CAT Magazine - Issue 1/2010

www.halldale.com The Journal for civil aviation training

AIRLINE TRAINING PROFILE

Emirates Bucks The Trend CAREERS OUTLOOK

Degrees Of Success – Rekindling The Desire To Fly FLIGHT TRAINING

Ansett Aviation Training

MAINTENANCE TRAINING

Reinventing The Training Format

ISSN 0960-9024 | US $17/£8.50

Issue 1/2010

ALTEON IS NOW BOEING TRAINING & FLIGHT SERVICES. AND FOR GOOD REASON. Our new name reflects an expanded portfolio of services. Now, in addition to pilot, maintenance and cabin safety training, customers can count on us for everything from flight operations and safety analysis to customized flight/dispatch documentation and operational consulting. So you see, Boeing Training & Flight Services is more than a new name.

It’s a brand new day.

Editorial

Editorial Comment

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Lehman [e] chris@halldale.com Managing Editor: Alan Emmings [e] alan@halldale.com Contributors Chuck Weirauch - Editor US Affairs Chris Long - European Affairs Lori Ponoroff - News Editor [e] lori@halldale.com Advertising Business Manager: Jeremy Humphreys [t] +44 (0)1252 532009 [e] jeremy@halldale.com Business Manager, North America: Mary Bellini Brown [t] +1 703 421 3709 [e] mary@halldale.com Marketing Manager: Lizzie Daniell [t] +44 (0)1252 532008 [e] lizzie@halldale.com Sales & Marketining Co-ordinator: Karen Kettle [t] +44 (0)1252 532002 [e] karen@halldale.com Design & Production David Malley [t] +44 (0)1252 532005 [e] david@halldale.com Internet www.halldale.com/cat Subscriptions & Distribution Subscriptions Hotline [t] +44 (0)1252 532000 [e] cat@halldale.com 6 issues per year at US$168 Distribution Co-ordinator: Sarah de Wet [t] +44 (0)1252 532006 [e] sarah.dewet@halldale.com Publishing House and Editorial Office Civil Aviation Training (ISSN 0960-9024) is published by: Halldale Media Ltd. Pembroke House, 8 St. Christopher’s Place, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0NH, UK. [t] +44 (0)1252 532000 [f] +44 (0)1252 512714 [e] cat@halldale.com General Manager: Janet Llewellyn US office Halldale Media Inc. 115 Timberlachen Circle Ste 2009 Lake Mary, FL 32746 USA [t] +1 407 322 5605 [f] +1 407 322 5604 Publisher & CEO: Andrew Smith

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Alan Emmings Managing Editor, CAT Magazine

Better Safety The Ongoing Quest Preliminary safety data issued early January by the European Aviation Safety Agency showed that last year had the lowest number of fatal accidents on record for the 31 member states of EASA. While the Agency’s statistics are encouraging for everyone, there is much to remind us not to espouse complacency. The common foes of risk and hazard remain omnipresent, especially with the economic headwind, which can so easily induce operating shortcuts.

EASA’s figures are marred by the loss of the Air France A330 over the Atlantic Ocean last June when 228 were killed, a number significantly above the decade average. Echoing that event came news in late January of the Ethiopian Airlines crash in Lebanon, which killed 90.

Despite last year’s improving statistics, the 24 non-fatal accidents – in each of the 10 years to 2008 there were 27 non-fatal and five fatal accidents – strongly suggest that further progress in safety is needed, EASA has stated.

There were 41 fatal accidents in other world regions last year involving aircraft registered in non-EASA member states. While this too is an improving picture - that is, below average for the 10 years to 2008 - the death toll was an unacceptable 573.

Commercial helicopter accidents worldwide in 2009 were at their second lowest tally for the decade. But the three-year rolling average shows that numbers have remained more or less constant over the last five years. Clearly this leaves room for progress, which is perhaps not entirely surprising given rotary’s far from perfect safety history. Our rotary wing feature suggests that no one would be flying in commercial aircraft today if the airlines’ safety record were anything like that for single engine helicopters.

This information, all gathered from recent news items and reports, resonates with several items in this issue of CAT Magazine, which coincidentally and with uncanny timing strongly embrace the theme of safety.

Simulation and scenario-based training in the rotary wing sector, which are becoming increasingly feasible courtesy of new products coming online at acceptable prices, could be helping to improve safety in this sector. There is growing demand for this technology and indications are that simulation manufacturers are working hard to provide better equipment for helicopter training.

Guest author Captain John Bent gives his take on the relationship between training and accidents in the airline sector. One dilemma is that while technology promotes new opportunities for achieving safer, more reliable operations, it can also generate human factors issues. Better safety, it seems, is a moving target that airlines endeavour to keep in their sights, but whose fickleness makes it hard to capture. Each advance in technology or operating practice creates new challenges.

Exacerbating this situation are perception differences at executive level. While those responsible for training are cognizant of the need for continual improvements in training, boardroom decisions are usually swayed by economic factors. Consequently systemic faults and inadequacies in the system due to extant and inadequate training programs could remain there for a long time.

Information emerging from recent accident summaries suggests this to be so.

One dichotomy emphasised by this scenario is that while better simulation for helicopter pilots is emerging as a result of improving technology, airline training needs to keep more in step with advancing airliner technology.

What these articles clearly show, however, is the fundamental role that simulation training is playing and has to offer in improving the business of flying. EASA’s appeal for further progress in safety is appropriate. Aviation will grow and flourish again soon when the clearer air of economic stability returns. As and when that happens we will see, due to the massive predicted growth, an increasingly complex industry emerge with its myriad related challenges, but also new risks and hazards. Perhaps now is the time to get the house in shape by redoubling efforts on improving training equipment and processes. The demand is there, the industry wants and needs it. That is surely the route to creating a safer industry.

Alan Emmings Managing Editor, CAT Magazine • alan@halldale.com CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

03

AIRLINE TRAINING PROFILE

Emirates Bucks The Trend CAREERS OUTLOOK

Degrees Of Success – Rekindling The Desire To Fly FLIGHT TRAINING

Ansett Aviation Training

MAINTENANCE TRAINING

Reinventing The Training Format

ISSN 0960-9024 | uS $17/£8.50

issue 1/2010

cover credit Emirates

front cover

contents CAT 1/2010 www.halldale.com The Journal for civil aviaTion Training

5 Editorial Comment

airline training profile

6

6 AIRLINE TRAINING PROFILE Emirates Upholds Standards And Bucks The Trend In Flat Market.

Many airlines aspire to be the best, but not many are willing to assign the appropriate resources to implement such a plan.

12 CAREERS OUTLOOK Degrees Of Success – Rekindling The Desire And Chance To Fly. The industry is working to stem the personnel shortage and improve career appeal.

No small task in the current climate, but ideas and initiatives are emerging.

15 SAFETY TRAINING

12

Careers Outlook

Assets And Lurking Threats - A View On Training And Safety.

There seems to be an increasing rate of human failure, which is now more exposed in the man-machine system, writes guest author Captain John Bent.

18 FLIGHT TRAINING Business Pros Take The Helm At Ansett Aviation Training. Full flight simulator organisations operating in the Southern Hemisphere not part of an airline flight training department are rare. Ansett Aviation Training would seem to be unique.

20 ROTARY WING TRAINING

15

Safety training

Progress With Helicopter Sims Is Cutting High Accident Rate. The US helicopter accident rate is 30% higher than in general aviation. While the tally of civil helicopter accidents declined in 2008, the number rose to 160 in 2009.

23 MAINTENANCE TRAINING Online And Ongoing – The Maintenance Sector Reinvents Its Training Format. Continuing our review of maintenance training, this feature contrasts the main engine OEMs and the tools now helping AMTs to perform their roles.

31 NEWS Analysis and Seen & Heard. The latest from the training market, compiled and edited by Lori Ponoroff and the CAT editorial team.

23

Maintenance training

feature Articles

Better Safety The Ongoing Quest. There is much to remind us not to espouse complacency... risk and hazard remain omnipresent, especially with the economic headwind.

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

05

Airline Training Profile

Emirates Upholds Standards And Bucks The Trend In Flat Market

C

aptain Martin Mahoney, senior vice president flight training at Emirates Aviation College, is very clear in his view that Emirates is bucking the trend in its approach to training during these difficult economic times. As an example, there were 146 new pilots on contract to join Emirates when the downturn started, but the decision was made at the highest level to honour those contracts and to avoid furloughs. Coming from a period of very high growth, when training capacity at Emirates was full to overflowing and some training had to be contracted out, the change in economic circumstances has simply meant reverting to a normal scale of training using internal capacity.

Even more significant is that there has been time to fully assess the quality of training provided and, where necessary, improve it. Captain Mahoney believes that if such a hard look at train06

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

ing programmes is not taken, there is an inevitable drift away from the highest standards to a belief that merely satisfying regulatory requirements is sufficient.

This is particularly true when training is outsourced. The Emirates’ target of maintaining the highest standards means that it was, in fact, helpful to have this breathing space to improve the training system, particularly now that first officer recruitment has started again.

To understand the size of the training task it is worth reviewing the numbers involved. Emirates operates a fleet of some 143 aircraft, exclusively wide body, on a route network that spans the globe.

That includes 19 deliveries, which were maintained at the planned level during 2009. In 2010 there will be fewer deliveries but Emirates still expects to take three B777s and eight A380s, hence the recent recruitment programme. The rate of fleet expansion may regain historical

levels post 2010, but for now the immediate training task is still significant. There are about 2,450 pilots on strength, and some 10,500 cabin crew. In addition to a first officer recruitment programme, a further 3,000 new cabin crew are expected to be trained this year.

Ideally Emirates pursues a policy of recruiting pilots initially as first officers, whatever the individual's previous qualifications; the aim is to offer contracts only to those with the potential to become a captain. Although there is a seniority system for progression to command, competency is the driver. As with all changes of post within Emirates, heavy weighting is given to the results of the psychometric assessment, which must have been completed within six months of the start of any new appointment.

To regenerate the enthusiasm and engagement of the training team, Mahoney has had to address the his-

In 2010 Emirates expects to take delivery of three B777s and eight A380s (pictured).

Image credit: Airbus/H Goussé.

Many airlines aspire not simply to be the best, but actually to get the top position. Not many are able and willing to assign the appropriate resources of people, tools and time to implement such a plan, writes Chris Long.

torical relationship of the type rating instructors (TRI) and type rating examiners (TRE) and their separate roles. At one time these roles were held distinctly apart, and consequently some of the best instructors declined the post of TRE, as they could then no longer instruct. Many perceived that the purely examining role of a TRE during various checks would not be as fulfilling as their instructional role.

During the downturn in training last year training standardisation courses were re-introduced for all instructors and examiners. The course focussed on a “back to basics” theme where trainers returned to the classroom and were reminded of the instructional and facilitation skills expected within Emirates Flight Training. The standardisation course also promoted the concepts of airmanship, awareness, suspicion and common sense within the Emirates operation. The latter encourages pilots to

apply the larger experience of life as an overlay to the problem solving of unexpected situations. From now on TREs will conduct instructional duties as well as their examining duties, which should encourage more of the very good TRIs to put themselves forward for a TRE qualification.

ITQI Emirates is proud of the fact that it has been chosen to be the Beta test case for the IATA Training and Qualification Initiative (ITQI) concept. A pilot proficiency check (Emirates-speak for LPC) will now have a single examiner pilot who will not only complete the PPC carried out during the first day, but who will undertake the training, which constitutes the second day of the recurrent training. In line with the ITQI, the second day will feature evidence-based training (EBT) driven by analysis of FOQA, ASRs etc.

In concert with a “back to basics” policy, one of the initiatives introduced is the reinforcement of manual flying skills. There will be an additional simulator slot of four hours, in which four pilots will each fly a one-hour profile covering a full range of manual flying skills without the use of autopilot, the flight director or the auto thrust systems. This is a specific addition to training hitherto carried out and a concrete example of the extra investment in training, which Emirates believes will help to address any potential degradation of manual flying skills triggered by the level of automation in cockpits today.

It has also been noticed that specific skills are needed for instructors working on aircraft with fly-by-wire side-stick controllers. Intervention simulator training, as the name suggests, allows instructors to practise their intervention techniques at critical stages of flight, usually CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

07

Airline Training Profile

when the aircraft is close to the ground.

It addresses the fact that an instructor no longer has the “feedback loop” he may have been used to with the traditional control column. Feedback from instructors who have conducted this training has been positive.

Not all improvements in training have been high-tech driven. Emirates recently reviewed its distance learning programme and concluded that it was not delivering the level of training that it wanted. The decision was made to complement its distance learning modules with technical training in the classroom and a return to “chalk and talk” exercises.

The return of the technical instructor in ground school has been well received by Emirates’ line pilots.

A380

Above Emirates Aviation College training facility.

Left Captain Martin Mahoney, senior vice president flight training at Emirates Aviation College.

Image credit: Emirates Aviation College.

As Cliff Chetcuti, chief training pilot A380 and an enthusiastic instructor, says, the start point to set up the training for the A380 was to use Airbus check lists, procedures and training tools as much as possible. As a result there is 99.5% commonality with Airbus and only minor differences (such as the degree of emphasis on a specific action) exist.

The appeal of this philosophy is that it is simple to incorporate and easy to benefit from the improvements in processes and training tools, which are continually being developed by Airbus. From an Airbus perspective there is recognition that, as an A380 operator, Emirates is rapidly accumulating additional knowledge of the practicalities of operating the aircraft. So strong is the feedback and cooperation with Airbus that such changes are immediately discussed and are often incorporated into Airbus procedures themselves.

