Special Report the Future of Pilot Training

Special Report The Future of Pilot Training

FlightSafety International’s new Operational Day Flow training system lets pilots learn the aircraft’s systems by practicing simulated flights with realistic failures and distractions instead of rote memorization. ON THE FLY The Future of Pilot Training

FAA Views Stall Training As Critical Part of Pilot Education by Matt Thurber

The flight in the Citation started out the new protocol, which emphasizes initial training or their training for pilot normally enough. A takeoff followed reducing angle of attack as the primary certificates. Rather, “it is important to by steep turns, slow flight, stall recog- means of stall recovery. This protocol reinforce this basic training throughout nition and recovery, then descend and is in marked contrast to the FAA’s ear- their careers.” It’s also important that level off before reaching the final ap- lier advice, which was to try not to lose some pilots “may need to unlearn pre- proach fix. Everything was going well, altitude and to use power to recover vious stall recovery procedures based at least from my viewpoint in the copi- from a stall event. on their prior experience.” In any case, lot’s chair. The air was smooth as silk, The FAA doesn’t identify the ac- the FAA added, stall training should be and my captain’s touch on the controls cidents on which it based the changes either standalone or part of other train- rock steady, although at this point we in AC 120-109, but it’s clear that the ing areas, and approach-to-stall and stick were back on autopilot. agency was galvanized into action by pusher (if applicable) training should be Suddenly, the control column vi- the Colgan Air Flight 3407 Q400 ac- part of initial, transition, requalification, brated rapidly. Stick-shaker! That cident near Buffalo, N.Y., on Feb. 12, differences, conversion, upgrade and re- means stall! Realizing the mistake, 2009, and the loss of the A330 op- current training. my captain simultaneously clicked erating Air France Flight 447 in the The FAA notes that full-motion flight off the autopilot and pushed the nose Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009. Both simulators can be used for approach-to-stall forward to unload the wings and then involved stalls, although the circum- training, but instructors and pilots must be added power. The unobservant copi- stances were not similar. In any familiar with the limitations of the simula- lot (that was me) had failed to notice case, according to the FAA, “A the loss of airspeed after we leveled growing causal factor in LOC U.S. Department off and I also neglected to let my dis- [loss-of-control] accidents is the of Transportation Advisory Federal Aviation tracted captain know that we needed pilot’s inappropriate reaction to Administration Circular Subject: Stall and Stick Pusher Training to add power. the first indication of a stall or Date: 8/6/12 AC No: 120-109 Initiated by: AFS-200 Change: Luckily, this flight was not in a stick pusher event.” Another The information contained in this advisory circular (AC) was developed based on a review of recommended practices developed by major airp real airplane but in a FlightSafety stall-related accident, in which carriers, training organizations, simulator lane manufacturers, labor organizations, air organizations. This AC does not provide guidamanufacturers, and industry representative Citation simulator, and I learned an the pilots failed to add power industry and government stakeholders are now nce for full aerodynamic stall training, which revised to include that guidance. developing. Once developed, this AC will be excellent lesson about what I should after leveling off during an ap- The goal of this AC is to provide best practic for pilots, within existing regulations, to ensurees and guidance for training, testing, and checking be watching when flying as copi- proach, was the Circuit City stall warnings and stick pusher correct and consistent responses to unexpected activations. This AC emphasizes (AOA) at the first indication of a reducing the angle of attack stall as the primary means of appr lot and also how to apply the FAA’s Citation 560 crash in Pueblo, Additionally, this AC provides guidance for operators and training oach-to-stall or stall recovery. new recommendations on stall train- Colo., on Feb. 16, 2005. stall and stick pusher event training. centers in the development of Core principals of this AC include: ing. That advice comes in the form of • Reduction of AOA is the most important respon Advisory Circular 120-109 “Stall and Reinforcement of Basic • Evaluation criteria for a recovery from a sta se when confronted with a stall event. predetermined value for altitude loss and s ll or approach-to-stall that does not mandate a internal variables which aff hould consider the multitude of external and Stick Pusher Training,” a comprehen- Training Needed ect the recovery altitude. (Reference: Safety Alerts for Operators (SAFO) 10012, Possible Misinterpretation of the sive resource that came out just before The FAA emphasized in the (PTS) Language “Minimal Loss of Altitude”). Practical Test Standards • Realistic scenarios that could be encountered in operational cond my training session. The FlightSafety AC that stall training should not encountered with the autopilot engaged. itions including stalls • Pilot training which emphasizes treating an “appr and execute the stall recovery at oach-to-stall” the same as a “full stall,” folks didn’t waste any time adopting be considered just a part of pilots’ the first indication of a stall. • Incorporation of stick pusher training into flight training scenarios, if installed on the aircraft.

/s/ for John M. Allen Director, Flight Standards Service

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tor “to mitigate negative training.” The so on). At high altitudes, stall recovery to permit the reduction in AOA even at skills covered by the curriculum should may require thousands of feet.” low altitudes.” include takeoff or maneuvering, clean In the Colgan Air Flight 3407 The concept of “startle” is also and landing configuration approach-to- accident, after the stick shaker acti- a factor in many incidents and ac- stalls; scenarios that include level flight vated and the autopilot disconnected, cidents, according to the FAA. “Al- with bank angles of 25 to 30 degrees, the captain reacted with “startle and though it may be difficult to create the manual and autopilot control, visual confusion,” according to the NTSB. physiological response of startle in and instrument flight conditions, Even though the pusher activated the training environment, if achieved, high and low altitudes and various three times, the captain pulled back startle events may provide a powerful weight-and-balance conditions. on the yoke and raised the nose to 19 lesson for the crew. The goal of us- Also important are emphasis degrees nose-up pitch, resulting in ing startle in training is to provide the items that cover such subjects as the loss of control. crew with a startle experience that al- “abrupt pitch up and trim change The FAA wants pilots who fly air- lows for the effective recovery of the commonly associated when the auto- planes equipped with stick pushers to airplane. Considerable care should be pilot unexpectedly disconnects dur- undergo academic training and flight used in startle training to avoid nega- ing a stall event. This dramatic pitch training in a full-flight simulator. “It tive learning.” and trim change typically repres- is important for pilots to experience “The FAA is making a serious ents an unexpected physical chal- the sudden forward movement of the push these days for different types of lenge to the pilot when trying to control wheel during a stick-pusher stall recoveries as they relate to re- reduce AOA [angle of attack]. In activation. From observations, most cent accidents,” said Richard Sears, some airplanes, this may be exac- instructors state that, regardless of founder of Carlsbad, Calif.-based erbated by an additional pitch up previous academic training, pilots (on Citation training provider Loft. The when the pilot increases thrust dur- their first encounter with a stick push- company offers training in both a ing stall recovery.” er) usually resist the stick pusher and full-motion simulator and Citations, Another critical emphasis item is immediately pull back on the control as well as upset recovery and stall fundamental to the whole issue of stall wheel rather than releasing pressure training in an Aero Vodochody L-39. training: “Reducing AOA is the prop- as they have been taught. Therefore, Among other things, the L-39 is used er way to recover from a stall event. pilots should receive practical stick is to teach students how to deal with Pilots must accept that reducing the pusher training in a FFS to develop the the startle factor that results when the au- airplane’s AOA may often result in proper response (allowing the pusher topilot suddenly shuts off during a stall. altitude loss. The amount of altitude to reduce AOA) when confronted with “What we’ve done is to incorporate real- loss will be affected by the airplane’s a stick-pusher activation. Stick-pusher life events,” he said. “I think the FAA and operational environment (entry alti- training should be completed as a dem- training companies are understanding the tude, airplane weight, density altitude, onstration/practice exercise, including need for real-world [training], and we’re bank angle, airplane configuration and repetitions, until the pilot’s reaction is in agreement with that. n

