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:

• Pilot training reform efforts, spearheaded by organizations like SAFE, are seeing evolutionary progress two years on, particularly in areas like accident analysis mitigations, modernized testing standards, and CFI accreditation.
• Innovative approaches, such as the Redbird/King Schools/Cessna partnership, are successfully implementing integrated curricula that emphasize simulation and risk management, leading to more efficient and effective pilot training.
• However, crucial reforms concerning improved flight instructor training and more flexible flight review options remain largely unaddressed, pending proactive action from the FAA to impact the majority of existing pilots.

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