A Pilot Training Reform Report Card

Two years ago, at AOPA’s Summit in Long Beach, California, both the association and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) announced pilot training reform efforts. AOPA, alarmed at the pilot dropout rate, focused more intently on student retention while SAFE’s efforts zeroed in laser like on the relationship between training and safety and how poor training may reduce retention and flying activity in general. In the meantime, the NTSB just concluded a study on amateur-built aircraft safety and it focused a two-day forum exclusively on that topic. Two years later, it’s fair to ask: Have we made any concrete improvements in training? The short answer is that SAFE recognized from the outset that training reform would be an evolutionary process, not something that would occur overnight or even over months. The organization made a number of recommendations, including better accident analysis, improved flight training curricula and delivery, and CFI accreditation, to name three. We’ve seen significant progress on some of these issues, but less on others. Here’s a summary of where we stand.

Key Takeaways:

• Two years prior, AOPA and SAFE launched pilot training reform efforts, with AOPA focusing on student retention and SAFE aiming to improve training quality for better safety and reduced dropouts.
• Significant progress has been made on four of SAFE's six recommendations, including initiatives for better accident analysis, modernizing testing standards with an emphasis on risk management, developing CFI accreditation, and implementing innovative curricula for flight training.
• However, progress remains slow on two crucial areas: improving flight instructor training and offering more effective flight review options, as these primarily depend on proactive action from the FAA.

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

See a mistake? Contact us.