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Training for a lifetime of safe piloting

by Matt Thurber

Recurrent training–and the way At last year’s NBAA Convention, Recurrent Training it is delivered–could hold the key the Safety Committee released a doc- Because the SMS helps identify to improving training for busi- ument that summarizes the problems threats, it is ideally suited to help ness aviation pilots, according to with business aviation pilot training operators discover areas where train- the NBAA Training Advisory Com- and offers solutions. The document– ing could be applied. “Whether the mittee (TAC), which is tasked with Training Management Systems threat is identified by one of your improving and modernizing business (TMS) for Business Aviation–points pilots or through industry sources,” aviation training. The TAC is a result out: “There has been a migration he said, “it is identified and now you of a two-year effort by the NBAA from learning to checking at 142 have to decide if the level of risk of Safety Committee, called the Busi- [training] centers; the 61.58 is often that is unacceptable and do some- ness Aviation Training Project. repeated and predictable; emphasis thing to mitigate it. One of the pri- According to the TAC, “Cur- is needed on risk awareness, aviation mary tools of a good SMS is training. rently, [recurrent training con- decision making and scenario-based It would be nice if we could use the sists of] just a check ride and an training.” It added, “excellent infra- training tools of the SMS to their full FAR 61.58 check, with no oppor- structure currently exists at 142 cen- potential, to be able to go to the train- tunity for training. Also, the check ters to address future needs.” ing provider and say, ‘These are the doesn’t address training needs based What the TMS does is describe threats we’ve identified; help us train on any evidence. We propose to a systematic approach to manag- to mitigate the risk we’ve identified.’” change this concept and use evi- ing ongoing training, from identify- While training providers are work- dence-based training to mitigate ing the need, to implementing the ing with the business aviation indus- risk.” The evidence can come from training plan, then making sure it try to help improve recurrent training, flight operational quality assurance meets the need of the operation. A they aren’t the sole source of training, (FOQA) systems, which few busi- TMS can work alongside a SMS, and flight departments and opera- ness jets currently offer unless they according to the NBAA document. tions can do a lot of in-house training have a system to record usable data, “A successfully implemented TMS to mitigate identified threats, Russell but also something like an Aviation will provide the necessary compe- pointed out. “We want to open oper- Safety Action Program (ASAP) for tencies and qualifications to flight ators’ eyes to other options,” he said. business aviation, similar to what department personnel to safely oper- “It could be a good article [in a airlines and now some charter operate within today’s complex environ- magazine] that happens to coincide ators employ. The TAC also hopes ments. An effective TMS leverages with a threat that you’ve identified– that business aviation operators will the safety risk management activities say, high-speed rejected takeoffs. more widely adopt safety manage- of the operator’s SMS.” Maybe one of our jets had a high- ment systems (SMS), which could “That’s pretty much the thrust of speed abort, but everything worked help provide data for evidence-based our efforts,” said JR Russell, a Boe- out fine. [But maybe] the brakes training. Additionally, FAA studies ing 777 airline captain and chair of overheated and we had to do an on use of automation, pilot monitor- the TAC, “not to focus on initial qual- inspection. But the fact is we aborted ing and the FAA’s Aviation Safety ification type training but more so on in the high-speed regime for some- Information Analysis and Sharing recurrent training, so it’s really valu- thing that was minor, and we should Program (ASIAS) will be helpful in able. Why not spend more time on the have kept on going and handled it as providing more data. real threats that have been identified?” an in-flight emergency rather than a

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high-speed abort. Because of that, our flight department wants to train on high-speed-abort decision-making. Say there’s a good article, let’s make that required reading. That is training. We’re making sure the pilots read it and if they have any questions and comments, the point of contact is the safety officer. That’s an example of how easy or how non-complex in- house training can be.” Another way to gather information that can help mold training events is to use FOQA data to spot areas that need improvement, but not all aircraft have sophisticated flight data monitoring (FDM) systems that can interface with FOQA programs. A low-cost option At the request of Mitsubishi and after a number of serious accidents is offered by companies such as involving the MU-2 twin turboprop, the FAA mandated initial and Appareo Systems, which sells the recurrent pilot training, the value of which is evident in an improved small portable Vision 1000 cockpit accident rate. SimCom offers MU-2 training in its simulator, shown here. imaging and FDM device designed for aircraft that aren’t equipped with FDM systems. The Vision 1000 col- Loft Off the Shelf In the airline world, Russell (who lects not only GPS data but also atti- In working with training providers, was previously director of safety tude and acceleration via inertial Russell and the TAC recommend tak- and chief pilot and is now a Boe- sensors. Appareo’s Alerts FDM sys- ing advantage of the line-oriented flight ing 777 line captain) and his col- tem is used to analyze the data. training (Loft) scenarios that these leagues would review ASAP reports An even lower-cost solution is companies have developed. “[They] and FOQA data. “I had a good idea available from Apple iPad app devel- have these Loft scenarios already cre- where the primary threats were,” he oper CloudAhoy. The Cloud‑Ahoy ated and developed,” he said, “and sit- said. “I could call my counterpart in app uses GPS (either an iPhone or ting on the shelf. The operator can go training and say, ‘We’ve got this and iPad’s internal sensor or an exter- to them and say, ‘Do you have any- this identified, can you develop some nal receiver) to record a flight, after thing on high-speed aborts that we can training that will address that?’ We which the data is uploaded auto- use?’ The TAC will be able to direct would incorporate that at recurrent matically to CloudAhoy’s servers. more of the development needs for training, then I could look at the data The pilot or operator can then view that type of training to the providers, and see if that was working, whether and share the flight’s debrief using so the providers realize that the pri- there were fewer ASAP reports or if any web browser, in a 3-D view mary threats are [such and such], so FOQA data was showing stabilized using the Google Earth plug-in. The make sure you have these scenarios approaches increasing rather than a debrief view shows graphical views ready to go. As we were developing negative trend. Since the late 1990s, of each maneuver performed, as well [the TMS] and talking to the train- it’s made us so much safer, and it’s as overlays of charting information ing providers on the committee, they so much better than jumping through such as IFR approaches, making brought this up and told us that very hoops like 61.58. We still have some deviations easy to spot. few customers use this resource.” maneuvers we have to perform, but The Future of Pilot Training

