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Challenges & opportunities in designing a new ADF pilot training system
The ADF is on the verge of a near complete replacement of its pilot training system for all three services, and is poised at a critical juncture where it must decide whether to replace existing platforms like with like, or follow the lead of countries like Singapore and the UK and adopt a systems approach.
Today ADF pilot trainees pass through a traditional, ‘stove-piped’ training structure, with only limited cross over between Air Force, Army and Navy pilot training. After flight screening, all three services’s pilot candidates undertake initial training at BFTS – Basic Flying Training School – at Tamworth. From there Air Force and Navy students progress to 2FTS (2 Flying Training School) at Pearce in WA, while Army candidates undergo further training at Tamworth before heading to the School of Army Aviation at Oakey for helicopter conversion onto the Kiowa, before progressing to operational units. Meanwhile, ‘wings’ graduates from 2FTS selected for fast jet training progress to 79SQN for lead-in fighter training on the Hawk jet, transport and maritime bound pilots transfer to their squadron for operational conversion, and Navy pilots are posted to 723SQN at Nowra for helicopter training on the Squirrel. For fast jet pilots the process continues with a second stint on Hawks with 79SQN at Williamtown, and the ‘opcon’ operational conversion on to the Hornet with 2OCU before then being posted to an operational squadron, or soon 6SQN for Super Hornet conversion.
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It is a convoluted system that is recognised as training high calibre pilots but is also increaslingly seen as inefficient, costly and time consuming, relying on using increasingly outdated aircraft and not taking full advantage of modern simulators and other training technologies. It can take three years to train a RAAF fast jet pilot, and, currently, as many as five to train a Navy pilot qualified and experienced enough to operate at sea.
“Our current system takes too long, our suspension rates are too high, in both the undergraduate and post graduate arenas, the system produces too few fast jet capable aircrew, and unfortunately by default too many multi-crew aircrew,” Chief of Air Force AIRMSHL Mark Binskin told the Williams Foundation’s Pilot Training Seminar, which discussed the issues of ADF pilot training, in late May.
Currently two programs are underway with the Defence Capability Group (DCG) to replace the key elements of the ADF pilot training system, Air 5428 to replace the RAAF’s BFTS/2FTS training system, and Air 9000 Phase 7 Helictopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) to replace the training currently providing by the Army’s School of Army Aviation the Navy’s 723SQN.
But increasingly concerns are being raised, lead most publicly by the Williams Foundation but also elements within the Defence organisation and industry that Air 5428 and HATS, if implemented as currently planned, will represent a missed opportunity for the ADF in being able to introduce an much more efficient ‘system’ approach to pilot training, with these programs, as they currently stand, representing a like for like replacement.
system project, despite its critical role in training fast jet pilots. (Paul Sadler)
Newer aircraft, simulators, and modern training aids would undoubtedly lead to improvements over the current system, but the question being increasingly asked are those improvements enough. “Replication of the current pilot training system would result in suboptimal outcomes,” CAF warned the symposium. “At the risk of stating the bleedingly obvious, getting pilot training right is more than simply selecting the right aircraft and the right training package.”
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