RAA CEO Weighs in on Recent Issues with Stakeholders

The Regional Airline Association's Faye Malarkey Black joined the supporting chorus for "improved foundational training for pilots alongside redoubled professionalism in the industry," according to a recent presser.

She threw the group's support behind the value of critical Safety Management Systems as the best way forward across the industry. The spate of near-collisions in recent months was posited to be a result of new blood entering the industry during the hubbub of 2020 and beyond, but Black said that pilots can't necessarily be judged by their logbook alone. 

“We need to look at the training that happens at the foundation and ensure we are providing the right supplemental training and bridge programs. And we need to make sure we’re not relying solely on flight hours as a proxy for experience because that’s not serving us well today. The reality is when pilots come into our training programs, they have high flight time but are less well prepared for the part 121 environment, and haven’t seen icing, mastered swept wing aerodynamics, or gained experience in traffic or multi-crew operations and crew resource management.”

She added that most regional airlines have repeatedly expanded their initial training regimens, adding classroom time, simulator sessions, and extra training, to onboard more capable pilots than ever before. Her solution was to double-down on a safety-focused mindset throughout the industry.

“It’s critical to engage the humans that form the safety backbone of our system, who must stand vigilant against complacency. The goal of safety and risk reduction must be embedded throughout the entire culture of an organization and through every layer, so everyone—from association executives to leaders of our organizations to our frontline workers—understands that the safety of the system is in their hands.”

FMI: www.raa.org