we’ve taken out a lot of those and put For example, the tedious V1 engine make sure MU-2 pilots are flying to a in things, and the FAA has seen the cut, instead of being an item to prac- high level of consistent standards but outcome of this, which is enhanced tice, can be a complete surprise for a also involves reviewing accidents and levels of safety, and it’s made the pilot taking off on a scenario-based teaching pilots skills that will help agency a big believer in it. trip. Or the takeoff could include an them avoid the situation that led to “But we have a long way to go unexpected wind shear encounter or the accident. For example, the MU-2 before Part 91 operators have the a stall that happens when the pilot is training includes accelerated stalls, same type of training, and it boils distracted trying to solve a different unusual for that type of aircraft. down to evidence-based training. The problem. Cannon is encouraged at the Overall, Cannon believes that more our industry comes to realize efforts by the NBAA TAC to improve pilot training can be improved by how valuable that is toward elevating training for business aviation pilots. adding new material in training pro- safety, hopefully that will open more “It’s not going to be the FAA mandat- grams, to help avoid complacency. doors and allow us to get even better.” ing by regulation,” he said. “NBAA’s “Then we start to pump them up with got the right idea; [it is] encouraging new information,” he said. “It makes The Mitsubishi Way these companies to do better training them more aware and improves the Pat Cannon, president of MU-2 and make sure pilots are proficient.” learning process.” product support provider Turbine For the MU-2 community, the spe- But, he added, “the big picture is Aircraft Services and an FAA des- cial FAR (SFAR) enacted by the FAA to get training. In a perfect world, ignated pilot examiner on the MU-2 in 2008 has changed the landscape every pilot would train more often. and Beechjet, agrees with the NBAA of pilot training for the high-perfor- The [current FAA biennial] flight committee’s assessment. “The cur- mance twin turboprop. While FAA review system is a joke. It’s meant rent 61.58 system is not set up the regulations allow any private pilot to put people in an airplane with best way that it could be,” he said. with a multi-engine rating to fly a somebody who knows something. In The problem is that the 61.58 regu- twin-engine turboprop weighing less many cases it’s accomplished well lation requires only a check ride but than 12,500 pounds without addi- below the levels it was intended to says nothing about the training lead- tional training (although it’s unlikely provide. In a perfect world, they ing up to the check ride. “Check rides an insurance provider would cover would go for training and demand are task-driven,” he explained, and that pilot), Mitsubishi, for many years, instructors who challenge them, and this means that pilots end up practic- asked the FAA to require a type rat- when they come away they’d actu- ing for whatever maneuvers are on ing or formal training for MU-2 pilots. ally have learned something.” the check ride. “What would be ben- Since the SFAR was enacted, the eficial would be to say that people MU-2’s accident rate has improved Simulation have to go do certain training rather dramatically. “The SFAR has been Developments than just perform [for a check ride].” helpful,” Cannon said. “It’s pulled In the past four years, Flight- Cannon would rather see pilots in people who have never trained or Safety International has revamped spend less time learning specific trained infrequently or weren’t trained its training products, introducing tasks and more time learning to oper- to a set of prerequisites.” the new concept of Operational Day ate in the complexity of the avia- All MU-2 pilots are subject to Flow (ODF), which ties learning to tion environment. He is encouraged the SFAR requirements, which man- the outcome instead of just asking that training companies are offering date initial, recurrent and requalifi- pilots to learn information because more scenario-based training oppor- cation training, to specific standards that’s the way it’s always been done. tunities. The benefit of this kind of that basically mirror the flight man- The ODF concept is used for initial training is that the required tasks can ual. “We’re driven to make them and recurrent training and meets the still be covered within each scenario, perform to these standards,” Can- needs for the annual 61.58 check ride but in a much more realistic fashion. non said. This has helped not only to system, too. “It provides training The Future of Pilot Training

for ground and simulator train- a new rejected takeoff (RTO) train- To that end, ProFlight has devel- ing that’s scenario-based,” said ing module that can be added to oped technology that allows stu- Dave Davenport, a FlightSafety recurrent training, usually at the end dents to practice scenarios on their senior vice president who oversees of the regular session without need- own in a fixed-based simulator that operations, marketing, sales and ing an additional day at the learn- runs on the same aerodynamic mod- business development. ing center. “It’s more comprehensive eling software as its full-motion

