Our Training Sucks

Competition breeds innovation and lower prices. I think I read that a few decades ago in a business course. Sounds about right.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilot training has seen little innovation despite competition, largely following traditional methods that are expensive and inefficient compared to modern, interactive learning.
The article proposes a new training model using advanced flight simulators as primary instructors to drill tasks, track progress, and significantly reduce costly in-aircraft instruction hours.
This shift would drastically lower the time and expense required for pilot certification, making aviation more accessible.
While some innovators like Redbird are developing such programs, the author calls for greater entrepreneurial competition to accelerate the adoption of this revolutionary training approach.

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Competition breeds innovation and lower prices. I think I read that a few decades ago in a business course. Sounds about right.

But the competition in pilot training hasn’t achieved that. They try to compete on quality and perhaps on price, but there’s little innovation. Of course, there is some excellent training available, but take away the fancy glass displays and plastic airplanes and we train today the same way our grandfathers might have.