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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, rapid task switching, and proficient use of automation, distinguishing it significantly from traditional crew operations.
  • Specialized training for single-pilot jet certification is offered by a limited number of providers like FlightSafety International, CAE SimuFlite, and SimCom, catering to a small fleet of approved aircraft.
  • Candidates for single-pilot authorization require extensive piloting experience and strong instrument, multi-tasking, and judgment skills, though surprisingly, 70-90% of pilots flying single-pilot eligible jets opt not to pursue this certification.
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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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