career pilot training travails

They need to hire almost all the applicants who meet the minimums to keep up with the demand to put butts in cockpit seats. Naturally, this means that the training departments are seeing more students challenged, some to the point of washing out of training altogether.

I spoke with many pilots who had just completed training at regional or major airlines. All of them wished to remain anonymous to protect their careers. Many of my sources witnessed other pilots who struggled to get through at least one aspect of training. A new-hire pilot at a major cargo airline witnessed her classmate, a former Air National Guard F–16 pilot, struggle with the automation and vertical navigation (VNAV). He also had some issues with regulations, telling her, “There are all kinds of FAA regulations that we don’t know very well because they rarely apply to us.” Military pilots often have training issues since fighter pilots, for example, have never been exposed to crew operations and often are challenged by civilian ATC communications.

“I can honestly say the transition was harder than I thought it was going to be,” said a new hire at a regional airline whose background was strictly Part 61 general aviation flying. For him, the transition to glass was a challenge. In the Beechcraft Baron he previously flew, a quick glance of needle position told him everything he needed to know. “With glass, you need to read, ingest, and understand. It’s information overload. Suddenly, I had to search for information and also had an airplane yelling at me, ‘traffic, traffic.’ Being that overloaded, I wasn’t learning.”

After locking himself in a hotel room to study and watch instructional videos, he was able to plod through the transition, albeit with a few extra simulator sessions for which he was very appreciative. Back when hiring was competitive, granting multiple extra simulator sessions was a luxury, as many airlines simply washed you out and picked another candidate.

“I can honestly say the transition was harder than I thought it was going to be,” said a new hire at a regional airline whose background was strictly Part 61 general aviation flying.A longtime captain at the same regional airline explained that pilot retention is a problem. In flying with new-hire first officers, he has heard many of them relate tales of students failing because of poor study habits, lack of preparedness, and the expectation to be spoon-fed through training. While the competition for jobs is not nearly as fierce as it was, pilots can’t expect to skate through training without a lot of work.

A new hire at a cargo carrier related stories of his recent training. Having previous experience as a captain at a regional from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s, he knew what to expect and did well in training for his heavy Boeing. Others? Not so much. “My sim partner failed and dropped out. He was a longtime Army rotary and fixed-wing pilot and had great difficulties interacting with a PC and iPad,” he said. VNAV, the flight management computer (FMC), autopilot, and Jeppesen charts were all ganging up on the student. “He struggled through the oral, which ended up lasting 4.5 hours.” He failed the procedures check by missing callouts and checklist responses. After remedial training, he was passed on to flight training device training where troubles continued but again, was allowed to progress to simulator training. Following more problems with FMC and automation use, the pilot was given several more simulator sessions but, ultimately, could not overcome the hurdles and resigned. “[My airline] was very, very gracious in giving him additional training. They went above and beyond.”

Finally, we spoke to a member of the training department at a fractional ownership company. While he acknowledged there were more difficulties finding quality candidates these days, he says his company has adapted. “There definitely isn’t a crisis,” he said. Simulator evaluations are now required to help filter out those who may look good on paper but later prove to be subpar pilots. As expensive as simulator training is, it’s key to weed out the problem pilots before that phase of training, if possible.

Our source said companies also have to be savvy in sourcing pilots, which requires keeping tabs on the goings-on in the entire aviation industry. Airlines that fail or furlough pilots are always good sources. He also explained that rotary-wing pilots have been good, reliable candidates for his company recently. The biggest wild card were pilots from a Part 91/135 background where, he explained, “you just don’t know what you’re getting.”

What are some recipes for success? Good study habits and discipline are key. Airline training and type-specific training should be likened to an accelerated doctorate program. The study is intense and requires minimal distractions. If financially feasible, holing yourself up in a hotel room and shutting out distractions will go a long way in helping. Search YouTube and other websites for training videos and other information about the type of airplane you will fly. Showing up green is not recommended unless you’re a quick study as well as an excellent pilot. Once paired up with a simulator partner, “chair fly” the flows, maneuver profiles, and callouts. It sounds silly but it works.