As with other fleets there is an element of pre-course study through distance learning and then instructor-led classroom work. The joint benefits of having someone available to immediately answer queries and the input from others on the course are highly valued and play an important part in training. This carries on beyond the immediate qualification course, and a live FAQ page on the training website is updated monthly to address the continuing and most recent queries, which have cropped up during normal operations. The underlying theme is not to learn the aircraft operation by rote, but rather to understand the phi-

There is also a large array of emergency evacuation trainers built by TFC. Here again the financial investment in training support is evident. Not only are all the EETs on a large scale, but they are all used with motion systems. Baird is very clear that the motion capability is highly valued as it definitely enhances the “close as possible to reality” training environment that produces the best possible standard.

Training also includes the use of one particularly interesting piece of equipment, the Tempus IC. It is a telemedical resource, which trained cabin crew can connect to a passenger with a suspected medical problem. It then provides instantaneous vital sign information by datalink for analysis by Medlink, the ground-based medical resource based in Arizona. Optimal medical advice can then be given to the crew, who can make the best decisions on the treatment needed and whether or not a diversion is necessary. Not only is this, in every sense, a lifesaver, but it is also a source of considerable reassurance to passengers and operating crews when the diagnosis shows that there is no significant problem.

Baird was closely involved in developing a major programme to enhance Emirates’ service delivery offering.

The innovative one-day programme (Nujoum) is not only a major influence on the way people see themselves and work together, it also helps to shape

08

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

losophy and logic behind the sequencing of actions and the sourcing of appropriate information. It would be impossible to learn accurately every single system failure, so it is critical to be able to understand and sensibly apply abnormal procedures to resolve the problem.

Cabin Crew The key link through the instructional set-up in Emirates Aviation Training College is enthusiasm. Nowhere is this more evident than in cabin crew training, led

by Catherine Baird, senior vice president cabin crew training. Many airlines are keen to emphasise their national identity, but while Emirates has a strong Middle Eastern heritage, it is a very cosmopolitan airline, a fact clearly illustrated by the impressive range of nationalities (120+), which make up the cabin crew team.

Another training enthusiast, Catherine Baird is keen to emphasise that the driver behind the training is to use “hands on” practical training as much as possible.

Theory is covered using a mix of distance learning for pre-course testing and study, and of course there is both CBT and classroom work. However, most of the training is conducted on a comprehensive range of high-fidelity training devices, including live fire trainers made

by Interfire, and cabin mock-ups for service training, including a double-storey A380 made by local company, Spatial.

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the interaction the crew have with their customers. And as some 9,000 cabin crew who have participated have come to expect, it is, in the philosophy of all the training here, very much aimed at the individual. It is not only largely practical as opposed to theoretical, it is also, for the most part, a hugely enjoyable day.

A clear indicator of the determination of Emirates to maintain the highest possible standards is the view of new forms of full flight simulators. Mahoney recognises that such things as motion cuing seats are effective and might well reduce costs.

However, he is firmly of the opinion that the “close to reality” training environment, which Emirates seeks, is today best reproduced by full-motion systems. Although these are becoming less expensive as electric motion platforms are introduced, their continued use has a cost impact on training, but he can live with that. The main criterion for selecting them as the preferred tool is that he believes the realism they provide is still the most effective training solution to maintain standards on the line. And that is what drives Emirates training.

Emirates Aviation College – North Campus Full Flight Simulators B777-300 B777-300ER

Emirates-CAE Flight Training Full Flight Simulators A320 x2 B737 x2 A330/A340 B777-200 Bell 412 Hawker 800/XP Hawker 850 G5/G550 G4 Global Express Emirates Aviation College – South Campus Full Flight Simulators A310/A300 A330 A330/A340 B777-200 Part Task Trainers A380 M/FTD (Maintenance/Flight Training Device) A330/A340 TFST (Thales Flat Screen Trainer) Emirates Aviation College – Crew Training

Note Another training facility, Emirates-CAE Flight Training, operates close to the Emirates Aviation College. This is a standalone, 50/50 joint venture between Emirates and CAE. It provides third-party training to airlines and, to a large extent, the fixed and rotary-wing corporate market, for which there is a huge demand both in the region and globally. It operates an impressive range of 12 simulators, which cater for that market (see table). The facility also houses two further simulators from Emirates. cat

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CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

11

CAREERS OUTLOOK

Degrees Of Success

Rekindling The Desire And Chance To Fly The industry is working to stem the personnel shortage and improve career appeal, writes US affairs editor Chuck Weirauch. No small task in the current climate, but ideas and initiatives are emerging and at least the industry is being proactive.

I

n December 2008 the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), Airbus, Boeing and the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) warned that as soon as the economy recovered, air carriers would “collide with a barrier to expansion.” The “barrier” would be a dearth of pilots, maintenance personnel, air traffic controllers and other vital employees. Further back, in 2007, IATA, FSF and others launched the Industry Training and Qualification Initiative (ITQI) to address the perceived near and long-term shortage of personnel in flight operations, maintenance and engineering.

“The worst is likely behind us,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s director general and CEO, in the organization’s latest forecast. “For 2010, some key statistics are moving in the right direction.

Demand will likely continue to improve and airlines are expected to drive down non-fuel unit costs by 1.3%, although airlines will remain firmly in the red in 2010 with US$5.6bn in losses.”

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CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

With these predictions and others assuming that the recession has hit bottom and that airlines are at least expecting to lose considerably less revenue this year, could another pilot shortage really be looming in the near future along with a continuing economic recovery?

While the industry begins to see the possibility of such a shortage, try telling that to younger people who are becoming discouraged from entering aviation because of all the negative press about it and while watching flight schools close and the cost of initial training continue to rise. This is one of the major challenges that flight schools and the industry as a whole now seem destined to face.

Optimistic “I’m very optimistic that we will have hiring again, with 2010 a recovery year with some hiring and a full recovery more likely in 2011,” said Kit Darby, president of KitDarby.com Aviation Consulting. “We know that two years from now retirements will kick back in. I agree with

Above New entrants have to think very seriously before making the investment.

Image credit: CTC Aviation.

those who say that we could have a pilot shortage in a couple of years.”

While many do not believe such a shortage could happen so soon because of the high number of pilots on furlough, an estimated six to seven thousand in the US alone, during peak hiring periods as many as 20,000 pilots were being hired in a year, Darby pointed out. With more pilots opting to retire and with furloughed pilots not wanting to come back to work, there could be a shortage for smaller airlines almost right away after the recovery, he said.

Compounding the potential shortage problem is the closure of numerous flight schools and fewer domestic students, at least in North America, although several are able to keep in the black by increasing the number of foreign students. But

regardless of nationality, the high cost of ab initio and advanced pilot training is becoming more recognized as the main reason why students are opting for other careers.

“We have tried to keep the cost as low as we can while at the same time maintaining the highest level of quality in the program in respect to professionalism,” said Bruce Smith, Dean of the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. “One of the things we are hoping for is that this recent scrutiny by Congress after the Buffalo crash will help raise entry level salaries.”

UND is telling students that there will be more jobs as older pilots retire and that there will be a demand for more pilots as airlines expand their international routes, Smith said. He also asked US airlines to consider that airlines in other countries are sponsoring their student pilots and to contemplate doing the same.

According to Captain Lee Woodward, executive director for CTC Aviation and head of the CTC Wings cadet program, new entrants coming into the business in the form of ab initio pilots have to think very seriously before making the investment. For most, job prospects remain sketchy and the ability to raise funding for flight training is difficult. In the UK the flight school has seen unsecured funding to the levels required for CPL/IR training pretty much disappear, he explained.

“The CTC Wings program aims to train 168 new cadet pilots each year and we see first-hand how difficult it can be for young people to raise upwards of £70,000 to fund their training,” Woodward said. “Ideally we would like to see an upturn in the industry with pilots being hired at the kind of levels we saw just a few years ago. In addition, investment from the airlines is essential if we are to secure high-calibre cadet pilots to operate aircraft in the future. Clearly airlines are watching their costs and investment in future pilots is low on the priority list,” Woodward continued.

“However, if the predicted growth in the airline industry is only partly accurate, we could see a significant shortage in high-quality pilots. We know that the lead-in time to get a new rookie pilot from application to competent airline pilot is circa two years, so we would urge airline managers to start to consider investing in their pilots of the future now.”

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CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

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CAREERS OUTLOOK

Expansion One answer to airline student investment, funding for training and pilot development timeline and supply issues could be the expansion of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) multicrew pilot license (MPL) concept. Students in competency-based, simulation-intensive MPL programs have been sponsored by airlines, and the time required to earn the license is less than with traditional ATP programs.

However, the MPL approach poses benefits and risks, according to Joan Williams, manager of business development for Toronto Airways in Markham, Ontario, Canada. Williams is also chairman of the Flight Training Committee of the Air Transport Association of Canada.

Chinese students enrolled in the highly structured, performance-based ab initio Integrated Airline Transport License Program at Toronto Airways have enjoyed “phenomenal success,” Williams said. The program incorporates MPL-like concepts, such as full-motion Cessna 172 simulator time before actual training in the aircraft. She believes there will be serious implications for Canadian flight schools if MPL does take off in North America, including the possible migration of flight training out of Canada and the erosion of the number of flight instructors.

Flight schools and commercial operators are greatly in favor of developing national standards for flight training, according to Williams. They are also interested in helping develop these resources together through a national working group for standards beyond traditional ATP standards that would include training in glass cockpits. The idea is for flight schools to partner with regionals to develop a “kind of MPL for regionals” that would offer a career path for students.

“We need flight schools and operators to cooperate and build that enriched regional MPL program that would meet their needs,” Williams said. “There is more hope for the future in this approach than in the traditional one, since it is more attractive and more professional for all sides.”

ITQI & NGAP According to Peter Wolfe, executive director of the Professional Aviation Board of Certification (PABC), the avia14

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

Above Toronto Airways’ Transport Canada Level 5 Fidelity full motion Cessna 172S Flight Training Device.

Image credit: Fidelity Flight Simulation.

tion professional shortage anticipated in 2007 that led to the creation of the ITQI will occur, but slightly later than originally forecast. That is why his organization and a cross-section of nearly all of those in aviation, as well as training providers, airlines, manufacturers, academia and others, are joining forces with IATA to support ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) initiative.

ITQI continues and focuses on the development of competency-based training (as in MPL), the harmonized implementation of training standards and regulations, and the means to improve the attractiveness of the aviation industry as a career path for prospective flight crew, maintenance and engineering personnel.

The NGAP initiative complements the ITQI work, but expands it to encompass all aviation professions, including air traffic controllers and aircraft inspectors, for example.

“We felt that we needed to address a broader scope of the aviation profession, for example ATC,” said Nicole BarretteSabourin, NGAP coordinator for ICAO. “We are looking to see if indeed there is a shortage coming in various aviation professions and how to facilitate training and education. Such training and education may be required just because of new technology in that they change the way they do their work.”

“The reason for NGAP is that the skill sets are changing, encompassing the skill sets, knowledge and competen-

cies needed for today and tomorrow,” Wolfe said. “We have to define and keep up with changes to keep pace and have standards for curriculum, methods and best practices in a mutually interactive and supportive system.”

While members of the NGAP task force have little doubt those personnel shortages will exist in various regions and professions, the first steps to be taken are to quantify where they could exist. ICAO is in the process of collecting this data to determine the training needs and capacity in each region and job category, Barrette-Sabourin explained.

According to ICAO, some questions that will be addressed by the NGAP task force and at the first NGAP symposium, to be held March 1-5 in Montreal this year, include: • What is constraining the recruitment, retention and the training and education of pilots, controllers, maintenance personnel, as well as other aviation professionals?

• What are some of the global initiatives that can facilitate these elements?

The symposium will bring together regulators, industry, educators and training providers, Barrette-Sabourin said.

One goal will be to look at how to change some of the ways that have been used to regulate training and education to facilitate streamlined training, while maintaining safety and quality. More information about the 2010 NGAP Symposium can be found at http://www.icao.int/NGAP.

Passion For those who are considering a career in aviation, many experts recommend enrolling in a four-year degree program now.

“It’s looking like it will be one to two years until the market will begin to offer pilot positions,” Darby said. “Potential students need to realize that aviation is [cyclical] and that if you are going to be a professional pilot and rise to the highest level, you are going to need a four-year degree.”

“We need to bring some of the glamour back to the profession,” Smith summed up. “This would mean reducing the hours flown on the job and some of the convoluted trips, while bringing the entry salary levels up. We also need to talk about the positive things [in] the profession and recapture some of the passion about careers in aviation.” cat

TRAINING AND SAFETY

Assets And Lurking Threats – A View On Training And Safety Airliner technology has become more reliable and fail-safe, which should have driven down the accident rate. Instead there seems to be an increasing rate of human failure, which is now more exposed in the man-machine system, writes Captain John Bent.

“Recent research shows pilot training is the best investment against catastrophic accident risk” - UK Civil Aviation Authority Study 2008

S

ince August 2005 there have been many airline accidents where crew training may have been a contributory factor.

There were nine to mid-2006, seven from mid-2007 to mid-2008, 12 from mid 2008 to mid-2009, and four since mid-2009.

The five-year data remain worrying and may be difficult to explain by relating exclusively to system expansion.

