Nelson: 'Many Training Programs Too Predictable'

A senior Airbus safety expert says that airlines' training programs are in need of a major overhaul.

Speaking at an international conference of pilot union leaders in Madrid, Spain, Airbus safety expert Harry Nelson, a former vice president of the European jet maker’s flight test department, said that there is too much emphasis on cockpit automation and not enough on manual flying skills during training.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Nelson told the approximately 600 pilots attending the conference that training has too often become rote simulator sessions that are "boring" for the pilots.

But perhaps more concerning is that many long-time aviators have come to see such recurrent training as a chore to be checked off a list rather than an opportunity to improve their piloting and decision-making skills. For many mid-career pilots, "there is no perceived upside to the training, and that's wrong," he said.

A 2013 study commissioned by the U.S. government prepared by over 30 international safety experts found that in increased reliance on cockpit automation, when combined with a lack of understanding of the latest technology, is the greatest hazard to passengers flying on airliners. 

Nelson said too often, recurrent training does not focus on a pilot's ability to cope with emergency situations or extreme maneuvers. "We do a lot of checking, but we don't do much teaching," Nelson said.

Nelson also said that as more of the instructors have less experience with manual flying skills, they won't be able to teach from experience, "They'll be speaking from hearsay," he said.

FMI: www.airbus.com