An FAA report found that commercial airline pilots need added training due to a rising overreliance on automation. The need is equal, if not greater, in the business aviation segment, as corporate jets frequently face more demanding environments and operate aircraft with higher levels of automation than found on airliner aircraft.
While operating advanced flight decks improves operational capability and improves safety, increased automation requires intention toward training to maintain proficiency with the technology as well as proper airmanship skills. At FlightSafety, we’re proactive in training clients to fly highly automated flight systems utilizing multiple training approaches to ensure they are prepared to manage an automated flightdeck while reinforcing basic airmanship skills.
Advanced Flight Decks are Just Getting Started
The data shows that, through human nature, we tend to become passive watchers rather than active monitors of highly advanced aircraft. If we are not deliberately aware of our human limitations and diligent in identifying developing conditions that may not be intended or desired, we can find ourselves in unsafe situations.
Pilots must be active, professional monitors, focused and engaged with the aircraft’s automation and flight environment in which they’re operating. Pilots have more information at their fingertips than ever before but must also process information and make proper decisions in busier, more complex environments than seen before.
A complex balance results as pilots must master the skill of managing highly automated airplanes while also retaining their basic stick-and-rudder skills. Modern, highly automated aircraft can have an unintended consequence where pilot’s basic flying skills deteriorate over time. When the flight requires a pilot to step in, they may not be ready.
Developing the Right Training Balance
FlightSafety emphasizes both automation management and fundamental flight skills, optimizing a pilot’s skillset through a variety of training methods. These include:
- Training scenarios that require hand flying with varying levels of flight guidance and automation, i.e., hand flying various approaches with and without the use of flight guidance, auto-pilot, auto-throttles, and other automated systems.
- Using automation to its full potential to reinforce automation command and active monitoring airmanship skills. This includes tasks that can be complex to set up and monitor, such as area navigation (RNAV) arrivals and departures using the vertical navigation (VNAV) automation to comply with numerous and crossing restrictions in airspeed-restricted environments.
- Practicing smooth transitions to and from manual and automated flight. Transitioning from a fully coupled instrument approach to hand-flown missed approach procedures not in the flight management system (FMS) database to partial automation operations such as hand-flown visual approaches while retaining auto-throttle automation.
FlightSafety utilizes simulated real world scenarios to challenge pilot and foster specific skill building. Ensuring a pilot is well prepared for situations from the normal and mundane to challenging environments and mechanical malfunctions assure a safe flight.
Building the Skills with Advanced Technology
One of the most significant advantages of simulator training is the ability to practice real-world scenarios, using exact flight deck environments to experience emergency events that are simply impossible, impractical or too dangerous to replicate in the actual aircraft.
From practice of minor malfunctions to catastrophic failures and life-threatening situations, pilots can hone their decision-making, risk-management and decision-making skills within a controlled, safe environment.
Instructors are provided the tools to build and deliver focused scenarios to the pilots that can be paused and adjusted mid-session for additional detailed instruction and real-time correction as required. Simulators offer an ideal learning environment that cannot be provided in aircraft.
When pilots come to FlightSafety, they receive tailored training from the best instructors in the business. Our instructors are dedicated to their success and strive to take their airmanship skills beyond regulatory minimums to best prepare pilots for the challenges and complexities they face.
Adapting to Future Challenges
New technology and new capabilities provide pilots and passengers with more capability than ever before, however, even as the aircraft, flight deck and airspace system advance, pilots must be at the helm ready to sense and respond to information that simply isn’t understood by automation.
As we experience an acceleration in technological changes, FlightSafety training strives to equip pilots for conditions beyond that required by regulation and give pilots deeper preparedness and confidence to handle any situation should it arise.
We are dedicated to fostering the highest qualities in every pilot we train, blending advanced technological proficiency with an enduring focus on stick-and-rudder skills – a timeless cornerstone of safe flight operations