From a total of 37 airline accidents since August 2005, 30 or more may be found to have had human factors at their core. In conflict with advances in airliner technology: • Training programs have generally declined in relevance, volume and duration; • Rapid growth has lowered average experience levels; • Fewer military trained pilots are enter-

ing airlines, diluting deep handling skills; • Motivation levels for a piloting career have changed.

Following accident investigations, crew training often features as an important corrective strategy. Sometimes the “blame and train” solution is applied instead of a deeper look into systemic and dormant factors within an organisation, aimed at more permanent solutions.

Perceptions While current challenges are well understood by training professionals, there may be significant perception differences at executive level. The robustly regulated airline environment is designed to protect the system and largely does a good job. But aviation regulations cannot effectively keep up with this rapidly advancing industry.

For example, from 1947 to 2006, when airlines moved from turboprops to jets, thus doubling speed and complexity, airline pilot training requirements hardly changed.

Above Airline technology is becoming more reliable and fail-safe.

Image credit: Rolf Bewersdorf/Lufthansa.

For airline executives under ever increasing pressures to reduce costs, regulators still provide a perceived “security blanket”. Under cost pressures, the volume and quality of training delivered to crews may have shrunk to regulatory minimums, sometimes seen as budgetary maximums - “We meet legal requirements, don’t we?”

From the ICAO Safety Management Manual (SMM), AN/460 (2006): “Weak Management may see training as an expense rather than an investment in the future viability of the organisation”.

A survey conducted by CAPA in 2009 asked airline managements about their current concerns and priorities. Their answers were as follows (% respondent priorities): demand (76%), raising capital (62%), oil price volatility (58%), nonCAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

15

TRAINING AND SAFETY

fuel operating costs (40%), availability of skilled resources (15%), technology implementation (13%), regulatory issues (12%), environmental issues (11%), quality of training (2%).

While these responses are understandable from a purely business perspective, the lack of awareness of the importance of training quality is of interest from a safety management viewpoint.

Volatile An identified need for training improvements, combined with an apparent lack of executive awareness of this need, combine to produce a volatile mixture in the safety system. The training pilots receive today will reside in the airline system as either a safety asset or a lurking threat for decades to come. There is evidence from recent accident summaries that we are seeing the latter already.

It is against this backdrop that ICAO has responded.

ICAO tasked a team of global experts to develop the multi-crew pilots licence (MPL). Work began in 2000 when the industry was relatively slack. Contrary to popular comment, MPL was not designed for time or cost savings: the driver was relevance and quality. ICAO MPL Doc 9868 was eventually published in 2006. A broad understanding of MPL in 2010 does not yet exist. Some comments on MPL follow: • Hours of real flight: In simple terms of hours flown, the new MPL program prescribes minimum exposure for students to approximately 33% of traditional time in air. From this fact alone it is easy to dismiss MPL without delving deeper.

But flying hours are no agent of effective learning without structured relevance and quality instruction.

The total MPL training time in aircraft and simulators does exceed traditional CPL programs. Simulation more than compensates for reduced flight hours and every hour of instruction is relevant to eventual airline operations.

Beta trials have also shown how the aircraft flight training phase can be enhanced by running the aircraft training exercise three times: (a) in the related type simulator, (b) in the aircraft, and (c) via video debrief.

• Holistic integrated program: The MPL footprint is integrated holistic training, ruthlessly dedicated to the airliner flight deck, not on how to fly light singles, 16

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twins, and business jets. Nevertheless fundamental skills acquisition in critical areas must be taught to competency, and this includes recovery from unusual attitudes, both in flight and simulation a training objective of great importance today.

• Embedded training: Throughout MPL training crew resource management (CRM), threat and error management (TEM), and ATC communications are ICAO requirements. Although most if not all of these training objectives can be found in existing CPL programs, the content is often delivered as a stand-alone (box ticked) module, rather than a platform that remains continuously embedded in the syllabus.

• Competencies: The concept of achieving defined competencies at every gate during the program is educationally well understood, but forms a significant challenge in flight training. However, much recent work on task analysis and instructional design is providing best practice templates for MPL. • MPL Training aircraft: Modern training aircraft applied to MPL have many airline-typical features by design, such as FADEC, EFIS, typed simulators, and cockpit observation seats. Two students can observe air exercises, and many more ground simulation.

• MPL Simulation: Revised flight simulation training device (FSTD) categories will be published soon by ICAO as an update to Doc 9625. This expanded listing (1 – V11) results from an exhaustive program of R&D conducted by the Royal Aeronautical Society, which matched equipment to training objectives. Augmenting the standard Level D FSTD, ATC

Above Modern training aircraft used in MPL programmes incorporate many airline-typical features by design.

Image credit: David Malley/Halldale Media.

simulation (using voice recognition systems), is also a requirement of MPL. As experienced airline pilots know well, the challenge of accurate voice communications remains a serious safety system deficiency despite the growing application of non-voice communication, and enforcement of ICAO English standards at Level 4 and above.

• Continuous enhancements: In the last analysis the ICAO MPL is only a best practice training framework, and it is up to responsible training organisations to put appropriate “fat on the bone”. But if this “fat” is not fully aligned with the MPL concept, negative training and wasted program time may result.

For example, some training organisations and regulators have added the same traditional light-twin and jet performance training to the MPL framework often found in traditional CPL training, possibly to provide a perceived sense of security with new program introduction, and to utilise assets which already exist.

Performed in additional non-airline aircraft, the MPL concept is impaired, and the student may lose focus. Unnecessary cost is also added to the program.

An example of more appropriate fat on the bone is the current focus on recovery from unusual attitude (UA) training, which is a base requirement of MPL. In response to increasing dominance of loss of control (LOC) incidents, the industry is vigorously researching more effective

ways to apply this training, which must become a high impact component of MPL, both in aircraft and simulators.

Suffered MPL requires attitude change and has suffered from some poor publicity in early inception. Some training organisations have marketed their new MPL program as “cheaper and faster”. This objective was never included in the brief for the six-year ICAO development team.

A freshly qualified general aviation pilot with an instructors rating may have been initially acceptable for the CPL program decades ago, but for airline operations is not today. Many were only instructing to build their hours for eventual airline employment, a distracting objective, and most had no practical airline experience. New MPL instructor courses are emerging in recognition of the need to lift the bar of instruction to airline-relevant level. At the very least, the instructor at the start of the student’s first MPL exercise must have a clear understanding of the ultimate purpose of the training: the airline pilot’s task.

MPL has already demonstrated competent graduates in base training.

The first Alteon trial of 6 Chinese pilots generated positive reports from the flight inspectors who observed the base training on B737NGs in China. Competency was achieved in six to 12 landings with pilots who had a fraction of traditional aircraft flight time, and for whose experience level the CAAC would have required 30 landings.

Many organisations are now trialing or operating the MPL program and over 30 states have embodied MPL in their aviation legislation. Comments from IATA suggest that this license will eventually become the only route for cadets to enter airline operations.

In practice, there are signs that MPL may indeed become a slightly less expensive and shorter full process abinitio-to-type rating training program.

Also emerging is the unintended consequence of reduced aircraft flight time in terms of less exposure to program, and graduation delays caused by poor weather and high density ATC activity.

Although this was never the objective of the development team it promises to be a significant advantage in some flight training locations such as China.

Once type rated the new airline

pilot puts the lessons learnt into practice, but not all these lessons will be well remembered in the many years of operational service ahead. So recurrent training programs must evolve to match the relevance of the MPL to provide added reinforcement and safety assurance. The traditional box-ticking approach requiring frequent repetition of low probability failures must give way to the more broadly based recurrent training driven by topical need, as already practiced by some operators.

MPL is leading the way towards the more appropriately trained airline pilot, and forms the basis for future recurrent training modules. The basic concepts of MPL are well understood by the experienced airline instructor, who has been delivering “work-around add-ons” for many years trying to strengthen the relevance of poorly prescribed recurrent training. While MPL sows better seeds, a follow-on process in recurrent training is essential to sustain the required knowledge skills and attitudes.

In parallel with new training initiatives, the raw material entering the commercial aviation system must be further optimised in selection to ensure that future pilots are the motivated “right stuff”, necessary for future safety levels.

A worthy objective, well recognised by training professionals, is to drive training programs from safety data. This is now becoming possible as technology matures. Anticipating this, training programs should not be set in stone but be redesigned to be malleable. While founded on a sound footprint built around task analysis, performance-measurement and competency standards, programs should also be designed to accommodate continuous change.

More radical action is needed to drive the training process to a higher level and reduce human error in the airline system or we will probably see more unpleasant safety outcomes. cat About the Author John Bent has been actively engaged in aviation training via a 45 year piloting career spanning the RAF, GA, and 4 airlines, and is currently leveraging his experience to help establish (with the Asia Development Assistance Board) a new MPL-based training academy in China, geared to the highest contemporary standards realistically attainable.

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Flight training

Left Eleven FFSs are operated, including a second A320 bought in 2008.

Image credit: Ansett Aviation Training.

are certificated by the Australian Regulating Authority (CASA) for type rating training and recurrent training. Some simulators are also approved for use by the military and by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) for their respective and specific training needs.

Instructors

Business Pros Take The Helm At Ansett Aviation Training Custom designed full flight simulator organisations operating in the Southern Hemisphere that are not part of an airline flight training department are rare. Ansett Aviation Training would seem to be unique, writes Capt. Gerry Fretz from Melbourne.

I

n 2001 David Gilmour, a former management consultant, teamed with Wayne Bos, a prominent businessman, to realise the opportunity of taking over the training assets of Ansett Airlines, which had gone into receivership. And so it came to be that two experienced businessmen found themselves running an aviation training company.

The genesis of the company was the original Ansett Flight Simulator Centre at Tullamarine in Melbourne. But a name change to Ansett Aviation Training now sees it operating as a privately owned company registered in Melbourne. In the last two years it has invested more than A$50m in redevelopment and expansion.

In 2007 plans were drawn up to extend and modernise the site and facilities. Completion of the building works in 2008 saw Ansett Aviation Training become the largest aviation training facility in the Southern Hemisphere. The 18

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original simulators were well housed but lacked some of the more modern equipment and computers.

Classrooms and briefing rooms also needed updating and modern instruction aids fitted. There is a cafĂŠ and lounge for clients but no overnight accommodation is available on the premises.

Since 2007, five FFSs and an A320 cabin crew emergency and evacuation trainer have been installed. The facilities now contain the necessary briefing rooms and additional classrooms to service cabin crew training. Computer based training (CBT) facilities allow for growth in the use of the latest aviation methodologies and equipment. It is apparent that no cost has been spared to ensure the optimum outcome.

A second A320 FFS was bought in 2008, together with Fokker 100 FFS and KingAir 200 FFS. These are now part of the total inventory of eleven FFSs operated by Ansett Aviation Training. All FFSs

Many Australian pilots work for airlines worldwide who, when they near retirement age, want to return home to Australia. These captains have a wealth of experience in aviation, which could be lost to the industry. Ansett Aviation Training is in a good position to tap into this supply. These retired captains form the nucleus of instructors retained by the company and are able to pass on their experience to those that follow. Additionally there are some current airline pilots available, all with many thousands of hours of experience, who can assist on a freelance basis.

The instructors are required to learn the standard operating procedures (SOP) of the customer and thus hold and amend as appropriate the operations manuals of each company. In practice once SOPs are learned, an experienced training captain has little difficulty adapting his instructional techniques to the slight variation in SOPs between various clients. Each instructor is given support, staff, facilities and equipment necessary to enable their complete focus on the task of training customer pilots to the best of their ability.

Ansett Aviation Training also holds approvals for its own training captains to conduct flight tests as appropriate in respect of initial and recurrent training.

Unlike in Europe it is not necessary for the instructor/examiner to hold a current licence as good as or better than that of the candidate. S/he is required to hold or have held the appropriate licence and type rating but must be approved by CASA to conduct such training/checking in the simulator.

A full type rating course and instrument rating renewal (IRR) on any of the simulators is available as most of the Ansett flight training captains are CASA approved type rating examiners (TRE).

On the other hand there are many customers who wish to do their own training with their own training captains, which relieves Ansett Aviation Training of much of the paperwork associated with flight crew training. This is particularly appropriate for specialist organisations like the military and the RFDS. The cabin crew A320 training simulator will be ready for training by March 2010. This will provide facilities for cabin crew emergency training in fire and smoke, and recurrent training in standard cabin crew normal and emergency procedures and the use of emergency escape slides. Initial cabin crew training on the A320 is also planned. There are no cabin crew instructors or examiners currently employed so initially the customer will conduct such instruction. Once the system is up and running it is proposed to employ suitable cabin crew training staff.

Technical staff have a long history of maintaining a range of simulator types from older to the latest models. The average length of experience within the technical workforce is 22 years, which provides knowledge and dedication rarely encountered. The customer service team also has many years’ customer service experience.

Spectrum Currently training is provided for over 3,000 pilots annually from locations worldwide. The customer base covers a

wide spectrum of aviation globally and from every state in Australia, from large airlines to regionals, some with just one aircraft. There is sufficient capacity to add three more FFSs and cabin crew trainers with appropriate doors for emergency procedures training. Plans exist, should further expansion on the current site be required, for an additional four FFS bays, classrooms and space for extra cabin crew training equipment.

This expansion, if necessary, could occur quickly and would be integrated into the current facility.

It is unusual for an aviation training organisation to be owned by nonaviation people, said David Gilmour. The owners, however, have inherited an experienced team of maintenance staff and recruited a highly experienced aviation management team including Graeme Smith, business development manager, and Captain John Holmes, flight training manager. This team reports directly to the owners, providing an accountable management structure that can make decisions with speed. With the owners’ business acumen and the management team’s technical knowledge and aviation experience, it has become a formidable and successful set-up.

