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Single-Pilot Training

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Flying a jet single-pilot is an exceptionally challenging skill set, demanding intense focus, quick role adaptation, and consistent, efficient use of automation.
  • Specialized training for single-pilot certification is distinct from conventional crew training and is provided by a limited number of organizations, including FlightSafety International, CAE SimuFlite, and SimCom.
  • Despite the existence of single-pilot eligible jets and specific training requirements, a significant majority (70-90%) of pilots operating these aircraft choose not to pursue the single-pilot authorization.
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As you’ve been reading, flying a jet single pilot is one of the most challenging piloting skills there is. It demands an unrelenting focus on the job at hand; the wherewithal to swap hats quickly; and the ability to use automation consistently and efficiently to ease the burden, especially during high-workload phases of flight. In fact, it’s safe to say that flying single pilot is in many ways an entirely new skill set. So it follows that the training for single-pilot certification is done in a different way than the majority of training for most business aircraft, which are required by the regs to be flown by a crew of two.

Traditionally, training as a crew involves a team of two going through the initial or recurrent process as a team, with the two pilots typically (though not always) switching off between the right and left seats.

Isabel Goyer

A commercial pilot, Isabel Goyer has been flying for more than 40 years, with hundreds of different aircraft in her logbook and thousands of hours. An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015.

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