An example of how this works for than a V1 cut,” Davenport explained. level-D-qualified CJ3 full flight sim- ground school is that students will be “It’s about decision-making. If you ulator. (See AIN, February, page presented with a hydraulic warning get an indication that the cabin door 44.) ProFlight’s new Nextgen trainer and have to figure out what it means has opened right at V1, what do you replicates the full simulator’s Rock- and how to deal with it, instead of do? In the time we’ve discussed this, well Collins Pro Line 21 avionics just learning this valve does this, this it’s too late to make a decision. So and uses electric control loading for valve does that when this switch is many people would reject the take- accurate control feel and feedback. actuated and so on. “This leads you off, and in two or three seconds ProFlight can build up to 100 sce- into understanding how the hydrau- you’re well past V1 and you go off narios in the Nextgen trainer, which lic system works,” he said. the end of the runway. At that speed, students can practice flying on their In the simulator, more simu- it’s best to go around.” own. Each scenario is graded against lated trips are flown with pertinent Davenport confirmed that these FAA Practical Test Standards, and failures occurring to help cement efforts are all part of identifying haz- students can replay any point in the the learning. The crew might face ards and training how to handle them maneuver to see where they went a runway incursion while taxiing, to mitigate the risk involved. “We wrong. The practice in the Next- for example, then have to revise a highly encourage flight departments to gen trainer prepares the student for flight plan in flight because the boss incorporate this into their before-take- later full flight simulator sessions in the back changed her mind about off briefing,” he said, “so it becomes because all the switches and knobs the destination. And then in the mid- an awareness on each flight.” are exactly the same. dle of the revision of the flight plan, FlightSafety customers love the another emergency will pop up and new focus on operational training, Flight Instructor Input the crew has to delve back into the he said. “It really creates a challeng- Robert Meder, chairman of aircraft’s systems. “It’s much more ing realistic environment for them. the National Association of Flight dynamic,” Davenport said, “and it Chief pilots recognize and under- Instructors (NAFI), believes that avi- has been well received. By the end stand this. Pilots think it’s not going ation safety can be greatly enhanced of this year, it will be in all of our to be a big deal until they’re faced by helping flight instructors take training programs.” with a situation, and they’re truly pride in what they do and encour- FlightSafety International is learning in a training environment so aging them to take advantage of the actively participating with the NBAA they’re ready for it.” learning experience that teaching effort, and FlightSafety director of Caleb Taylor, founder of Cessna engenders. “What we’d like to do at regulatory affairs Steve Fedynyszyn CitationJet simulator training com- NAFI is instill the sense that this is is a participant in the NBAA Training pany ProFlight in Carlsbad, Calif., a wonderful opportunity to learn your Committee. “The feedback we’ve is also working with the NBAA craft,” he said. “Don’t look at it as gotten from customers and [NBAA] Training Committee on improving purgatory or punishment; look at it as is to make training more operational the recurrent training process. “We an opportunity to learn how to teach, rather than just meeting the objec- teamed with the committee to try to how to learn and how to apply those tives of the regulations for recurrent work with the horrible dilemma of skills to a crewed environment. Flight training,” said Davenport. box-checking [for the 61.58 check instruction is a crewed environment, A direct result of communicating ride],” he said. “Scenario-based and it’s a way to learn how to coordi- with customers about these issues is training is where it’s at.” nate with another person.” The Future of Pilot Training

The future of flight training might lie in risk awareness and scenario-based training, according to some experts. Shown here is a FlightSafety G550 simulator.

To help instructors, Meder and Dakota (UND), associate profes- the university introduced new glass- NAFI are working on an effort to sor Jim Higgins described an ongo- cockpit Cessna 172s into its Phoe- promote mentoring among the asso- ing process of evaluating accidents nix branch, replacing a Piper fleet, ciation’s members and the pilot and incidents to improve training the FDM showed that some pilots population at large. “We all have delivered to the university’s stu- weren’t adhering to airspeed- and a responsibility to mentor each dents. UND has reached level two in glideslope-management standards. other,” he said. “We at NAFI want its implementation of a safety man- “We had some safety meetings and to foster a mentoring environment. agement system, the only aviation looked at the data,” Higgins said. It’s not just old gray-haired pilots university in the U.S. to accomplish The point wasn’t to emphasize the mentoring younger people coming this, according to Higgins. problems that individual pilots were in; it is a two-way street. As part of its SMS, UND employs having but rather to address the “If we do that, it raises that sense FOQA and ASAP, using data to issue as a group. “We closed our gap of community or pride, or doing drive improvements in the training between what we do and what we the very best job we can. I think process. “We’re always seeking to say we do–stabilized approaches–to the safety issues will start to miti- improve,” he said. “In our opinion, almost zero,” he said. “That’s how gate themselves organically. We can students get a lot of exposure to data- an airline would work an issue.” pound the table and say, ‘You will driven safety and how to work in a Another example was making sure be safe!’ But forcing that kind of larger organization. [UND students] students understand what happened thing takes a while. What it rea`lly should be able to go to a corporate in the Colgan Flight 3407 accident, takes is a cultural shift. I think we’re flight department and bring some and having them practice stall recov- somewhat into the statistical noise of the latest state-of-the-art systems eries after the autopilot switches off. now [as far as safety improvement to the commercial world. Even for a “I was an airline pilot and check air- is concerned]. I’m not being com- small operation, they can bring these man,” Higgins said, “and we never placent. We need to improve, but principles and make it a better place. practiced stall recoveries with the it isn’t going to be the traditional A lot of people think you don’t need a autopilot on. That’s something that’s method of pounding the table or college degree to operate aircraft, but been incorporated [at UND].” having the insurance companies [set if you do have it, you get exposure to Last year, the UND fleet flew standards]. It’s setting an attitude these programs. That’s value added approximately 130,000 hours. Stan- and building a culture that says this and beneficial for ongoing safety.” dard operating procedures are part is the way we should behave.” UND uses Appareo’s FDM to of the university’s processes and, At the University of North record and analyze flight data. When he said, “Our standardization is The Future of Pilot Training