Ansett Aviation Training sets and maintains a high level of customer service and it considers this aspect of the business to provide a strong foundation for further growth. cat

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From Taxis To Training A young Reginald Ansett, driving a second-hand car as a taxi, created the “Ansett Empire” in 1931. Just eleven years later, this one-man passenger service had become the biggest road passenger service in Australia. Problems arose with the government but undaunted he flew his Gypsy Moth aircraft from Hamilton to Sydney navigating with a road map, where he bought a Fokker Universal passenger plane.

On February 17, 1936, the Fokker Universal left Hamilton (approximately 200 miles west of Melbourne), for Melbourne operated by Ansett Airways Pty. Ltd on the inaugural scheduled service. Operations ceased during World War II but resumed soon afterwards operating war surplus DC3s.

Ansett Airlines in due course became an acknowledged major carrier operating domestic flights throughout Australia and international flights around Asia to the Republic of China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and many other destinations, right up to the collapse of the company in 2001. At that time the company, including several subsidiaries, was operating some 125 aeroplanes from B747-400s to De Havilland Twin Otters and, most importantly, the Ansett Australia Flight Simulator Centre, as it was then known, which had FFSs for B737, B767, BAe146, Saab 340, Metro and CRJ. The simulator centre had continued to operate in profit, independent of the airline in Melbourne until Ansett Aviation Training bought the assets in good condition in October 2004. Equally important was that the simulator maintenance and administration staff agreed to join the new owners, so it was a viable business right from the outset.

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ROTARY WING training

Progress With Helicopter Sims Is Cutting High Accident Rate The Aviation Underwriters Association reports that the US helicopter accident rate is 30% higher than in general aviation. While the tally of civil helicopter accidents reported by FAA declined in 2008, the number rose to 160 in 2009. Chuck Weirauch reports.

I

f the airline industry had as many crashes as the rotary wing sector, no one would be flying.

FAA statistics show that single-engine turbine helicopters are flying the highest number of hours of any civil helicopter class and are involved in the most accidents except for the single-piston engine reciprocating class. Organizations such as Helicopter Association International (HAI), the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), government agencies, manufacturers and training providers are working to expand and improve training for pilots in the single-engine turbine class of aircraft, in particular to reduce accident rates and improve performance.

One factor contributing to fewer helicopter accidents and improving pilot skill sets is the growing demand for simulation and scenario-based training. Once only cost-effective for operators of larger multi-engine helicopters, training device providers and flight training organizations are finding new ways and means to deliver this kind of training, so that its 20

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cost is justifiable for single-engine turbine aircraft operators as well as those who fly piston aircraft.

“I think that you will see simulation for single-engine turbine aircraft become much more commonplace,” said HAI flight training committee chairman Karl Cotton, who is also president of Upper Limit Aviation, a helicopter flight training school in Salt Lake City. “At the FAA helicopter safety team workshop held last March, the number one thing participants said they wanted was more simulation for this class of aircraft.”

Another recent training advance is the increasing use of scenario-based training, Cotton said. In 2009, HAI’s US joint helicopter safety analysis team (JHSAT) released a report based on earlier National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) helicopter accident data.

According to the report, “pilot judgment and actions dominated problems appearing in over 80% of the accidents analyzed.”

“The emphasis is much more on

Above Frasca International’s Eurocopter AS350 B2 flight training device.

Image credit: Frasca International.

scenario-based training… and a lot more about how the pilot thinks,” Cotton said. “Scenario-based training is certainly something that most operators, especially emergency medical services operators, are very much interested in, especially in decision-making and in night operations that will influence their judgment.”

VFR Most helicopter operations are done in the visual flight rule (VFR) environment, and therein exists the problem, said George Ferito, director of rotorcraft business development for FlightSafety International (FSI).

“Look at the real killers in helicopter operations, and you will see that they usually begin with some type of aeronautical

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decision-making error that is non-technical in nature, but absolutely critical to the safety performance of any operation.”

Ferito said.

“It typically starts with a big decision exacerbated by flying into inadvertent IMC. [Instrument meteorological conditions – the inherent instability of rotary aircraft means that loss of control in IMC will occur far more quickly than it would in fixed-wing aircraft - Ed.] We know that instrument flying skills are very perishable and must be kept up and kept current. Even when an IFR–certified pilot flying an IFR-certified helicopter finds himself in these circumstances, the results are not always positive.”

So given that helicopters mostly fly VFR and that most helicopters are not IFR-certified, even though many operators today require pilots to have that qualification, what is the answer to helping reduce IMC-related accidents? The best answer is training to recognize and avoid IMC altogether through the employment of scenario-based training in a helicopter flight training device, Cotton said.

Unfortunately the simulation industry has done little in the past to provide simulators for the largest segment of the helicopter market, the single-engine turbine aircraft, Ferito said. However, FSI is taking a big step towards helping resolve this problem by providing FAA Level 7-qualified FTDs for this class of aircraft at some of its training centers. This technology is also suitable for twin-engine aircraft as well, he added.

The initial Level 7 FTDs at the FSI centers for such aircraft are produced

by Frasca International. The first of these simulators and the first of its kind for civil

Above Frasca produced the Level 7-qualified AS 350 B2 FTD for FSI’s Helicopter Learning Center, Tucson.

Image credit: Frasca International.

helicopters was the company’s Eurocopter AS 350 B2 FTD, which was installed at FSI’s Helicopter Learning Center in Tucson this past August. According to Mark Phillips, Frasca’s senior manager for helicopter business development, the company has several other orders for the platform, including Bell 206B/206L configurable and Bell 407 FTDs at FSI’s learning center in Lafayette.

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Feasible “Because it’s non-motion but with a vibration platform, the Level 7 FTD comes out at a price that is economically feasible in the marketplace for singleengine turbine training,” Phillips said.

“I expect that you will see a lot more of these types of devices coming out in the marketplace. About 80% of aircraft in the commercial helicopter world are singleengine. There is every bit as much need for simulation-based training for these aircraft as twin-engine helicopters and maybe more. So you have to design a product that works for them, and we think that this product will work.”

Although the Level 7 FTD is a major breakthrough for single-engine turbine helicopter training, its full potential will not be realized until the FAA updates its rules and guidelines for this class of training device, both Ferito and Phillips emphasized. Both stated that the industry must work with regulatory agencies to help resolve such issues.

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ROTARY WING training

‘‘This is just the beginning, because we have invested in this new Level 7 technology,” Ferito said. “But frankly, a major issue that has to be dealt with is not atypically the FAA. They created this new Level 7 category exclusively for helicopters, and that’s where they stopped.

They did not revise the practical test standards and they haven’t, to this point in time, given us a definitive answer on the level of training and checking credits to accomplish in this level of device.

Until they do, they are really withholding the benefits of simulation and training from a large segment of the industry and, quite frankly, the ones who made it the most accident-prone segment of our business.”

Moving ahead with simulation-based helicopter training is also important because right now it is ‘‘about 40 years behind our fixed-wing counterparts in terms of simulation” simply because it is not as mature an industry, Phillips said.

But advancing aircraft technology is an important element driving the need for more helicopter simulation, including integrated avionics systems and computer-controlled engines, he said.

“These things demand a high level of simulation, because they are hard to learn, and things you just can’t do in a real aircraft,” Phillips said. “That’s a large part of what is driving the simulation market today.”

Educate As the need for more helicopter simulation-based training increases, so are training providers stepping up to meet the challenge. Helicopter manufacturer and training provider Augusta Westland is in a unique position to enhance safety, both by providing advanced avionics and navigation equipment in its aircraft to deal with IMC conditions, while providing the simulation-based training to properly instruct and educate pilots in its use.

According to Erik Anderson at Augusta Westland, the enhanced capabilities of the company’s helicopters are helping its customers to conduct business in more demanding environments. These capabilities are being matched with appropriate training at Augusta Westland training sites, both in type conversions and later in targeted training. Enhanced ground proximity warning systems (EGPWS), traffic 22

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

technology developed for its considerable number of military helicopter training customers to the civil arena. This is because the critical training needs are very similar in both markets, namely high fidelity, high-resolution visual systems performance at lower altitudes and specific mission training and rehearsal, Lauzon said.

Fundamental

Above A CAE-built Bell 412 full flight simulator.

Image credit: CAE.

collision avoidance systems (TCAS) and weather radar are virtually standard equipment on all of its aircraft, and these systems are all taught on the company’s courses.

Augusta Westland considers synthetic environments essential for effective training. To that end it is developing a suite of simulation and scenario-based training technologies for inclusion in its courses, Anderson said. Starting with computer-based training and electronic classroom learning that is mostly instructor-led, the company is also employing FTDs and virtual interactive procedures trainers (VIPT) on the way to providing full immersion in Level D simulators.

“Agusta Westland plans to increase further the degree of scenario-based training within its developing operational courses for aircrew to understand better the decisions they have to make and the procedures they must use on a day-to-day basis,” Anderson said. “This is particularly effective for both operational awareness and building team cohesion.”

According to Claude Lauzon, CAE vice president for civil aviation services, his company recently put more focus on civil helicopter training through its Helicopter Training Solutions Group. The company is bringing more of its training

“Visual is absolutely fundamental for these devices and where we need to put the best advances in higher resolution for pilot proficiency and safety of operation, because these aircraft operate close to the ground,” Lauzon explained. “We also need more emphasis on mission training since it varies so much on application. What is important for our customers is not only to be training to mission requirements, but to be able to provide specific training modules around specific applications.”

One reason why the accident rate for helicopters is much higher than other types of aircraft is that today most helicopter pilots train only in the aircraft, Lauzon said. One in five helicopter accidents occur during training missions.

Those statistics are in part why the NTSB and other organizations are recommending more simulation-based helicopter training.

Once operators understand that simulation-based training is safer, one key to gaining more acceptance of the technology is to show them that it is also more cost-effective than live training. The other is demonstrating the capability to truly and accurately replicate the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft and environmental conditions, Lauzon added. CAE is working to provide more cost-effective training solutions, particularly for single-engine turbine operators.

“It’s very important for us to work both at the regulatory level and the industry self-regulated level to make sure that we implement effective training standards,” Lauzon said.

‘We also need to leverage the technology so that it is cost-effective. All the elements of the solutions are there. The hat trick is to actually orchestrate these into a product that is cost-effective to train, with regulations as a framework for safety to improve, because right now it’s being under-regulated.” cat

MAINTENANCE training

Online And Ongoing – The Maintenance Sector Reinvents Its Training Format Continuing his review of maintenance training at the start of the new decade, Robert W. Moorman contrasts the training approaches and philosophies of the main engine OEMs and looks at the tools and innovations now helping AMTs perform their roles.

G

eneral Electric Aircraft Engines, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce have all updated their training methods and facilities for AMTs, who will work on nextgeneration engines.

GE has spent over $400,000 updating its Customer Technical Education Center (CTEC) near Cincinnati, as well as the engine bay, where floor training on the GEnx-1B and 2B takes place. The GEnx engine, successor to the CF6, is offered on the B787 and B747-8. The GEnx has a thrust range between 53,000lb and 75,000lb.

Mechanics attend CTEC for a weeklong line maintenance course. Each student has their own classroom computer on flushed desks, complete with three-dimensional animated models of the GEnx and other engines. The same information is displayed on a large screen at the front of the class. Instructors show simultaneously on the screen what the student sees on the computer.

“This enhances the learning aspect of these complex, high-tech engines,” said Tim Meyers, manager of CTEC.

Sixty-percent of training is undertaken in the classroom, the remainder is hands-on training on the shop floor.

Large plasma television screens near workstations display the engine maintenance manual and training material related to specific maintenance tasks.

“There is no longer any paper, it’s all electronic,” Meyers said.

Students have the option to stay on for an additional week for instruction on engine change, borescope and hot and cold sections.

Sixty-percent of CTEC’s students come from outside the US and the center graduates around 4,000 students per year.

GE also has a partnership agreement in China with CFM, where 700-800 AMTs are trained each year. CTEC plans to soon open a maintenance training facility in Qatar.

The Pratt & Whitney customer training center (P&W CTC) teaches several hundred courses per year to around 4,000 students globally. In recent years P&W has applied instructional systems and designs based on adult learning theories.

CTC provides tailored training for spe-

Above “Hands-on” instruction bays at GE’s Customer Technical Education Center.

Image credit: GE Aviation.

cific customers, such is the case for training for the PW6000 and GP7200 engines.

CTC employs technology, such as touch screen, virtual navigation of engines in the classroom and having the instructor become more of a guide in the classroom.

“The technology allows you to bring the engine to the classroom and classroom to the shop,” said Laura Holmes, general manager of P&W CTC. Bob Maciorowski, training operations manager, said that CTC is applying discovery learning, whereby a student or team can discover certain aspects of the engine on their own. Competency based training is becoming the norm, and training on green systems on the PW1000 engine and other cleaner engines is coming, he said.

CTC launched an online learning management system last year, whereby CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

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MAINTENANCE training

students can self-register and manage their training programs on-line. CTC has approached regulatory agencies with regards to allowing for level 1, general familiarization training for web-based training.

Like other trainers CTC provides on-site training, but has been known to also bring along a full-size actual engine to help the process. P&W sent a GP7200 engine last year in two sections to Dubai to instruct AMTs with Emirates airlines on the A380 powerplant.

