Paul ‘BJ’ Ransbury, President and CEO, Aviation Performance Solutions (APS)
• 24 years specializing in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) solutions
• Operations on three continents implementing APS-certified UPRT to over 25,000 pilots annually in the United States alone.
• Personal experience delivering over 5000 flight hours dedicated to teaching and instructing all-attitude all-envelope maneuvering techniques and strategies in both piston and jet aircraft.
Proper Upset Prevention and Recovery Training for Airline Pilot Cadets
While overall fatalities due to Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) have been declining, each of the last seven decadal reporting periods covered by Boeing in its “Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents Worldwide” have indicated an increase in the percentage of airline fatalities attributed to LOC-I. In the most recent report highlighting the period 2008-2017 the number of fatalities attributable to LOC-I is now greater than the next six areas of causality combined. This information indicates that while we are doing well at training pilots with the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent and recover from excursions beyond the boundaries of normal operations.
This previously noted trend has resulted in ICAO, IATA, FAA, EASA and other Civil Aviation Authorities calling for Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) for airline operators, with many others currently evaluating proposed guidance.
In order to mitigate the threat of LOC-I future airline pilots must be provided with UPRT at the licensing stage as is currently required under Multi-crew Pilot License (MPL) and recommended by ICAO prior to Commercial Licensing. Proper training must include learning elements devoted to providing pilots with aerodynamic information beyond the normal flight envelope and practical skill development in the upset domain.
This presentation will discuss human factors considerations, aspects of all-attitude/all-envelope training that are transferable to airline operations, UPRT flight instructor qualifications, and safety considerations in the delivery of UPRT. Airline cadet training concepts presented are provided in the context of alignment with airline UPRT currently being provided to United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, South African Airways and other international carriers.