understanding the person they’re [teaching].” Phillips wants to see instructors who can be good mentors and coaches and communicate well with their students. “That’s what we need to teach instructors.” Last October, Redbird Simu- lations held the annual Redbird Migration at its Skyport facility in San Marcos, Texas. The Migra- tion is a gathering of pilot education An Appareo analyst views data collected by the company’s experts from all walks of aviation, cockpit imaging and flight management device and transferred many from schools that use Red- to its management and visualization systems. bird devices, and serves as a forum for participants to share flight training best practices and also a dem- at a high level. It’s a fine line; we Now Phillips focuses on teaching onstration of new Redbird concepts can write too many policies, but pilots who fly high-performance sin- and technologies. it’s tough to argue with our safety gles such as the Columbia 400 (now Redbird chairman Jerry Gregoire data. Whenever we do put an SOP Cessna TTx). What he has found is a perennial experimenter, and last in place, we make sure it’s well working with these pilots is that their year’s Migration featured plenty of thought out and validated with the skills deteriorate because they are fly- new ideas from the Redbird crew. monitoring systems.” ing airplanes with a high level of Participants were encouraged to try automation. “Stick and rudder is flying Redbird’s new helicopter sim- Redbird Simulations important,” he said. Also of concern ulator, which replicates a Bell 47. Michael Phillips is one of the is that “people don’t push themselves The simulator will be full-motion, many instructors who has gener- or demand enough in terms of ongo- although the motion was not switched ated new business by putting a Red- ing training. It’s a mentality about on during the Migration. Redbird bird simulator to work in his flight ongoing improvement. I bought this also invited participants to compete schools. Available in both full- [simulator] for people who own air- against each other in steep turn, spot motion and fixed-base models, the planes and need to continually chal- landing and formation flying chal- Redbird devices are low-priced yet lenge themselves.” lenges that were available on various effective. The low cost of technol- Another problem area that Phil- devices in the Skyport facility. ogy makes it possible for Redbird lips sees is a weakness in the ranks Even more interesting was a proto- to make simulators that replicate of flight instructors. “There’s plenty type of a new system that allows stu- modern glass-cockpit-equipped air- of information out there on how dents to learn on their own, demonstrated planes, from Garmin G1000 Cessna to create good pilots. Where I see on a Redbird Jay device, a desktop simu- 172s to King Airs with Rockwell a challenge is in the delivery sys- lator designed for home use. This sys- Collins Pro Line 21 flight decks. tem. If instructors are well led and tem takes scenario-based training to For Phillips, who has been teaching receive continuous quality checks on its next logical step, not unlike what flying for more than 40 years, “the how they are doing, that’s great. But ProFlight is doing with its Nextgen Redbird added years to my profes- a lot of instructors learn the mechan- trainer. “Training clients will practi- sional life as an educator,” he said. ics but not the relationship part: cally teach themselves,” said Jeff The Future of Pilot Training

Van West, director of the Redbird weather, airport signage and mark- is a pilot, aircraft mechanic and Media division. “It’s self-guided ings, stalls, steep turns, instrument aeronautical engineer, and he instruction, with feedback from the procedures, flight through complex believes that, overall, the industry environment that you’re in.” airspace and so on. “We can manip- is doing well on the safety front. In the demo on the Jay system, ulate the world and make it increas- Allianz provides insurance cover- the student has to fly from San Mar- ingly challenging,” he explained. age for all types of operators and cos to Austin, pick up a passen- Pilots who need to clean the rust entities, from large airlines to cor- ger, then fly to Lockhart. The task off little-used skills could easily use porate flight departments, FBOs, involved using 14 different frequen- this system to brush up. “We’ll take maintenance facilities and even cies, understanding the different air- the reality and bring it into simula- agricultural operations. “I don’t space encountered and interacting tion,” Van West said. “The future of think there’s an aspect of aviation with controllers. While this was an flight training is not out there, it’s that we don’t get involved with,” he early version of the system, it did right now.” said, and that includes working on demonstrate its potential. The main a number of training initiatives to feature is that the system can be Insurance Opinions help improve safety. designed to prevent the student from When it comes to safety, insur- “The industry is changing, and progressing unless certain thresh- ance providers exert enormous influ- there is a significant desire to change olds of skill are demonstrated. “We ence. After all, insurance is one of with the things that are changing in let them go through the situation and the reasons that so much training the industry,” he said. “There are a try it,” Van West said. “They have is done in simulators, and the train- lot of requirements, from the private the resources to keep going, and ing involved with recurrent training pilot who can get by with a bien- with success there is reward. Now events like the 61.58 check ride is nial flight review, to the airline cap- the bar moves up a bit. This is a hot also likely to be the result of insur- tain who is going through recurrent topic in learning theory.” ance provider influence. every six months in the particular With further development, this Brian Hogan, director and v-p of aircraft he is flying. As a corporate system could be used for all kinds aviation claims at underwriter Alli- pilot myself, we were doing recur- of pilot training, including avionics, anz Global Corporate & Specialty, rent every six months whether in the right or left seat.” While Hogan can’t comment specifically about the Asiana Air- lines landing accident in San Fran- cisco, he did offer some insight. “From an insurance point of view, our thinking is simply this: make sure that you know to just fly the airplane. You can rely tremendously on highly sophisticated instrumen- tation, but human factors come into play. It’s a human factor that all Today’s airplanes, such as the CitationJet shown in this ProFlight pilots need to be able to say, with full simulator, require a modernized method of training, according to honesty, ‘I’m familiar with that auto- the NBAA Training Advisory Committee, which advises a movement pilot and autothrottle system.’ away from repetitive, predictable training for the test in favor of “Airlines are training these guys training for an operator’s needs. and gals as much as they can,” The Future of Pilot Training

