the required standard, while LOE is more like a realistic flight. In addition, depending on the cycle, pilots attend the class on pilot professional development.

United captures data from voluntary safety programs such as Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), and line observations. This data is then used to develop training that represents real world operational scenarios.

United puts special emphasis on Flight Path Management, which is how pilots control, monitor, and manage where the aircraft is going, both manually and through the aircraft’s automated systems. Training covers both manual flight operation skills, energy management, pilot monitoring and appropriate automation management.

As a subset of Flight Path Management, United includes an initiative called PMR, which stands for Perception, Monitor, and Response. Ohman notes that appropriate flight path management starts with a shared mental model of what the crew perceives as the desired flight path. Only by having this shared vision can the next part of the process, monitor, be effective.

He went to say that the role of the pilot monitor is critical and that monitoring is not a passive skill. On the contrary, it is dynamic and active, changing withthe phase of flight. It is the role of the pilot monitor to clearly communicate any deviations from the desired flight path so that pilot flying can respond with the required adjustments.

“This program has had a direct impact on decreasing the rate of un-stabilized approaches leading to an increased rate of safe landings,” Ohman said.

New Technology

I asked about the role of emerging technology in United’s training. Two items immediately came up: The usefulness of Virtual/Augmented Reality (VR/AR), and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to training.

Jaynes agreed that VR/AR can have many benefits to flight schools. Using it to practice flows and checklists, abnormal and emergency procedures, and pre-flight skills saves time and can increase proficiency. Today, even though the FAA does not allow credit, large flight schools have incorporated this technology into their programs for just that reason.

However, Jaynes pointed out that United has no compelling need for this technology since the company’s FTDs offer an immersive experience for training these tasks. “The transfer of skills from an FTD to a full-motion simulator is direct and effective,” he said.

Regarding AI, Jaynes said United uses it to help process procedures that are time and data intensive. For example, the company schedules thousands of training events each year. The number of variables that must be managed to create an optimized plan is significant. United sees an opportunity for AI to increase scheduling efficiency. AI could also play a role in analyzing and reporting on the large volume of data from AQP.

Jaynes and his team have also been working with the developers of a Simulated ATC Environment (SATCE) product to explore its potential in the training curriculum. When incorporated into simulators, SATCE enables production of realistic air traffic and air traffic control (ATC) radio communications for pilot training. “This technology will enhance training and develop pilot resiliency by creating a more realistic environment that introduces distractions,” he said.

Training the Trainer

With the number of instructors needed to keep United’s training program on track, managing standardization of the team is a continuous process. Ohman stated that United has a robust instructor evaluator program that monitors training outcomes, provides mentoring, and keeps instructors and check pilots calibrated. It also includes a feedback mechanism.

Instructors in Denver have flexibility in creating their schedules, andthose who wish to do so can be home every day. All of them can enjoy being part of the team who help create a path to success for the thousands of pilots who come to the training center.