The East Hartford-based company offers training on its own engines as well as those of its partner. Satellite centers in New Zealand, Norway, and Columbus, Georgia provide training and CTC is working on developing centers in Shanghai and Turkey.

Troubleshooting Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is training AMTs on its Trent 900 powerplant for the A380, and has developed a curriculum for the Trent 1000, which is offered on the B787.

Like other OEMs and their designated trainers, Rolls-Royce training for the Trent 900 and 1000 includes troubleshooting, which helps ensure longer time on-wing, with better on-wing service.

Keeping engines on-wing for longer benefits not only the customer, according to Rolls-Royce, but the manufacturer too.

Manufacturers typically offer total care packages with the sale of new engines, and on-wing training programs could help to reduce warranty costs for the OEM. Students visit Derby, England for Rolls-Royce’s required eight-day classroom and practical course, which includes software and hardware training aids.

Rolls-Royce will offer engine removal and installation training for the Trent 1000 when the first B787 is delivered.

Trade Tools Advances in training methodologies and technology have greatly helped in training today’s AMTs. CAE, known for its innovative hardware and software training solutions, recently unveiled a new professional troubleshooting skills (PTS) course for training AMTs for business aircraft. The instructor-led PTS course enables AMTs to isolate, identify and fix suspected problems faster, thereby reducing repair costs and getting aircraft back into revenue earning service.

Rather than apply a “scatter-gun” 24

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

approach to maintenance, the PTS course helps develop systematic processes and decision-making skills by focusing on the logic of aircraft troubleshooting. Students learn how to determine the cause of the malfunction and the most timely and cost-effective resolution.

The troubleshooting course is designed to deliver a variety of faults for multiple aircraft platforms. The PTS simulation software uses multiple monitors to accurately display fault isolation. Troubleshooting exercises use actual electrical, hydraulic and other schematics, which respond as the aircraft would to each troubleshooting procedure. Graphics provide a physical representation of the aircraft or system being examined.

“Troubleshooting is a key skill that must be honed,” said Michele Asmar, director of delivery services, pilot and maintenance training solutions.

A few years ago, CAE transferred software of the full flight simulator to the desktop, using a graphical interface to provide personalized training for pilots and mechanics. The result was Simfinity, a virtual maintenance trainer, which combines the cockpit environment with system schematics. It allows students to visualize what is happening and simulate malfunctions. With the importance of expedited turnaround times, the PTS course could provide lasting value for the AMT and his/her employer. The PTS course augments the advances made through Simfinity.

CAE also announced recently that it has initiated its first CAE Simfinityequipped classroom for maintenance training at the Honeywell Aerospace Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. High fidelity, simulation-based multi-screen displays will be used to support technical training across a range of Honeywellequipped business aircraft platforms.

The first five-day course addresses Air Transport Association Level III line maintenance for the Honeywell Primus Epic avionics system.

Advances Elsewhere there are technological advances for AMT training worth noting. Airbus recently validated the ECA Faros Airbus Competence Training (ACT) trainer used in maintenance training for various Airbus aircraft.

The ACT trainer or classroom is a package of software linked to achieve a

maintenance training operation inside a classroom. The package includes an active pilot software running on a PC; Airbus electronic documentation AirN@v; a virtual aircraft to access simulated equipment; an exercise launcher tool to help conduct specific exercises; and the Airbus courseware, or maintenance crew training manual.

Lufthansa Technical Training bought a selection of ACT training devices for use in its worldwide training centers.

LTT is the launch customer for the ECA Faros ACT A320.

As part of its competency based training program, SR Technics, which is part of the Airbus Maintenance Training Network, has invested in ACT systems for its maintenance training program.

This includes the hardware and software to simulate aircraft in the classroom.

“This allows us to get down to the detail of competency based training by coaching and assessing on things such as the use of troubleshooting documentation, ensuring that safety steps are taken and that the application of procedures is done,” said Markus Buergin, vice president of group technical training, SR Technics.

FSI has modified its pilot training Matrix Training System to be used as a tool for training AMTs. The purpose of Matrix is to troubleshoot all aircraft systems from the cockpit. FSI transfers the simulator software code to the desktop trainer (DTS), allowing the technician to operate a virtual aircraft on two screens.

Students can perform diagnostics for the aircraft using the Matrix software.

Alure, a 3-D simulation of the entire aircraft, is another piece of FlightSafety courseware being used to train AMTs. The simulation, which comes from exact designs obtained from the OEM, enables technicians to virtually enter the tight confines of the avionics bay or elsewhere in the aircraft.

For years, maintenance training was chalk and talk. Students would sit in a conventional classroom and listen to an overwhelmed instructor with a wooden pointer and a chalkboard. Now, with the aid of advanced software and hardware tools, plus new and innovative ways of training AMTs, the format has changed dramatically. Classrooms have become multimedia centers where the instructor is more of a facilitator and students’ laptops are as helpful as a wrench. cat

Organised by:

Wishing for an aviation training conference that combines all the features of the best events into one?

Welcome to WATS.

The World Aviation Training Conference & Tradeshow 27-29 April 2010 • Rosen Shingle Creek Resort • Orlando, Florida

D E T A D UP ENCE

C O N F E RA M M E PROGR

www.halldale.com/wats

“Do 3 month’s worth of business in 3 days” Organised by:

WATS, the World Aviation Training Conference & Tradeshow, is the biggest aviation tradeshow in the world, and the only one that: • Offers exceptional networking opportunities with colleagues, customers and suppliers.

• Presents practical and informative discussions on optimizing your training program.

• Reveals the latest training solutions and techniques to improve safety and performance.

• Displays state-of-the-art training systems and technologies.

WATS meets the needs of everyone in the training community with four individual conference streams targeted to World Airline Pilots, Regional Airline Pilots, Cabin Crews and Maintenance Crews. This year, it will help training organizations to be ready for the recovery with its theme of: Optimizing Training Technology and Techniques in a New Era. WATS 2010 will be host to an impressive international cast of training and simulation experts. It is the only show this year where you’ll hear representatives from professional organizations, regulatory groups and industry leaders talk about getting the most out of your current training program and efficient ways to improve it.

For the first time, WATS will be hosting professional associations who are holding their own conferences, classes and meetings at WATS to help their members get more out of one tremendous event:

KER: KEYNOTE SPEA , Randy Babbitt tor FAA Adminstra

Come to WATS this year and join over 1,000 aviation colleagues – including the top training decision makers and executives from more than 46 countries and 380 companies. Mark your calendar now for April 27 -29 to attend WATS, the biggest civil aviation training networking event in 2010 – the one companies and industry associations and regulators alike count on for the best business and networking opportunities of the year.

• The SCSI Cabin Safety Symposium and the WATS Cabin Training Conference are merging this year, making it the only safety and training meeting for cabin crew in 2010.

• The ATA Maintenance Training committee is holding its spring meeting during WATS and participating in the Maintenance program.

• The ATA Pilot Training Committee is running its Spring meeting at WATS and contributing to both Pilot conference tracks.

• The RAA Training Committee is contributing to the RATS Conference and breakouts on new legislation affecting US Regional operations.

• The Aviation Industry Computer Based Training Committee (AICC) is holding its seasonal meeting through the event, leading to renewed focus on this key learning technique.

If you’ve never been to WATS, this is the year to start!

Gold Sponsor:

Silver Sponsors:

The Exhibition

WATS EXHIBITS: • Full-service pilot, cabin and maintenance training services.

• Cabin crew training equipment – CEET’s, Door Trainers, full-motion cabin simulators, CBT and WBT courseware and delivery systems.

• Maintenance training equipment – mock ups, service suppliers, training hardware, WBT systems and composite materials training.

• Pilot CBT and Web-based training, FFS, FTD’s, FNPT’s, desktop systems and CRM. • Simulator sub systems – visual systems, displays, sound systems, IOS, avionics and instruments, networking, real-time computers, motion systems and relocation.

WATS provides you with the chance to meet and interact with the people who really matter, bringing your entire market to you in sunny Orlando and providing the perfect environment, professional and yet relaxed, in which to do business and engage in “face to face” meetings with the commercial sector. To facilitate the development of new business relationships, we will start WATS 2010 with a Golf Competition on Monday 26th April, sponsored by Thales followed with a Welcome Reception in the late afternoon, after the expo build up has finished. The Welcome Reception serves a double function, with exhibitors relaxing after setting up their booths and speakers handing in the latest updates to their presentations and is a great way to “break the ice” on WATS 2010.

The WATS exhibition includes 40,000 sq ft of exhibit space which is already 80% sold, giving the greatest concentration of aviation training companies in the world! The expo includes all the principle players: airlines, training providers, equipment manufacturers, air frame manufacturers, software and content providers and representatives from regulators and government programs from around the world.

The WATS conferences and exhibition work hand-in-hand to give delegates a comprehensive information experience. During tightly focused conference sessions and presentations, delegates hear the latest in technology and training developments and then they move on to the exhibit hall to see the latest solutions.

Together, the WATS conference and exhibition help training professionals make the right decisions, help them select the right training equipment, and give them the information they need to develop the latest and best training processes for the future.

WATS is pleased to welcome all our exhibitors to the 2010 exhibition from USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Adacel Systems Inc • Advanced Simulation Technology inc. (ASTi) • Aero Simulation, Inc. • AeroElite -Aeroservice Aviation Center • Aerosim Technologies Inc. • Air Campus • Airbus • AQT Solutions, Inc. • ATD • ART • ASAP • ASE • AvCommand Corporation • AVT • Axis Flight Training Systems GmbH • Binghamton Simulator Company (BSC) • Boeing Training & Flight Services • CAE • Christie Digital Systems • CPaT Inc. • Delta Air Lines • DynEd International • ECA Faros • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide • EDM • Equipe • FAA Academy. Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) • FAA National Simulator Program (NSP) • Fidelity Flight Simulation, Inc. • Flightline Training Services • FlightSafety International Inc. • Frasca International Inc. • GE Aviation Systems LLC • GenAv Systems Ltd. • Honeywell • Mechtronix Systems Inc. • MINT MEDIA INTERACTIVE Software Systems GmbH • OPINICUS Corporation • Oxford Aviation Academy • Peak Pacific Limited • Pelesys Learning Systems, Inc. • Pratt & Whitney Customer Training Center • Quadrant Simulation Systems Inc. • Rockwell Collins • RSI Visual Systems • Safety Training Systems, Inc. • Sim-Industries B.V. • SimJET Training Systems • SimPhonics, Inc. • Southern California Safety Institute (SCSI) • TFC-Technic and Flight Consulting • Thales • Tricom Technologies • Virtual Reality Media (VRM-USA)

Interested in Exhibiting?

For sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities please contact: USA - Andy Smith RoW - Jeremy Humphreys [t] 407 322 5605 [t] +44 (0)1252 532009 [e] andy@halldale.com [e] jeremy@halldale.com

Bronze Sponsors:

Supported by:

Organised with:

0900-1000 Session 1: Opening Remarks and Keynote Addresses (all conference tracks) • Randy Babbitt Administrator, FAA • Captain Rory Kay Executive Air Safety Chairman, ALPA

TUESDAY 27 APRIL

1000 - 1100 Coffee - Sponsored by EPST & MPS 1100-1230 Session 2: Operational Safety Insights (all conference tracks) • Captain Winston Scott Dean, College of Aeronautics, Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) • Captain John Bent Director Training Strategy, Sino-Foreign Aviation Education Associates Ltd. • Captain John Cox President/CEO, Safety Operating Systems & Dr. Kathy Abbott Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor, Flight Deck Human Factors, FAA 1230 - 1400 Lunch - Sponsored by CAE 1400-1530 Session 3: New Training Paradigms • Nancy Graham Director of Air Navigation Bureau, ICAO • Walter Visser Vice President, CAE Global Academy • Anthony Petteford Oxford Aviation Academy & Captain Kruger Lufthansa Flight Training, Phoenix 1530 - 1615 Coffee - Sponsored by EPST & MPS 1615-1745 Session 4: Dealing with Today’s Training Issues • Dr. Janeen Kochan ARTS Inc. • Captain Cor Blockjil Director Flight Operations, Mandala Airlines • Scott Nutter General Manager, Research, AQP & Development, Delta Air Lines 1745 - 1930 Evening reception - Sponsored by Airbus Training 0900-1030 Session 5: Air Carrier Training Insights • Captain Steve Sheterline Head of Flight Technical and Training, British Airways • Captain Roman Hurych Flight Chief Instructor, Czech Airlines • Dr. Nihad Daidzic Associate Professor of Aviation, Minnesota State University

0900-1030 Session 5: Regional Airline New Hire Training Perspectives • Captain John O’Brien Delta Connection Academy • Captain Darrin Greubel Manager of Flight Standards, ASA • Captain James Nides VP Flight Operations and Maintenance, ExpressJet Airlines

WEDNESDAY 28 APRIL

1030 - 1115 Coffee 1115-1245 Session 6: Air Carrier Training Insights • Captain John Cox President/CEO, Safety Operating Systems • Captain Tim Leonard Senior Manager Flight Training, Southwest Airlines • Captain Christof Kemeny Lufthansa Cityline & Captain Mark Maskiell JetBlue

1115-1245 Session 6: Regional Airline Training Challenges • Captain Larry Neal Senior Manager, Flight Training, COMAIR Inc. • Captain Paul Kolisch Flight Operations Training, Mesaba Airlines • Captain Marcus Smith Manager of Flight Training, SkyWest Airlines & Captain David Moxham Manager of Recurrent Training, SkyWest Airlines

1245 - 1415 Lunch - Sponsored by Frasca

1415 - 1545 Breakout Sessions I FAA National Simulator Program (NSP) Briefing Session

Upset Recovery Training (URT) Panel

Key Safety Initiatives that will have Significant Influence on Pilot Training. Scott Foose Vice President, Regional Airline Association (RAA) will moderate the Key Safety Initiatives panel of speakers, addressing four important issues for the regional airline industry.