Hogan emphasized. “They’re ful- thinking about,” he said, “how we remarkable. From a general avia- filling all of the criteria. We work refocus the training environment so tion point of view, we continue to with every one of the airlines that we it doesn’t become as repetitive and have an accident rate based upon insure to make sure that all the Is are maintains the interest of the crew.” hours flown that is fairly consistent. dotted and Ts are crossed, and they Instead of the same old V1 cuts, he At the grass-roots level, there aren’t are. But there are always circum- added, “maybe we should spend many changes [improvements in the stances where an individual doesn’t more time on what the autopilot accident rate]. At the airline level, do what he was trained to do. Some and autothrottle can do for you if changes have been dramatic. They investigations have shown that. The you’re not familiar with that sys- are getting more sophisticated air- individual didn’t manifest that char- tem.” But a more important issue planes, and operators that train their acter flaw until the time the accident may be “have we trained so much crews to high standards are reaping occurred. [The cause] can be a num- about so many different things, the benefits from that.” ber of different things.” have we gotten away from just fly- Could general aviation pilots Unfortunately, in aviation, he ing the airplane? The key is figur- learn from the way airlines operate? added, “we can’t plan for every set ing out ways of making good pilots “Just because you have an instru- of circumstances or what every pilot better, back to learning how to fly ment rating doesn’t mean you can will do in a given set of circum- the airplane again, making recur- fly a single-engine aircraft in IMC stances that leads to an accident. But rent training exciting.” at night because you did it within we can move in that direction, and I Working with operators around the last 90 days,” he said. “You have think the NTSB is working on this.” the globe, Hogan is quite aware of currency, but how current, how safe Insurance providers work closely the variations in aviation infrastruc- are you? You can do it legally, but with the FAA and NTSB. “We want ture in many countries and cultural are you up to snuff? You can take all our clients–large or small–to differences that can affect flight oper- on a certain number of challenges bring their crew training to the high- ations. Like many U.S. pilots, Hogan and tasks before you reach a satura- est standard,” Hogan said. “The peo- participates in grassroots general avi- tion point. The biennial flight review ple we’re involved with certainly ation, attending the annual EAA Air- can be more focused on that satura- do. You’re going to have incidents, Venture show in Oshkosh, Wis., and tion point and what you should and accidents–that’s the idea of insur- flying light airplanes. “In [coun- should not do with an aircraft. That’s ance–and hopefully they’re not tries] where there isn’t a strong gen- a good focus: understanding your catastrophic. We’re constantly moni- eral aviation presence, people don’t limitations,” Hogan added. toring that, and we get involved with get exposed to a lot of things that are Training providers CAE and Sim- people who have high criteria and exciting about airplanes,” he said. Com also recognize that pilots are want to operate safely always.” “In a culturally challenged environ- bored with the same old training and Hogan welcomes NBAA’s ment, you might have a junior officer have developed new ways to make efforts to improve recurrent train- reticent about challenging a senior the training process more interesting for business aircraft pilots. The officer. I know [various groups] ing and pertinent. CAE’s RealCase problem he sees is that repetitive are looking at this in light of recent system uses data from incidents and training that doesn’t offer new and crashes, but whether it will have a accidents. Instructors present the different material runs the risk of great or minor impact, I don’t know.” scenarios to business aircraft pilots losing the attention of the trainee. The bottom line, he said, “is that during classroom sessions to help “I think that’s a good focus to start the safety record of the airlines is facilitate a “what would you do” The Future of Pilot Training

discussion, often using simulator- will study training issues and advo- For retired airline pilot and author driven demonstrations during the cate for voluntary adoption of the Barry Schiff, the bottom line is that RealCase classroom sessions. best practices that we have identified “there is a difference between a pilot SimCom uses type-specific acci- together,” he explained. “We want to and an aviator. An aviator has a sense dent data to develop lessons for each identify additional areas for improve- of what’s going on; it stems from his aircraft training program to help stu- ment in training and make voluntary early experience. Now, especially in dents learn how to handle real-life efforts to address them. We live in a foreign countries, they’re starting to situations in the simulator. Instruc- world today where we cannot regu- train in sophisticated airplanes with tors can modify the scenarios as new late every aspect of safety.” glass cockpits. Whatever happened accident causes occur, or students On January 27, Huerta met with to looking at checkpoints on the can even ask to replicate their own general aviation groups to promote ground and flying by attitude? That’s custom scenarios, based on some- a similar effort for the non-airline what is missing from a lot of pilots.” thing that happened to them or a segment. “Improving general avia- Schiff, however, isn’t so sure that possible scenario that they are con- tion safety is a top priority for the this means there will be more fatal cerned about and want to prepare for. FAA and industry,” he said. “The accidents. “The record globally is general aviation fatal accident pretty hard to beat.” So he isn’t sure Final Ideas rate has flattened over the past six that training is the problem or the FAA Administrator Michael years and there were 259 fatal acci- answer. “The problem is that when Huerta, in a speech at the Train- dents in 2013, at a cost of 449 lives. an accident does occur, we get really ing Roundtable held last Novem- We’re also working with industry upset about it and thinking about ber, announced the formation of the on a prototype program to use de- how it could have been prevented, if Air Carrier Training Steering Group. identified GA operations data in the the pilot had been more of an aviator Huerta asked industry stakehold- Aviation Safety Information Anal- and more in tune with the airplane. ers to participate in the group. “This ysis and Sharing [ASIAS] program But how many accidents would have group is composed of industry and to help identify risks before they occurred for other reasons? I’m not government representatives who become accidents.” so sure there are answers.” n The Future of Pilot Training

