5 FlightCom Magazine
A
S an industry attempting
to break free of the
traditional shackles of
past training practices,
we are not doing that
well in stepping up to the
plate with respect to the future (and present)
demands of the commercial aviation
environment.
We are our own worst enemies in some
respects, and also victims of the global
airline success story.
As someone with about 15 years of
useful contribution to the pilot training
community left, I undeniably qualify as
a ‘dinosaur’ in terms of my aeronautical
upbringing and outlook on the flight training
environment.
I am, however, attempting to repent,
and accept the absolution of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution, and the completely
different scenario we find ourselves facing
t o d ay.
The lumbering Jurassic age thinking
that near-death experiences in single engine
aircraft are essential to the development of
fortitude for the awarding of a Commercial
Pilot Licence (CPL) is so frustratingly out
of place, yet unfortunately so far from being
extinct. The same certification process is in
place now as it was in 1935 –in most parts of
the world, including South Africa.
In around 85 years, our biggest evolution
in ab initio training has been mastering
the wireless, watching ADF (Automatic
Direction Finding – so post-modern..!)
being replaced by VOR and the absolute
black magic of GPS. In some cases, semi-monocoque construction has given way
to composites, although pilot eyeware has
remained 1950’s static. That’s pretty much
it, in terms of noticeable changes to the
visual picture of the training industry.
The syllabus has endured, which is a big
part of our looming problem. In 1935, one
needed 200 hours for the CPL, of which 100
had to be Pilot In Command (PIC), ten of
which at night. The latter requirement has
been reduced to five, and that’s how we go
about training wannabe airline pilots today.
No wonder the role players are
concerned.
Canadian Aviation Electronics, or CAE
as we know them in the airline simulation
arena, are rapidly closing in on FlightSafety as the world’s largest pilot training
organisation. I would venture to say it will
not be a fight for market share, as there is
more than enough room in this space for
other players.
CAE has commented that the industry
as a whole is potentially capable of meeting
the demand for airline-quality training, but
the bottleneck lies in attracting suitably
competent and capable individuals. Those
that meet this criteria have the massive
slap-down of cost of entry into the training
environment.
Ryanair, love ’em or not, see themselves
as a stepping-stone for pilot development.
They want to take the newbies, with fresh
Boeing 738 type rating in hand, see themMike GouGh
Airline Ops
It appears that aircraft manufacturers, and airport infrastructure investors, are acutely aware of
the next threat to their financial bottom lines. Once again, the only scientifically uncontrollable
element is placed front and centre of the airline industry: human performance in the flight deck.
Demands,
Dreams and a
lack of Dollars
Ryanair is happy to promote
young pilots to Captain - in some
cases at just 26 years old.