1545 - 1615 Coffee

1615 - 1745 Breakout Sessions II

THURSDAY 29 APRIL

ATA Pilot Training Committee A spring meeting of the Air Transport Association’s Pilot Training Committee.

ATC Simulation The need and role of ATC simulation in flight simulation training.

Key Safety Initiatives Q&A. Greg Wooley Senior Director Training & Standards, ExpressJet will moderate this Q&A session featuring the speakers from Breakout Session I. Robin Wall Director – Flight Operations Training, SkyWest Airlines, representing the RAA Flight Training Committee, and everyone attending this session will participate.

0900-1030 Session 7: Simulation Technology Update (all conference tracks) • Graeme Olgivie ALSIM • David White Chief Scientist, Thales • Brandon Mazzacavallo Boeing Training and Flight Services 1030 -1115 Coffee

1115-1245 Session 8: Focus on e-Learning for Air Carriers (all conference tracks) • Brad Cooper Senior Vice President Research, Plateau Systems • John Alonso CTO, Outstart

1400-1530 Session 3: Cabin Training Trends • Capt. Dietrich Langhof Manager Safety and Security; Capt. Phillip Heinbockel Training Manager & Frank Petro Head of Mandatory Training, Condor Airlines • Ivan Noel CEO, Inflight Innovations • Vicki Jergins United Airlines

1615-1745 Session 4: Personnel Certification • David Bowman Persides • Katrina Avers FAA • Michael Leroy Austrian Airlines

1615-1745 Session 4: Safety, a Driving Force to Training • Captain John Gadzinski The Spectrum Group • Capt Ron Nielsen CEO, Top Flight Performance • Curt Lewis CEO, Curt Lewis and Associates, LLC

0900-1030 Session 5: Training Design for Maintenance • Laurent Dussillos Logistics and Training Development Manager, Snecma • Bob Maciorowski Customer Training Center, Pratt & Whitney & James Mazeski Customer Training Center, Pratt & Whitney • Faten Al-Zoubi JorAMCO, Jordon

0900-1030 Session 5: Promotion of Safety Culture • Dr. Robert (Bob) Matthews Sr. Safety Analyst, Office of Accident Investigation, FAA • Chris Hallman Founder and President, Great Circle Consulting, Inc. • Carlos Diaz TAP, Portugal

1115-1245 Session 6: Role of Simulation Technology • Michele Asmar Director, Delivery Services, CAE Inc • Tim Ropp Assistant Professor, Purdue University • TBD

1115-1245 Session 6: Health, Safety and Security • Lori J. Brown Western Michigan University, College of Aviation • Jerry van den Berg General Manager, Be Secure Nederland & Marty Aarts General Manager, Be Secure Nederland • Jeanne Elliott Northwest Airlines, Association of Flight Attendants, MEC Chair, Air Safety, Health and Security.

Maintenance Breakout Mark Lopez Air Transport Association, will lead a panel discussion on the ATA’s Maintenance Training Network.

Workshop Session I • Sharon Morphew SCSI, USA - “Blood Borne Pathogens” • Pascale LaChance Transport Canada - “Global Harmonization and You”

Workshop Session II • Judy Raven President of Accent Reduction Institute - “Mastering Seamless Communication in a Multinational Taskforce” • Carlos Diaz TAP, Portugal - “SIG Meeting/Interactive with the Agenda” 0900-1030 Session 7: Health Issues • Dr. Paulo Alves MD, MSc, VP of Aviation and Maritime Health, MedAire, Inc. • Dr. Thomas E. Nesthus Ph.D., Engineering Research Psychologist, FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute • Anna Melberg Karlsson Emergency and CRM Instructor, Novair

1115-1245 Session 8: Lesson Learned • Hudson River Flight Attendant Presentation • Philip Baum President, Green Light Ltd., Editor, Aviation Security International 1400-1530 Workshop Session III • Judy Raven “Mastering Seamless Communication in a Multinational Taskforce” • Carlos Diaz “SIG Meeting/Interactive with the Agenda” 1545-1715 Workshop Session IV • Sharon Morphew “Blood Borne Pathogens” • Pascale LaChance “Global Harmonization and You”

Conference programme subject to change.

Please refer to www.halldale.com/wats for the latest conference information.

1400-1530 Session 3: FAA Project Showcase • Bruce Corsino Plain Language Program Manager, FAA • Dan Cheney Manager Safety Programs, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA

Conference Programme

rlines

Organized with:

The Venue Stay at the official WATS 2010 hotel to make travelling to and from the WATS functions easier and your time more enjoyable. A grand facility for work and play, Rosen Shingle Creek features its own conference center, four restaurants, four pools, a spa, fitness center, nature trails and much more. The 230-acre site is just minutes away from the Orlando International Airport and the area’s famous theme parks.

Orlando is the perfect site for WATS. Central Florida is the center of world simulation and it’s home to more than

150 local simulation companies, a major airline training hub and two universities important to the industry. And since Orlando is also the vacation capital of the world, this is an ideal opportunity to combine a valuable business trip with a personal getaway.

Book your room for WATS 2010 now and get the preferred WATS rate of $179 per night. Reservations can be made on-line at www.halldale.com/wats or by calling Rosen Shingle Creek reservations at +1 866-996-6338 and asking for the ‘WATS’ rate.

WATS Golf Day

Join this exceptional WATS event sponsored by Thales – no matter what your handicap – with other delegates, exhibitors and sponsors for a day of springtime sport in a four-player Texas Scramble.

Finish off the event with a relaxing BBQ lunch and prizes for the winning teams.

Sign up for the Golf Day when you register for WATS. It’s a superb opportunity to meet new colleagues, clients and suppliers.

Holding with tradition, WATS 2010 ‘tees off’ with our Golf Day on Monday 26 April - Florida style, in a four-player Texas Scramble.

Great networking, great people and a superb

course at the WATS 2010 Golf Tournament

Delegate Fees* Airline Delegate ›› US$ 550 Government/University ›› US$ 550 Industry Delegate ›› US$ 800 For pro forma invoices, alternative offline registration options, or any other queries please email register@halldale.com.

nd Expo-Only For Early-Bird a s, visit discounted rate om/wats www.halldale.c line and register on

* Subject to current exchange rate and credit card charges.

contact

Tel. US: (407) 322 5605 • RoW: +44 (0)1252 532000 Email: wats@halldale.com

www.halldale.com/wats

A Halldale Media Group Event

world news & analysis

Seen&Heard Edited by Lori Ponoroff.

For daily breaking S&T news - go to www.halldale.com.

FLIGHTSAFETY OPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA FlightSafety International will open a new airline learning center in Johannesburg, South Africa in March, 2010. FlightSafety will provide the training services, flight simulators and marketing. SIM AeroTraining of France will manage the facility and maintain the training devices.

The first simulators to be installed will be used to train pilots and maintenance technicians who operate and support Hawker Beechcraft 1900 and Bombardier Dash 8-100 and Q300 aircraft.

GAA ORDERS CAE 7000 SERIES SIM CAE signed a change order contract amendment with Gulf Aviation Academy (GAA) for a CAE 7000 series Embraer 170/190 FFS that replaces a 2009 order with GAA’s parent company, Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company for an A330/340 simulator.

The 170/190 FFS will be delivered later this year to GAA’s new training centre. The simulator will be the second of its type in the region and will feature the CAE Tropos-6000 visual system and CAE True electric motion system.

FRASCA JET SIM FOR FAA/NASA The FAA chose Frasca International to supply a second flight simulation training device (FSTD) for the Cessna Citation Mustang light jet. It will be built to the same FAA Level 5 FTD standards as the FAA’s existing Frasca Mustang, and will be operated in fulfilment of a NASA research grant by the Aerospace

Human Factors Research Lab (AHFRL) at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute in Oklahoma City.

The Frasca FSTD will feature an accurate Mustang jet flight deck with actual Garmin G1000 avionics, plus TruFeel2 digital electric control loading, TruSound digital surround sound, and Frasca’s intuitive graphical instructor station (GISt). Aerodynamic performance and control forces were measured

by Frasca’s flight test department, and will be validated before experiments by an integrated auto-test utility.

The FSTD has automated scenario execution and enhanced data recording and generates detail-rich reports for post-flight analyses. Flights can be replayed on both the FSTD and remote debrief station, including playback of audio communications and cockpit video.

Above Frasca-built Cessna Citation Mustang FSTD. Image Credit: Frasca International.

EMBRAER SIGNS FLIGHTSAFETY Embraer selected FlightSafety International as the authorized training provider for its midlight Legacy 450 and midsize Legacy 500 executive jets. The partnership also covers the super midsize Legacy 600, the large Legacy 650, the ultralarge Lineage 1000, and the E-Jets family of commercial jets.

FlightSafety and Embraer will work together to develop new training programs, update existing courses, and determine the timing and location of additional flight simulators, devices, and equipment that will be needed to support Embraer operators.

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

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world news & analysis

MEAC IN SHANGHAI

PAIFA ADDS B737-NG SIMS

Middle East Aerospace Consortium (MEAC) opened its Shanghai office early February to render the Asia Pacific region more accessible to its members and assist them in engaging with organizations worldwide. MEAC’s other offices are in UAE, UK, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.

The new Shanghai office will help MEAC members offer products, services, training and expertise to companies wishing to do business in the rapidly growing Middle East market.

The Shanghai office will be run by Graham Brant, former CEO of Microsoft Hong Kong and for many years a senior advisor on technology and investment policy to technology companies and government agencies across Asia.

Pan Am International Flight Academy is taking delivery of two Level D B737-NG simulators. One sim made by Rockwell Collins will be installed at the Academy’s training headquarters in Miami; the second, made by Sim-Industries, will be located at the company’s training center in Las Vegas. Both simulators will be available for training from around Q2 this year.

BIZJET DELIVERS ITS FIRST A318 ELITE BizJet International, Lufthansa Technik’s US subsidiary, delivered its first Airbus A318 Elite complete with an FAA and EASA-supplemental type certificate – and VIP cabin-interior. Work on the second of eight A318 Elites contracted by BizJet, is underway and will be ready for delivery mid-year. Six other A318 Elites will be delivered to Airbus through end 2013.

MEXICANA BUYS CPaT CBT CPaT sold its A330 flight training computer-based training (CBT) courseware to Mexicana de Aviacion, which will enable the airline to offer pilots A330 recurrent training by selecting the specific modules required for each year. The interactive A330 CBT is available on USB (Flash Drive) or via the Web.

DASH8-400 QUICK STUDY GUIDE Avsoft has released the Dash8-400 Quick Study Guide (QSG) – a cockpit review handbook featuring detailed panel descriptions and graphically precise illustrations, a comprehensive set of questions and answers, aircraft system diagrams, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, and an index.

Avsoft also introduced Standard and

Arrivals & Departures James Stewart has been named chief executive officer of SR Technics. He leaves his post as chief financial officer of the company, where he was instrumental in its successful refinancing and restructuring, and in the extension of new business relationships with key customers.

FlightSafety International promoted Patrick Dulac to manager of the company’s learning center at Paris-Le Bourget airport in France. Dulac joined FlightSafety at the Paris center in 1998; his most recent position was assistant center manager at Paris. He replaces Richard Deuve who has left the company to pursue other interests.

Aerosim hired Al Lopez to take on the role of regional sales manager for Mexico, Central America, the Carib-

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CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

bean and South America. According to Aerosim, the potential it sees in that market required the addition of dedicated resources. Lopez will focus on working with the airlines of those regions in the implementation of Aerosim training technologies and presentation of new ab-Initio training options. Lopez previously worked with Delta Air Lines as global sales manager for pilot training.

FlightSafety International promoted Jeffery McPhie to director, customer support, where he assumes responsibility for the company’s customer support team, which has representatives at each of FlightSafety’s learning centers. McPhie joined FlightSafety in 2008 as manager, customer support at the company’s learning center in Teterboro, New Jersey.

Pro Combo Packs for the Dash8-400.

The standard package includes a color three-page poster set, color system diagrams, color synoptic screens, systems review software (quiz master), lights and switch guide, and the color Quick Study Guide (bound or seven-hole punch). The Pro package includes the same items plus the Dash8-400 CBT delivered on a USB drive. The CBT covers all major aircraft systems and provides approximately 32 hours of in depth instruction.

SEFTC ORDERS CAE 7000 FFSs CAE has sold an A320 and an A330 7000 series full-flight simulators worth C$30m to Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Company (SEFTC), the training subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines. The FFS’s and brief-debrief stations will be delivered in 2011.

The simulators will feature full sixdegrees-of-freedom CAE True electric motion systems and new-generation CAE Tropos-6000 visual systems, including liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) projectors and 200 by 40-degree fieldof-view visual displays. Both simulators will be certified to Level D.

OAA PREFERRED PROVIDER FOR LOT Oxford Aviation Academy will continue as LOT Polish Airlines’ preferred training provider on B767 and B737CL for the next three years, under an agreement the companies signed for OAA to provide flight simulator pilot and cabin crew training. Training will take place at OAA’s Stockholm training centre at Arlanda airport, where LOT operates a number of flights to Warsaw.