Upset Training Targets Loss-of-Control Accidents There are many more opportunities now than in previous years for pilots to learn how to prevent and recover from an in-flight upset or loss of control, ranging from simulator-based programs to in-flight practice in jets, and even one program offering training in business jets. Loss of control remains a significant accident cause in all segments of aviation. “Loss of control is now the lead- Aviation Performance Solutions conducts its in-airplane ing cause of passenger deaths world- upset prevention and recovery training in an Extra 300. wide,” said Bill Korner, chairman and CEO of Mojave, Calif.-based Flight at high airspeed and 35-degree bank also replicates the Colgan Flight 3407 Research, which teaches pilots in angles and stick-shaker go-arounds scenario, where the autopilot shuts off Sabreliners as well as an Aermacchi to simulate microburst-induced wind as the airplane is stalling. MB-326 Impala single-engine mil- shear conditions. “We show it can The next step is to put pilots into itary jet trainer. “The reason we use fly on the shaker,” Korner explained, the Impala to fly more challenging those aircraft,” he said, “is because “and you have five to seven knots of maneuvers, such as 70-degree banks they respond and feel the same way leeway. We have them fly around and to fully inverted in various configu- as the aircraft that our customers fly.” they can control it and get maximum rations. “The Impala is not so much Flight Research recently started performance by doing that.” for teaching upset recovery,” Korner working with five major insurance The instructor also places pilots said, “but gives confidence that they underwriters that cover about 90 per- in scenarios based on real accidents, can handle the aircraft [in a variety of cent of business jets. The underwriters such as the Air France Flight 447 stall severe unusual attitudes]. agree to provide a premium discount into the ocean. The instructor puts the “Approximately 60 percent of the for customers who alternate between Sabre into a departure stall at high alti- students have never been in a fully simulator-based recurrent train- tude, then keeps it stalled and allows developed stall in a jet or beyond a ing and upset training, every other the jet to develop a high sink rate, then 60-degree bank,” he said, “yet they year. “We think that’s acknowledge- shows the student how to recover. “A have thousands of hours. Aviation ment by the insurance companies that lot of pilots come to us and they’ve today is very safe, but the pilots who the kind of program we’re using is never done a full departure stall,” he were flying Colgan 3407 and Air important to safety of flight,” he said. said. “As soon as you unload the wing France 447 and American Airlines The cost of alternating between tra- [reduce angle of attack], it’s out of it. 587 [crashed in Belle Harbor, N.Y., ditional simulator training and Flight You don’t have excess power at high in 2001 after overuse of rudder in Research’s upset training comes out altitude. The only way you can con- response to wake turbulence] thought about the same as simulator training trol it is to unload the wing and then they were going to have a safe day to every year, Korner said. you’re flying the aircraft again. The fly and hit a condition they weren’t The Flight Research training begins 447 guys didn’t do that. They sank expecting and handled it wrong.” in one of three Sabreliners (a 40, 60 from 38,000 feet to the ocean in about and 65) that the company operates. 3.5 minutes; in spite of the fact that the New APS Bases The student practices various unusual stall warning went off [many times], Aviation Performance Solutions attitudes, including accelerated two-g the copilot insisted on keeping it at a (APS), which combines upset pre- stalls at nose-high attitudes, low-air- high angle of attack and stalled all the vention and recovery training in aer- speed recoveries, nose-low recoveries way to the ocean.” Flight Research obatic airplanes with sessions in CAE The Future of Pilot Training full-motion jet simulators, recently is better at first,” Ransbury said. He league: Loft, based at Carlsbad Air- expanded to two new locations in finds that this element is better done port north of San Diego. Loft is an addition to its headquarters in Mesa, in the airplane because in a simula- FAA-approved Part 142 training Ariz. The other U.S. location is at tor the pilot expects most maneuvers. provider that specializes in Cessna Arlington airport in the Dallas area, “Being surprised in the real world is Citation 500 and 525 training, in while the European base is at Seppe better than in the simulator. The fidel- both Loft’s airplanes (500 and 525) Airport in The Netherlands, about ity of the surprise makes a big differ- and Loft’s simulators (525). halfway between Amsterdam and ence in its value.” The company added an Aero Vodo- Brussels. The U.S. facilities use Extra Corporate flight departments that chody L-39 to its fleet earlier this year 300s for in-airplane training, while send pilots regularly to APS do so and uses it for one- and two-day upset two Slingsby T-67As are based at the every three to five years, Ransbury training courses, taught by company Seppe location. APS also has been said. The Dallas location is ideal, he founder Richard Sears. “We received using a leased A-4 Skyhawk for high- added, because recurrent training at our letter of deviation authority from altitude, high-Mach upset recovery CAE’s Dallas/Fort Worth Interna- the FAA because of [the L-39’s] training for pilots who have already tional Airport facility can be com- experimental status,” he said. “It completed the core APS program. bined with APS training in Arlington, reviewed our program and agreed we APS clients can also take advantage saving travel time. were going to make a good contribu- of insurance training credit opportu- tion to the community.” nities through underwriter Swiss Re Upset Training Options Loft chose the L-39, Sears said, There are plenty of other upset Corporate Solutions when partici- “because it weighs the same and training opportunities, including Stal- pating in the APS-CAE Advanced acts the same as the Citation 500 and lion 51’s L-39 program in Kissim- Training Program. 525. The delay in power [when add- mee, Fla., and the program offered For APS, the purpose of the training thrust] and energy management by Environmental Tectonics in South- ing is not to critique an individual is almost identical.” And the L-39’s ampton, Pa. The Environmental pilot’s experience in the program but aerobatic capabilities allow students Tectonics program uses a Gyrolab rather to give that pilot new tools to practice maneuvers that would be GL-2000 single-seat centrifuge-based and experience, according to APS impossible in the Citations. motion platform, which can sustain president BJ Ransbury. “They walk Loft’s one- and two-day courses g forces while yawing, pitching and away with dramatically increased in the L-39 begin with a morning of rolling 360 degrees. The GL-2000 chances to prevent an accident,” he is equipped with glass displays, rud- ground school followed by an hour said. “That’s the biggest surprise; der pedals and control yoke with a in the L-39. Students in the two-day they come through with the concept stick-shaker and a visual display. The course fly another hour on the sec- of recovery [from unusual attitudes] device is used for upset prevention ond day. Sears uses the L-39, which is and leave with the ability to prevent and recovery training, high angle-of- equipped with an autopilot, to re-cre- them. If you can see it coming, you attack maneuvering, mishap re-create accident scenarios such as auto- can make better decisions.” ation and investigation, wake vortex pilot stalls. “The FAA is making a The concept of startle and sur- upsets and inverted upset training. serious push these days for different prise is important, too, to make sure Another training provider types of stall recovery as they relate to students are prepared to handle the recently joined the upset-training recent accidents.” –M.T. upset if it is unexpected. APS doesn’t introduce the surprise factor until the A key feature of upset training is the startle factor, making third in-airplane lesson on the sec- sure pilots are prepared for the unexpected, as shown ond day. “If you introduce it early, here in an Aviation Performance Solutions photo. you can destroy confidence,” he said. By teaching students how to handle the upset beforehand, they have the discipline to contain the startle factor when the upset happens, he said. “The initial reaction of not reacting The Future of Pilot Training

Some recent accidents:

