Todays typical flight training curricula are largely maneuver-based, with little emphasis on higher order pilot skills, especially risk management. At its heart, the typical curriculum is designed to train a pilot to pass the practical test for the certificate or rating he or she seeks. A rare curriculum includes training to identify, assess and mitigate risk. 288
Training For Risk Management
Todays typical flight training curricula are largely maneuver-based, with little emphasis on higher order pilot skills, especially risk management. At its heart, the typical curriculum is designed to train a pilot to pass the practical test for the certificate or rating he or she seeks. A rare curriculum includes training to identify, assess and mitigate risk. In previous articles, Ive asserted the root cause of many accidents-and perhaps most fatal accidents-is poor risk management (Aviation Safety, July 2010, "TAA Training"). I also postulated better risk management training, especially in risk mitigation, could be an effective way to reduce these accidents (Aviation Safety, September 2010, "Train to Mitigate Risk").
Key Takeaways:
- Current flight training largely neglects risk management skills, focusing instead on maneuvers for practical tests, a deficiency the author links to a high number of aviation accidents, especially fatal ones.
- While the FAA has introduced some risk management guidance and handbooks, these are not fully integrated into official testing standards, and industry-developed training products remain scarce, hindering widespread adoption.
- A comprehensive overhaul of the flight training system is proposed to significantly reduce fatal accidents, requiring collaboration between the FAA and the aviation community to revise doctrine, testing standards, curricula, and instructor training to fully incorporate effective risk management.
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