Immersive technology and reality replication already fuels the most accurate aviation training available. Through advanced-technology simulators and experienced instructors, FlightSafety International prepares pilots for anything, making certain they know exactly what to do when it’s real.
Now, that training experience is going to be augmented with something even more real—actual flight data.
Through a partnership with GE Digital, FlightSafety is incorporating actual flight data from corporate-flight operations quality assurance (C-FOQA) programs into training modules and programs. The aggregated de-identified C-FOQA data gives pilots opportunities to learn from actual scenarios using targeted airports, creating a reality-based instruction plan that increases safety and empowers them with confidence.
“Actual flight data will allow us to tailor training to address safety threats before crews even experience them,” said Brad Thress, President and CEO of FlightSafety.
Developing a Prepared Pilot
Under the partnership, unlike any other in the business aviation industry, GE Digital will provide data-driven C-FOQA insights to FlightSafety, which will use them to enhance training and ensure pilots are prepared for any possible risk before they encounter them in the sky. It follows with FlightSafety’s philosophy that proficiency alone isn’t the goal of training.
“We aim to train the most prepared pilots in the industry – proficient simply isn’t enough,” FlightSafety’s Executive Vice President of Safety & Regulatory Compliance Richard Meikle said. “Our partnership with GE Digital will provide evidence of threats to flight operations through the GE Digital, Aviation Software data to construct precisely targeted scenarios to enhance safety. That’s much more than just checking boxes to complete requirements. This is a huge differentiator.”
FlightSafety is well known throughout the industry for its individualized instruction and comprehensive curriculum. It delivers insight-fueled direction from expert instructors that is tailored to the clients’ needs. The C-FOQA data adds to this impressive repertoire, allowing an unmatched training environment.
The Data Pool is Vast
The C-FOQA data comes from more than 300 operators flying more than 1,200 aircraft. C-FOQA automatically processes flight data with a library of more than 200 events and 2,000 measurements that monitor everything from simple aircraft limitation exceedances to highly advanced risk-based modeling.
After the information is stripped of its aircraft-specific identification, it is aggregated and analyzed by GE Digital for threat identifications, finding precursors to accidents and incidents. Then FlightSafety uses this data to focus training to target real-world threats.
C-FOQA data can be used to focus on runway excursion, loss of control in flight (LOC-I), controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), touchdown point control, and wingtip clearance protection. The program will heavily target unstable approaches, runway excursions and LOC-I. As more pilots are exposed to the program’s benefits of the program, more will be encouraged to add their aircraft to C-FOQA, which further enhances the strength of the data.
“The data will come off the airplanes and process through GE Digital’s system, just the way it does today. But instead of the benefits being limited to participants in the program, we'll be able to expand that and show the value of this partnership and the program,” Meikle said. “And encourage more people to get into the C-FOQA program so that we get a holistic view of how airplanes are operated. We can manage that training, and then we'll see the results of that through performance improvements and the improving safety performance indicators.”
Scenario-based training factors in all of this information, moving the experience more away from the theoretical to the actual. For example, the data may show that when a common wind condition experienced at a particular airport, most pilots come in faster than what is expected in “perfect” conditions, FlightSafety can train for the practical case. It allows them to create scenarios on how people actually fly the airplane and train to the real-world deviations.
Building Out the Program
As the program grows, GE Digital intends to design and obtain approval for Area Navigation Visual Flight Procedures (RVFP) for more and more airports and runways. The construction of and approval of RFVPs has already begun, focusing on airports with specific issues pilots are likely to encounter.
These procedures will address threats in the national airspace system. FlightSafety is focused on airports where needs exist for a structured lateral and vertical path to the runway while mitigating risk. In one case, at a major metropolitan airport, the goal is to eliminate the need to fly a circling approach from a runway from the instrument landing system (ILS). At the other, in a mountainous region, the goal is to manage the arrival of an unstable approach due to close-in and high terrain around the airport. Once approved, these approaches will be available for FlightSafety customers to utilize.
FlightSafety expects to fully develop a minimum of two runway flight procedures per year. The program will initially begin with fixed-wing operations but is expected to expand into rotary wing.
This partnership allows crews to have real-world insight through FlightSafety’s training environment – further tailored for aircraft type, airport location and operation nature. This incorporation of data-driven, risk-based training raises the bar – and the resulting confidence and preparation mitigates risk and saves lives.