Brazilian training program presented at an event in Colombia

Pilots’ Refresher Course was the topic of a talk at the congress on accidents

Pilot Bruno Fonseca, vice-president of Brazilian Pilots, gave a talk during the 2nd Congress on Lessons Learned from Serious Accidents or Incidents in Pilotage Maneuvers. The event was hosted on April 19-21 in Cartagena de Indias, by the National Association of Colombian Pilots (Anpra).

Bruno Fonseca addressed the Brazilian pilot training program, an international benchmark, which has welcomed colleagues from Angola, Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay. The Maritime Authority delegated this task to the National Pilotage Council, which coordinates the Pilot Refresher Course (ATPR). Recycling is mandatory every five years.

The Brazilian model completed 20 years in 2023 and adopts the recommendations of Resolution A.960 of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The course in Brazil began before the approval of Resolution A.960, which culminated with the repeal of Resolution A.485. Currently, ATPR is in its fourth training cycle, which terminates in 2026.

The vice-president explained how pilotage in Brazil is regulated and how the course is divided up. The first stage is remote, with modules of Legislation, English, Personnel Safety, First Aid, Survival at Sea, Electronic Chart and Information Systems (ECDIS), Radar, Dynamic Positioning and Azipod. The second stage involves practice, and groups of up to 12 marine pilots participate in discussions, talks and exercises on simulators. This stage is held in the Brazilian Navy instruction centers in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and Belém (PA), but the simulation center of the Brazilian Pilotage Institute in Brasilia is being accredited to also offer it.

“Every five years, the program is rearranged, always keeping the focus on Resolution A.960 and presenting the student with the development of the equipment for navigation aid, propulsion and techniques for them to use when ship handling”, informed Bruno Fonseca.

He also pointed out that the ATPR employs pilot instructors trained in the US Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (Mitags):

“The instructors are able to identify the link between theory and practice, combining their expertise in real situations with what is being taught. This increases motivation and training effectiveness.”

Optionally, students can also undergo capacity building in Panama on manned small scale models, which simulate the performance of large vessels. In 2022 three groups were trained for this purpose.

Bruno Fonseca added that in addition to ATPR, four pilotage stations already have their own simulators to regularly enhance the experience, training in emergency situations and rapid familiarization with new ships. They are located in Ceará (CE), Maranhão (MA), Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and São Francisco do Sul (SC).

Since 2008, Anpra has been holding maritime and river safety events. The second congress was attended by representatives from various countries and spheres of activity. The program offered such topics as stress control, autonomous navigation and its parallel with aviation, incidents with tanker ships, maritime traffic control, using simulators for accident prevention, risk analysis and mitigating measures, in addition to specific cases of occurrences in other countries and not only Latin America. Pilots worldwide attended, some of them from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Panama, Canada, Colombia, Germany, France, Spain and Australia.