CAE FLIGHTSCAPE WINS WITH SAUDI CAE Flightscape won a contract to deliver a comprehensive flight recorder playback and analysis laboratory for the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The GACA laboratory, with CAE Flightscape’s Insight software suite, will be able to readout and analyze information from aircraft flight data and cockpit voice recorders.

The laboratory is based on technology and processes originally developed at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the federal agency responsible for accident investigations in Canada.

FUEL TANK SAFETY Swiss Aviation Training is now offering fuel tank safety training for aviation maintenance personnel through its new Learning Management System e-learning facility, developed with infoWERK Multimedia GmbH. The new courses are available via the Swiss Aviation Training website.

The new Learning Management System offers online training for maintenance personnel in fuel tank safety, human factors, winter operations and dangerous goods. Plans call for it to be extended to pilot training courses.

the development and marketing of simulation-based products.

The deal brings together two recognized leaders in aviation training and broadens the market reach of both organizations, with expectations of $40m in sales this year. With Aerosim’s high-fidelity training technologies and Delta Connection Academy’s curriculum and training facilities, the organizations will have a comprehensive suite of training programs and systems to deliver highly skilled, safety-focused pilots.

LUFTHANSA A380 TRAINING FIRST CONTROL LOADING SYSTEM Wittenstein Aerospace & Simulation delivered the first production made control loading system (CLS) for the DA40 Diamond Star and DA42 Twin Star flight simulation training devices in Trebur, Germany. This is the first Wittenstein CLS for the general aviation market certified to FTD standard Level 5. It also complies with ICAO 9625 Edition 3 up to Class VII. Diamond Star devices use one electromechanical control loader for each of the aircraft’s main axes and provide force-feel characteristics based on integrated, high-performance servo motors, planetary gearboxes, and integrated control electronics.

Lufthansa has installed an Airbus A380 flight simulator and corresponding cabin emergency evacuation trainer (CEET) at Lufthansa Flight Training (LFT) in Frankfurt. The simulator houses a complete A380 cockpit and is equipped with all the original aircraft systems, high-resolution projectors and an innovative hybrid motion system that combines hydraulic and electrical components, allowing pilots to train in realistic conditions with short response times.

CAE MPL BETA PROGRAM FOR AIRASIA

Seven cadets, the first group from China United Airlines, began training at the ESMA Aviation Academy in Montpellier.

They will follow a theoretical and practical training program approved by the French and Chinese aviation authorities that will allow them to obtain both European and Chinese licenses. A second group of 30 to 50 cadets from China United Airlines will begin training later this year.

CAE signed a contract with AirAsia to train cadets for the airline in a beta program designed to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for the multi-crew pilot license (MPL).

CAE’s program is the first application of an MPL program that will adhere to new performance-based approved training organization (ATO) certification requirements developed by Transport Canada.

After completing the 56-week program, successful student cadets are expected to receive an MPL license from Transport Canada and authority from the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia (DCAM), and will enter AirAsia’s initial operating experience (IOE) program for A320 first officers.

FTA IN BUYING MODE

INFOWERK DASH DELIVERY

Flight Training Acquisitions (FTA) has acquired Delta Connection Academy and Aerosim Technologies in a deal valued at almost $50m. FTA was formed by equity sponsors Lincolnshire Management and GTI Group, Delta Air Lines and its management to acquire these two businesses and position FTA as a leader in the future of pilot provisioning, flight training and

infoWERK delivered its web-based Dash-8 recurrent maintenance training to Air Iceland. The recurrent type training package is a new generation training solution for the Dash-8 series providing high quality, interactive aircraft type training. The courseware can be used for initial, familiarization and recurrent/ refresher training.

CHINESE PILOT CADETS AT ESMA

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world news & analysis

LUND STUDENTS PASS MPL(A) TESTS The first 13 pilot students in Lund University School of Aviation’s MPL(A) (multi crew pilot license) program passed their skills test for the Swedish Transportstyrelsen (Swedish CAA). They also completed 12 touch-and-goes in the aircraft and will now start line flying under supervision as fully qualified first officers for Swedish carriers City Airline and Avia Express. The group started their education in spring 2008, and will graduate in November 2010 with a bachelor degree and the MPL(A).

INTELLECTUAL AGREEMENT Microsoft Corp. and Flight1 Aviation Technologies (Flight1 Tech) entered into an intellectual property (IP) license agreement, which gives Flight1 Tech access to Microsoft ESP’s visual simulation technology. Flight1 Tech’s license for the Microsoft ESP v1.0 object code will allow the company to create detailed, customized flight safety, flight training and strategic solutions for its customers. Microsoft ESP technology allows users to operate vehicle models that incorporate real-world physics to enhance realism.

Above Air New Zealand will be the first customer for the Sharklets.

Image Credit: Airbus/Fixion-GWLNSD.

SHARKLET WINGTIPS TRAINING IN ISTANBUL Pegasus Airlines is opening a flight training centre in Istanbul in partnership with Sim-Industries to train pilots for Turkey’s growing civil aviation sector. Pegasus will work with training experts using a B737NG simulator bought from Sim-Industries.

The initiative will help to satisfy the region’s need for trained and skilled personnel and will give pilots who complete their training at the Pegasus flight training centre the opportunity to work with Pegasus flight crews.

COMPLETE ENGINE OVERHAUL Lufthansa Technik and bmi signed a five-year services contract that will see Lufthansa Technik undertake the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the 50 IAE V2500 engines powering bmi’s complete A320-series fleet. The first engine services are expected to be performed around end Q1 2010.

AEROSIM FMSTs Aerosim Technologies announced that Ryukyu Air Commuter has bought its Dash 8 Q300 flight management system trainer (FMST) to use in its pilot training program, and Tianjin Airlines is using Aerosim’s Embraer 190 FMST. The Aerosim FMSTs are PC-based and allow students to perform pre-flight and in-flight FMS, autopilot, EFIS and navigation procedures. They can also be web-enabled for distance learning.

TRAINING FOR MEDICAL HELICOPTER PILOTS Omniflight Helicopters, a national provider of air medical services, signed an agreement with FlightSafety International that will allow Omniflight to train its aviation professionals on FlightSafety’s new AS350 simulator, a Level 7 flight training device.

Omniflight’s own instructors will conduct the training at FlightSafety’s educational center in Tucson, Ariz.

Training in the simulator will allow Omniflight to provide instruction on certain specific manoeuvres that can be performed more effectively in the device. In particular, Omniflight expects to see increased effectiveness in training for encounters associated with inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC) and a range of emergency procedures.

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Airbus launched its new Sharklet large wingtip devices, which are designed to enhance the eco-efficiency and payload-range performance of the A320 family. Sharklets are expected to result in at least 3.5% reduced fuel burn over longer sectors, equivalent to an annual CO2 reduction of around 700 tonnes per aircraft.

The A320 will be the first model fitted with Sharklets, which are offered as a forward-fit option. They will be delivered around end 2012, and will be followed by other A320 family models from 2013.

Air New Zealand is the first customer for the Sharklets, which are specified for its future A320 fleet.

UNITED PLANS LONG TERM United Airlines made an investment in its future by ordering 25 A350 XWB aircraft and 25 B787 Dreamliners – and purchase rights for 50 of each aircraft.

The new aircraft will allow United to reduce operating costs and better match aircraft to key markets, while providing customers with cabin comfort. The new technology aircraft will reduce fuel burn and environmental impact, while enabling services to a broader array of international destinations.

United expects to take delivery of the aircraft between 2016 and 2019; at the same time it will retire its international B747s and B767s. These 50 new aircraft will reduce the average seat count by about 19% compared with the aircraft they will replace, and by about 10% when averaged over the entire international fleet. United last took delivery of aircraft in 2002, and last ordered aircraft in 1998.

BOEING ORDERS AND DELIVERIES Boeing received orders for 11 Next-Generation 737-800s – four from Tassili Airlines of Algeria and seven from Air Algerie of Dubai.

Tassili Airlines, a subsidiary of government-owned Sonatrach Petroleum Corporation, will use the B737-800s to transport employees and cargo between large Algerian cities and Sonatrach work sites. Tassili plans to put its B737s into commercial passenger service on domestic and regional routes.

Air Algerie’s order will increase the carrier’s B737 fleet to 22.

The new planes will help the airline leverage the efficiencies of a standard single-aisle fleet with high fuel efficiency and related environmental improvements.

Boeing also delivered the first B777 to Philippine Airlines (through US-based leasing company GE Capital Aviation Services [GECAS]) and used the delivery to bring relief supplies to flood victims.

The B777-300ER (extended range) airplane is the first B777 to join PAL’s fleet and is one of two leased B777-300ERs the airline will deploy on its international routes. The airline has four more B777-300ERs on order directly from Boeing.

Boeing, PAL and three non-profits leveraged this delivery to bring relief to residents who were recently devastated by the floods from Typhoon Ketsana.

With the help of AmeriCares, Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG) and Kids Against Hunger, Boeing and PAL loaded nearly 18,000 pounds of medical supplies and packaged meals into the cargo hold of the B777-300ER.

VIRTUAL FLIGHT DECK Aerosim Technologies announced one of the world’s leading international airlines completed in-plant acceptance of the A330 Virtual Flight Deck (VFD). The airline’s training staff will now begin using the VFD in its training footprint, just one part of a larger project of providing full systems courseware and VFD environments for each of the carrier’s fleets.

GAEL - AVISA PARTNERSHIP Avisa Aviation Safety Systems signed a joint venture agreement with Gael to transform how aviation organizations train their staffs. The companies say their combined strengths will allow them to offer cost-effective aviation training by applying new and unique methods.

Specifically, they believe, Gael Academy’s on-line e-learning tool combined with Avisa’s regulatory and consultancy experience and training knowledge, will transform the way consultancy and training support will be delivered to all sectors of their business.

FLIGHTSAFETY KING AIR 200 SIM QUALIFIED FlightSafety International’s Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200 simulator was qualified to Level C by the US FAA and

began training in December, 2009 at FlightSafety’s LaGuardia learning center.

FlightSafety will offer training using the King Air 200 simulator for both Part 91 and Part 135 flight operations and for King Air 90 and King Air 100 differences training.

The simulator’s new Vital X visual system features realistic, detailed, high-

resolution views designed to enhance safety. Combined with high resolution projectors, Vital X accurately reproduces day and night scenes for all kinds of weather and features continuous global high-resolution satellite imagery and environmental conditions that represent complex scenes during all phases of flight.

Time For Action With Upset Recovery and Loss of Control Having largely reduced the number of accidents arising from controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and the rise of airborne collision with the introduction of avoidance systems, attention is now turning to the two next most important issues. These will ensure that, as movements increase, the number of fatalities does not increase in parallel, writes Peter Moxham.

Broadly the two headings to be addressed are loss of control, usually following a failure to recover from an upset, and runway excursions.

The first of these two problem areas is receiving attention from a number of agencies and groupings. Regrettably these groupings are not co-operating but are working in parallel; since this is an international problem it seems a great pity that the industry cannot work collectively towards a common solution.

Towards the end of 2009 EASA, through its certification director Evan Nielsen, called a major group together to come up with ideas and proposals to address this issue.

This was a major step forward by EASA, since it was no rule-making group addressing a rulemaking solution. The chairman admitted that the regulator had no real experience or expertise in this area, but that it needed help from industry to try to resolve the problem.

Some might view this move as a refreshing statement by a regulatory authority that could usefully be adopted by others, politicians included.

During a daylong meeting representatives from worldwide met in Cologne to analyse the problems and to start the process of achieving a solution.

The gathering was notable, almost unique, since all the major commercial aircraft manufacturers were represented, most of the leading training organisations, from ab initio through TRTOs, as

well as airlines from Europe, North America and Brazil – in itself something of a revolution.

No one expected this gathering to produce definitive proposals. The goal at the first meeting was to establish the reasons for the events and then to establish changes in working practices to try and reduce the number of fatalities caused as a result of such events.

It is highly problematic achieving consensus at such gatherings, but this group did just that. After an initial briefing from EASA representatives the meeting split into two groups, aircraft OEMs in one, trainers and operators in another. There was no collusion between the groups who worked independently.

After several hours each group drew up a list of actions, which that group believed were the essential requirements to address the problem. The result was remarkable – both groups produced the same recommendations and in the same order. A major breakthrough was that everyone believed something had to be done.

The scene is now set for a further meeting to collate proposals and bring them into the training mix of professional pilots. It is hoped that these can all be finalised and published within six months of the first meeting.

If only this industry could work in this manner it is likely that the skies would be much safer in the future. One wonders, however, if all the other groups tackling this problem (the author knows of at least three) would put aside their own concerns and join this initiative to find a way forward?

This subject will form a major discussion at WATS in Orlando, Florida, April 27-29, 2010 and at which Halldale will continue to sponsor debate to improve commercial aviation safety.

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

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world news & analysis

A320 AND A330 FOR NEPAL AIRLINES

FIDELITY MOTUS 622i AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Nepal Airlines Corporation plans to buy one A330-200 widebody and one A320 single-aisle aircraft to modernize its fleet. The airline signed a memorandum of understanding for the new Airbus aircraft that will be deployed on international services to Japan and will connect Nepal to Europe with direct flights for the first time. The two-class A330-200 will be deployed on routes to Europe and North Asia; both aircraft are part of a plan to develop Nepal’s tourism industry.

Fidelity Flight Simulation sold Auburn University a full motion Motus 622i flight simulator, which the school will use in its flight management program.

