Story ID: 480FSI_Leap18
FlightSafety International Begins G500 Pilot Training
By: Amy Laboda
Caption: FSI’s new LEAP program aims to give the next crop of aviation industry leaders a leg up on their career paths.
Word Count: 627
Roaming the halls at NBAA 2018 there is no denying that conversation swirls around workforce issues. FlightSafety International (Booth 2638) is no stranger to such problems and finds itself challenged to keep instructors on both the maintenance and pilot training sides of its business, according to David Davenport, executive vice president, commercial training for the organization.

“We are recruiting constantly,” Davenport told AIN. “We’re all about customer service, however, and we are continuously managing the situation so that we can deliver all the training that our customers expect,” he continued.

At this year's NBAA-BACE event FlightSafety announced several new programs and expanded on progressing programs, including its learning centers worldwide. This month, it announced it's ramping up its Gulfstream G500 pilot training in Savannah, Georgia, its Master Aviator program, and expanding its Part 107 Drone operator curriculum. FSI is also upgrading its new LEAP executive management training program.

The company’s Paris Le Bourget center is about to accept three more simulators, including an Embraer E2 sim. Plans for adding a Pilatus PC-24 simulator are in progress there, as well.

“We have now produced 100 Master Aviators—the safest, most proficient business aviation pilots out there,” said Davenport. The company’s longstanding Master technician program, initiated with Gulfstream, has more than 4,000 graduates. “It’s an exacting program, and the accolade is one pilots and techs have every right to be proud of,” he continued.

Finally, FlightSafety International is introducing its LEAP (Leadership for Aviation Professionals) program to NBAA attendees Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in room N320G. LEAP is designed for business aviation managers and line personnel who are moving into management and director positions. The course, which was in beta trials, is ready for its first influx of students this month.

Jeff Lee, executive director, business aviation development at FlightSafety International and former NBAA director and chair, co-teaches the classes with Doug Schwartz, another NBAA director alum who is currently on the Board of Governors of the Flight Safety Foundation. Both were with NBAA when its professional development program and CAM certifications were conceived, and with years of senior flight department management expertise, Lee now knows what is expected of these executives.

“In my first major flight department position after my Air Force stint, I think I survived more by luck than by skill,” reminisced Lee. “The most common comment I have heard about the LEAP program is people telling me, ‘Boy, I wished I’d had this before I took my job.’”

“The top corporations move people around in the companies so that they build leadership skills over time. That doesn’t happen in flight departments,” he lamented. “Just being senior isn’t enough. The operational environment is very complex; you are taking on a lot of skills that, frankly, most technical professionals, aircraft maintainers, pilots, or dispatchers never really get schooled in. We hope to answer that need with the LEAP program,” he said.

The five modules are designed to each take six months or more to complete; the investment of time and energy is typical to that required for a graduate degree. The classroom learning is scenario-based, and meaningful, relevant assignments are key to the curriculum.  

Lee is passionate about LEAP and is confident that the aviation industry is ready for this kind of advanced educational program. “We’ve got heavy hitters in aviation lined up to speak—and mentors who can truly aid in career development for participants. What I know is that if someone starts and makes it through the two-and-a-half year commitment to the program they should be able to thrive as a leader in the aviation industry,” Lee said.