Trainings Future

The FAA rightly has taken its lumps on many things, leading to a healthy dose of skepticism among many in the industry whenever the agency tries something new. This is especially true whenever theres a rulemaking activity affecting general aviation training. I knew this, of course, when I began work as manager of the FAAs General Aviation and Commercial Division. After a few months in my new job, I began surveying the landscape, which included the Garmin 430 phenomenon (I installed one in my Bonanza, as well as a multifunction display and weather data link) and a visit to Cirrus highlighted the coming "glass cockpit" revolution.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA Industry Training Standards (FITS) were developed to modernize general aviation pilot training by shifting from outdated maneuver-based instruction to emphasizing higher-order skills like risk and automation management through scenario-based learning.
• FITS implementation faced significant resistance from the deeply ingrained training culture and internal FAA bureaucracy, leading to its current state of bureaucratization that hinders further innovation.
• The author advocates for greater industry leadership to fully integrate FITS concepts and ultimately move beyond them by updating training doctrine, standards, and curricula to address 21st-century challenges.
• New industry-led initiatives from organizations like SAFE and AOPA are now focused on reforming flight training to improve instructional quality, enhance student retention, and ultimately reduce general aviation accident rates.

Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->

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