School Offers New Course To Reduce Pilot Error

General aviation pilots now have access to better and more convenient training, thanks to a new program launched Monday by the Commercial Aviation Management program at the University of Western Ontario.

Online Single-Pilot Resource Management (OSRM) is a web-based tool developed at the university which adapts commercial pilot training techniques to the needs of general aviation pilots and makes this training available via an online course.

The vast majority of general aviation accidents are caused by pilot error. This sobering statistic motivated Suzanne Kearns, an aviation professor at Western to create OSRM. Her program stands out because after designing it she set out to scientifically test the effectiveness of the training using a randomized trial.

"Effective training requires rigor. I wanted to prove that this adaptation of commercial Crew Resource Management techniques to single-pilot aviation had real benefits for those pilots who complete the course," said Kearns.

Kearns randomly divided a group of pilots. One group completed the online course, then the trained group and the control group were tested in a high-fidelity Cessna 172 simulator. The pilots who completed OSRM training demonstrated significantly better situational awareness than those who did not complete training.

"My goal in designing this training program was to make the benefits of resource management training available to the general aviation pilot: the pilot who loves flying and wants to be safe, but doesn’t have the time or money to travel to a training facility," says Kearns.

For individual pilots, the OSRM course costs $49.99 CND ($50.71 US) and takes about 90 minutes to complete. It is available online at the FMI link below; flight schools can purchase access for their students at a discounted rate.

FMI: http://osrm.ssc.uwo.ca