• When a highly experienced flight crew has trouble • A U.S.-registered Cessna Citation 501S/P crashed on landing a Boeing 777 on a day when the weather is ideal approach to Trier-Fohren Airport in Germany on January (Asiana Airlines Flight 214, July 6, 2013, San Francisco), 12, killing all four occupants. The weather was reported this raises questions about what might have been miss- as quarter-mile visibility and indefinite ceiling 100 feet in ing in the pilots’ ongoing training regimen. That the pilot freezing fog. We don’t know why the flight crew didn’t flying expressed concern about having to fly a visual choose to fly a missed approach and head for the alternate approach into San Francisco in optimal weather con- airport, but perhaps the final report will shed more light ditions while also being confused about the airplane’s on this accident. autothrottle system adds to those questions and brings up issues of how well cockpit crews are trained to work • There were four fatal accidents involving Beechcraft together in a culture where deference to seniors remains Premiers last year (one in France, three in the U.S., all an important factor. non-commercial operations). On February 20 a Premier crashed during an attempted go-around at Thomson- • The crash of a Challenger 601-3R during a second McDuffie County Airport in Georgia; the two pilots sur- attempt to land on Runway 15 at Aspen Airport on Jan- vived. On March 4 a Premier stalled and crashed after uary 5 served as a reminder that there might be areas of takeoff from Annemasse Airport in France. On March 17 training that could be bolstered for business jet pilots. a Premier crashed after a reported loss of power, after The airport’s ASOS broadcast: “one-minute data at the bouncing off the runway at South Bend Regional Airport time of the accident reported the wind at 333 degrees true in Indiana during an attempt to land. A Premier crashed at 14 knots gusting to 17 knots,” according to the NTSB on December 17 after taking off from Fulton County preliminary report. Before the first landing attempt, con- Airport in Atlanta; the pilot reported a problem and was trollers reported to the Challenger pilots 19-knot winds returning to the airport when a wing struck a tree. gusting to 25 knots from 290 degrees. The Challenger’s tailwind limitation is 10 knots. Former Skywest pilot • Two privately operated Cessna Citations crashed last Josh Ritter, interviewed in the Boldmethod blog, outlined year. A CitationJet 525A landing at Santa Monica Airport the airline’s training process for Aspen operations: “For in California on September 29 hit a hangar and caught initial qualification, Ritter completed two days of sim- fire after touching down on Runway 21. On October 18, ulator training on the approach into Aspen, plus a min- a Citation 500 crashed near Darby, Kan. Crews of other imum of two observations from the jump seat during jets reported icing in the area, and the Citation’s last alti- actual approaches. To complete the training, he flew with tude shown by FlightAware was 15,200 feet. a check airman for his first two approaches into Aspen. Every twelve months during recurrent training, Ritter • A Learjet 60 crashed short of the runway on May 5 completed an extra simulator ride into Aspen.” Did the in Valencia, Venezuela. No other information is currently Challenger crew receive any similar training? available. On November 19, a Mexican-registered Learjet 35A air ambulance crashed into the ocean after departing from Fort Lauderdale International Airport then attempting to return. The Future of Pilot Training FAA: Less Time in Sims Loggable for IFR Rating Unexpectedly at the begin- policy as detrimental to the avia- training devices and basic and ning of the year, the FAA said it tion industry. “Simulators are a low- advanced aviation training devices. is reducing the number of hours cost way for students to experience Over the years, the methods of autho- in approved flight training devices a wide range of flying conditions rizing and/or approving the various that can be logged toward earn- they might not otherwise experience devices have changed, with approvals ing the instrument rating. The during their training,” said David at times issued by local FSDOs, indi- new policy, which took effect last Oord, AOPA’s manager of regulatory vidual safety inspectors and FAA head- month, would, in most cases, halve affairs. “Regardless of how airmen quarters itself, many on an ad hoc basis the simulator time loggable for are trained, they must be evaluated and without expiration dates. the instrument rating to 10 hours during the practical exam to ensure In 2008 the FAA issued Advi- from 20. The new rule could have they possess the correct knowledge, sory Circular 61-136, which sought a more significant impact on Part skills and risk management needed to establish standards that apply to 141 flight schools, which will be for a certificate or rating.” the approval process for basic and allowed to conduct only 10 percent advanced aviation training devices, of the 35-hour course time on flight Establishing a with information and guidance for the training devices. Uniform Procedure manufacturers as well as those who The decision raised the ire of The FAA sees the proposed rule intend to use such devices for pilot AOPA and other organizations, such bringing some control to a disorga- training or certification. Since the as the National Association of Flight nized system that for more than 30 introduction of AC 61-136, all approv- Instructors (NAFI) and the Soci- years has granted letters of authoriza- als of flight training devices (FTD) ety of Aviation and Flight Educa- tion (LOA) to manufacturers of ground below Level 4 have been channeled tors, which see the newly formulated trainers, personal computer-based through the FAA’s general aviation

Under a new policy pilots can log only 10 hours–as opposed to the de facto 20–toward the instrument rating in simulators such as these Redbird devices. The Future of Pilot Training

and commercial division, and the that the change could have deleteri- device. If the school is currently charg- agency is now attempting to bring all ous effects on instrument training since ing $150 an hour for training in air- outstanding LOAs in line. use of the devices allows instructors craft, then the rating is going to cost “The FAA doesn’t know how many to expose students quickly to a wide the student at least $1,500 more,” he LOAs it issued,” Oord told AIN. “[The range of situations more safely than told AIN, adding the price discrepancy regulators] don’t know where all those they can be performed in an aircraft. for Part 141 training customers will be devices are located, they don’t know After January 1 next year, all LOAs even greater, since loggable time in a exactly what those LOAs provided for for training devices issued before Aug. flight training device is limited to just or what kind of training they could be 23, 2013, will be terminated unless the 10 percent, or 3.5 hours. used for; none of them had an expira- manufacturer has successfully reap- The second economic impact tion date and some of the manufactur- plied for a new LOA from the FAA. will be felt by the manufacturers of ers are no longer in business.” Such reissued LOAs will come with advanced aviation training devices While training requirements under a two-year expiration date. Oord such as Redbird Flight Simulations FAR 61.65 already specify that only remains concerned about whether the or Elite Simulation Solutions, which 10 hours of aviation training device FAA has the resources to complete all could see sales decline with the time can be logged toward the earn- such requests by that deadline. For Part reduced demand for their products. ing of an instrument rating, over the 141 flight schools, satisfying the pol- Several aviation groups are cur- past several years the FAA, in con- icy effectively means that each will rently petitioning the FAA to institute tradiction to its own rule, has issued have to reapply for certification as changes to FAR 61.65 under expe- LOAs increasing allowable time they revamp their curriculum. “That’s dited rulemaking. in specific simulators to 20 hours. going to be a huge lift by the FAA, [an Of course, schools can continue According to the new policy, which agency that is] already pretty strapped using simulators for training that went into effect on February 3, the for resources,” Oord said. isn’t loggable, but students might agency has determined that it “may In the meantime, the economic balk at paying for this extra training, not use LOAs as a means to exceed effects will be twofold, according to even though it could be beneficial. express limits that have been placed Phillip Poynor, vice president of gov- Redbird’s own flight training school in the regulations through notice and ernment and industry relations with in San Marcos, Texas, allows students comment rulemaking.” NAFI. “The customer will have to do to use simulators as much as they want While Oord said he has no problem a minimum of 10 hours more training and with no additional charge because with the FAA’s motivation to “clean for the IFR rating in an airplane rather Redbird charges a flat rate for its pilot up” the LOA landscape, he argues than the previously allowed training training programs. –C.E.