Auburn’s simulator will be reconfigurable for single engine piston, twin engine piston and turbine flight models, and will include an expanded LCD mosaic wall external visual display with four 32” LCDs. Electric dynamic control loading will accurately replicate roll, pitch, and yaw feedback on the flight controls.

Fidelity’s motion base includes the same motion algorithms used in Level D simulation and a disorient function to sharpen instrument flying proficiency.

SENEGAL LAUNCHED WITH AIRBUS FLEET Senegal Airlines signed a letter of intent to buy four A320 family aircraft and two A330s from Airbus. Senegal Airlines, the new national carrier of the Republic of Senegal, is replacing Air Senegal International and will launch services in early 2010 from its hub in Dakar to destinations in Africa and Europe.

Since the Airbus aircraft family offers cockpit and operational commonality, the airline will be able to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers across the fleet.

AT

WINGS AIR ORDERS 15 ATR 72-500 Indonesia’s carrier Wings Air, a subsidiary of Indonesian Lion Air, signed a contract with ATR to buy 15 ATR 72-500s, with options for 15 ATR 72-600s, adding to a 2008 MoU for 10 ATR 72-500s plus options for 10 ATR72-500/600s. The deal is now valued at close to US$600m.

These 72-seat aircraft set for delivery over the next two years will make the carrier the largest ATR operator in

SIMJET TRAINER BOUND FOR WATS SimJet is a group of airline and engineering professionals based in Brisbane, Australia providing affordable pilot training devices for airlines, training providers and flight schools. The training devices range from procedural trainers to fixed base training devices (FBTDs/ FNPTs) that have been designed to bridge the gap between entry-level procedural trainers and FFSs. They use fullsize cockpit replicas providing a realistic training environment.

For established airline training organisations these cost-effective devices can off-load training tasks from the FFS, while for training organisations looking to enter the airline pilot training market, the lower level SimJET Training System devices offer a cost-effective solution.

The company started R&D in 2000 to develop and integrate low-cost technology into low cost simulation.

The first simulator developed was the

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B737-800, designed and built to JAR STD FNPT/FAA FTD Level 4 and MCC /11/1 standards to provide training for jet transition courses and for MCC training. Now most models of B777, B747, B737 and A320/A330/A340 are available for training. Visual systems’ software is satellite based.

The training systems offer procedural trainers with complete replica hardware (no flat panels), flight controls, instructor station, worldwide airport and navigation data base, PCbased Windows environment, curved and blended visual system. The fixed base training devices have a fully enclosed cabin, complete replica hardware, curved and blended visual system, instructor station, worldwide airport and navigation database, PCbased Windows environment.

The company is planning to show its Airbus A320 procedural trainer at WATS in April 2010.

Indonesia. It will also help strengthen its position in Indonesia’s rapidly developing domestic market and develop feeder routes to serve its mainline jet network.

The new fleet will also provide new services to more local communities, will replace routes currently operated with MD80 and B737-300/400, and will increase frequencies on existing routes operated with B737-900ER.

$90M MAINTENANCE DEAL FOR ST AEROSPACE ST Aerospace won a US$90m contract to provide airframe maintenance services for a major US airline. The maintenance contract will include C checks and heavy maintenance visits (HMV) for a fleet of A320 family aircraft and B767s over three years, with an option to extend for two more years. If the extension were exercised, the total contract would increase to US$170m.

FIRST CLASS UPGRADE FOR ETIHAD Lufthansa Technik was commissioned to install new first class cabins in nine A340S in Etihad Airways’ long-haul fleet by end 2010. The complete renovation of cabins, from seat configuration to cabin design, galley areas and a new in-flight entertainment system, will be carried out at Hamburg and Lufthansa Technik Malta. Work was due to begin in January 2010.

Lufthansa Technik will provide an all-round, fully integrated cabin modification package and is responsible for engineering work, procurement of materials and installation and arranging the necessary certification.

AIRBUS WINS $5.3BN IN COMMITMENTS During the 2009 Dubai Air Show, Airbus announced commitments for 33 aircraft, worth more than US$5.3bn. These commitments include firm orders for 15 aircraft worth more than $3.6bn, plus MoU agreements for 18 aircraft totalling around $1.7bn.

The highlights of the show included firm orders for Airbus’ newest products: from Air Austral for two A380s worth $655m, and from Ethiopian Airlines for 12 A350-900s worth $2.9bn. In addition, Comlux ordered one Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) worth $75m.

The MoU commitments included:

10 A320s worth $770m from Yemenia Airlines; four A320s plus two A330-200s together worth $670m from Senegal Airlines; and one A320 plus one A330-200 worth $258m from Nepal Airlines.

TURKISH AIRLINES ORDERS A330S Turkish Airlines signed a contract to buy three additional A330-300s, bringing the total number ordered by the company to ten. The carrier will operate the aircraft in two-class configuration and with a capacity of 319 seats on its high capacity medium-haul network. With the signature of an MoU, Turkish Airlines also plans to acquire two freighter versions of the A330-200 - the A330-200F, in order to prepare for expansion and renew its current fleet composed of four A310s.

CAE SIMS FOR COMAC CAE sold two 7000 series ARJ21-700 Level D FFSs to Shanghai Aircraft Customer Service Co., owned by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC). The contract is worth about C$35m, bringing CAE’s total FFS sales for fiscal 2010 so far to 12. The simulators and brief-debrief stations will be delivered to COMAC in Shanghai.

CAE is currently producing the world’s first ARJ21 FFS, which was announced in 2006 and is expected to be ready for training mid-2010. The first of these two additional ARJ21 FFSs will be delivered at the end of 2010 and the second in 2012. The ARJ21, the first passenger jet to be fully developed independently and indigenously produced in China, is scheduled to enter service in 2011.

The simulators will incorporate full six-degree-of-freedom CAE True electric motion systems and new generation CAE Tropos-6000 visual systems, liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) projectors, and 200 by 40 degree field-of-view visual displays.

SAUDI ACADEMY DEVELOPMENT Thales signed a contract worth 152 million riyals (approx. euros 30m) with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) for the development of the Saudi Academy of Civil Aviation in Jeddah.

The academy will accept up to 500 trainees per year beginning in 2010

and will offer training in air traffic control, maintenance of civil aviation electronic systems, fire safety and airport security. Thales will organize training of instructors in these four areas, working in partnership with France’s Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC) for the air traffic control component and with training programs incorporating the latest international standards. It will provide dedicated resources, including simulators, computer-aided instruction tools and laboratory equipment.

Thales will also develop an information system for the school’s management and distance learning facilities at Saudi Arabia’s main airports, and will arrange high-level seminars in partnership with international bodies to promote the development of this facility.

TOWER OF STRENGTH FOR VETERANS In early January the Link Simulation & Training Air Traffic Control Academy was notified by the US Veterans Administration that eligible veterans who attended the academy (retroactive to January 26, 2009) would be able to apply for Chapter 31 benefits to pay for their entire schooling. The VA makes chapter 31 funding available to eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities. Vet-

Commercial Aircraft Sales Nov 17 2009 to Feb 9 2010 Aircraft type Number Operator/Buyer

A320 A320 A330-200 A330-300

20 30 6 6

Turkish Airlines LAN Airlines Hong Kong Airlines Virgin Atlantic

B737-800 B737-800 B747-8 B767-300ER B777-300ER

2 2 5 5 5

Air Austral Copa Airlines Korean Air ANA ANA

P henom 100 ERJ 135 EMB 170 EMB 175 EMB 190

EMB 190 EMB 190

1 4 2 5 2

2 2

Purdue University South African Airlink Gulf Air Oman Air AAM/Augsburg Airways Niki Luftfhart Air Astana

CRJ 700 CRJ 900

22 2

American Eagle Andes Lineas Aereas

erans who choose to use their Chapter 31 benefits to attend L-3 Link will graduate from the 10-month program with a control tower operator certificate and facility rating, making them employable as air traffic controllers within the FAA or with private employers operating tower facilities.

SAFA BUYS DIAMONDS Saudi Aviation Flight Academy (SAFA) signed an agreement with Diamond Aircraft to buy 20 Diamond aircraft and 12 FTDs. SAFA, a joint venture between the Saudi Aviation Club and the private sector, is equipping the flight school with the new generation of DA42s and DA40s. It is also buying five Diamond FAA Level 6 and seven FAA Level 5 FTDs based on the Diamond aircraft and designed for basic and advanced pilot training.

AVIATION ENGLISH FROM NKU Northern Kentucky University (NKU) launched a 16-week aviation English program with an optional aircraft dispatcher training program. Upon successful completion, students will have the opportunity to receive a certificate of completion for English classes and/or an FAA aircraft dispatcher certificate.

NKU’s aviation English course uses authentic materials to improve reading, writing, speaking and listening skills to prepare students to work in an English-language environment. Emphasis is placed on developing general English-language communication skills; understanding and communication for general and specialized aviation functions; oral proficiency skills for routine and unusual aircraft emergencies; and routine phraseologies, terminology and vocabulary. All English instructors have special academic preparation in teaching English as an additional language and have successfully completed FAA instructor training.

AVIANCA SIGNS AND CONSOLIDATES Avianca signed a three-year training contract renewal with CPaT and introduced CPaT’s training solutions for pilots from Tampa Air Cargo, Ocean Air and AeroGal. The deal is part of CPaT’s move to merge its training capabilities with a goal of improving its training solutions and reducing training costs.

CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 1/2010

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world news & analysis

ATMS V4.9 AQT Solutions has released Aviation Training Management System (ATMS) Version 4.9, which introduces more than 20 new (54 total) automatic notifications that can be sent via email to managers, instructors, trainees, and customers. It features improved forecasting abilities, trainee progress tracking and enhancements that provide better tools to support the AQP and ATQP programs, such as full AQP curriculum development, grading, FAA reporting, and data submission.

Version 4.9 is the biggest release of new functionality to date in commemoration of AQT Solutions’ 10th anniversary.

ALSIM LANDS IN AFRICA Alsim has two new African customers.

In West Africa, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, and Aures Aviation in North Africa will both soon be using Alsim’s ALX to train their students.

FLIGHT CREW TRAINING INFORMATION FlightSafety International introduced a new service for customers who use ARGUS CHEQ and CharterX/Wyvern PASS systems. These customers can now request their flight crew training information transmitted electronically directly to CharterX/Wyvern and ARGUS. The information will then be incorporated into their respective PASS (Pilot & Aircraft Safety Survey) and CHEQ (Charter Evaluation and Qualification) systems.

CharterX/Wyvern and ARGUS provide aircraft charter customers with comprehensive reports on charter operators, their aircraft and flight crews, enabling them to review and verify critical information prior to booking a flight.

The reports include the type ratings and training history of each flight crew member, the operator’s certificate information, the entity that will have operational control over the aircraft, as well as any accidents, incidents or violations that may have occurred.

PEA APPROVED FOR F-1 VISAS Phoenix East Aviation (PEA) gained approval by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for F-1 Visa form authorization for international pilot training students.

The F-1 Visa (Academic Student) allows a foreign student to enter the US as a full-time student at a US government 38

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approved academic institution. This visa requires the student to be enrolled in a program that culminates in a professional certificate or college degree. There are only three professional pilot training academies in the US that are allowed by the federal government to participate in the F-1 student visa program.

EMBRAER ACCOMPLISHMENTS Embraer sold Purdue University a Phenom 100 as part of the Department of Aviation Technology’s fleet replacement program.

The Department of Aviation Technology’s current fleet is over10 years old and is expected to be replaced by mid-2010.

The Phenom 100 entry level jet will allow students to graduate with an FAA jet type rating that no other program provides.

Embraer’s joint venture with CAE, Embraer-CAE Training Services (ECTS) started its operations at CAE’s Burgess Hill center, in the U.K., last September and nearly 20 pilots have already been type rated for the Embraer Phenom 100 executive jet, using the CAE 5000 Series FFS, which is certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The simulator will soon be certified by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – ANAC), and then Brazilian customers will be able to train in the U.K., in addition to Dallas, Texas, in the U.S. cat

Index of Ads Aerosim Technologies www.aerosim.com 17, 19 & 21 Boeing www.boeing.com/tfs

IFC

CAE www.cae.com

3-4 March 2010 ADTS 2010 – Aerospace & Defence Training Show Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.adts.aero 27-29 April 2010 WATS 2010 - World Aviation Training Conference & Tradeshow Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, Florida, USA www.halldale.com/wats 14-15 September 2010 APATS 2010 - Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok, Thailand www.halldale.com/apats 9-10 November 2010 EATS 2010 - European Airline Training Symposium Istanbul, Turkey www.halldale.com/eats 20-23 February 2010 HELI-Expo 2010 Houston, TX www.heliexpo.com 1-4 March 2010 Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Symposium Montreal, Canada www.icao.int/ngap 9-10 June 2010 Spring 2010 Flight Simulation Group Conference RAeS, London, UK www.raes.org.uk

OBC

Delta Air Lines www.delta.com

4

Frasca International www.frasca.com

13

Gulf Aviation Academy www.gulfaa.com

9

Helitech www.helitechevents.com

IBC

Multi Pilot Simulations b.v. www.flymps.com

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Oxford Aviation Academy www.oaa.com

11

WATS 2010 www.halldale.com/wats

Calendar

10, 25-30

20-23 September 2010 FSEMC Brighton, UK www.aviation-ia.com/fsemc

Advertising contacts Business Manager: Jeremy Humphreys [t] +44 (0)1252 532009 [e] jeremy@halldale.com Business Manager, North America: Mary Bellini Brown [t] +1 703 421 3709 [e] mary@halldale.com

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