To the fore

From Far and Wide.

The men and women that guide Australia’s airliners across the skies come from a very diverse range of backgrounds. Their career paths encompass a broad base of aviators, from those plying their trade in general aviation to military pilots with combat experience. Some are the product of weekend lessons at the Aero Club, while others have learnt within the structured regime of an airline cadet scheme or via the rigorous demands of the defence force training institutions.

Yet for all the diversity in their origins and the spectrum of careers they have followed, they are able to come together on the flight deck and operate with tremendous synergy. Whether in normal day to day operations or the crucible of an emergency, these ‘perfect strangers’ are able to extract the most from their aircraft in pursuit of the safest outcome.

I am still impressed after many years to view the tapes of a crew in action in the simulator. Reaching hands criss-cross the cockpit; void of collisions, but rich on choreography. The language is brief but effective as checklists are read and various options discussed. But like a major theatrical production, the dance moves do not come overnight, but are the result of endless hours of practice. The key to success can be traced back to the selection process and continues through the initial and ongoing training of crews, while their everyday integrity is maintained via standard operating procedures (SOP). It’s an involved process, but one that pays dividends in the most valuable possible way; the pursuit of safety.

Coming on Board.

The selection process can vary from airline to airline, but fundamentally they are all seeking the best possible pilot candidate. They are looking for a blend of personality, aptitude and ability from the applicants by subjecting them to a series of varied tests.

Firstly, to apply they must meet the minimum academic, flight experience and medical standards as dictated by the airline. Only when through this fundamental culling process does the selection process begin in earnest and expand to include a variety of psychometric testing, simulator check rides and interview panels. It is here that the candidate’s suitability is most critically assessed at every stage. However, the process is looking for more than simply the ‘best and brightest’, it is looking for individuals who can operate and communicate as part of crew, people who have the ability to apply themselves and continue to learn and develop. In the simulator check ride, no-one is expected to be the ‘ace of the base’, but sound manipulative skills and an efficient instrument scan are traits that hold the applicant in good stead.

Once the hoops have been jumped through and the appropriate security checks conducted, an offer of a position with the airline will be made and training can begin in earnest. Once upon a time, this meant reporting to the airline’s training centre to commence ground school training, but today this is not always the case. Now initial training may be undertaken at a third party training provider, a process that is being re-defined through the implementation of CASA’s new CASR Part 142. And while a legacy carrier like QANTAS continues to pay for the initial training of its pilots, in increasing numbers other airlines are asking the candidates to pay for their own initial training.

Regardless of whether the new pilot is an airline cadet with minimal hours, or an experienced FA18 Fighter Combat Instructor, the training is the same without ‘credits’ for past experience. Logically enough, a large amount of the training involves learning to fly the particular aircraft type, hence becoming ‘endorsed’. This begins with ground training in the aircraft systems and performance, either through digital mediums, old school ‘chalk and talk’, or a mixture of both. Progressing onto the simulator, the pilots have their newfound systems knowledge reinforced before spending around 40 hours in the simulator flying the aeroplane.

This full motion simulator training commences with core manipulative skills before advancing into instrument flying and ultimately non-normal procedures or ‘emergencies’. By the end of training the crew is able to fly all manner of complex flight profiles with random events ruining their day at regular intervals. Throughout this phase, standard operating procedures become ingrained for the pilots. SOPs are a crew’s best defence against threats and any sense of complacency. Furthermore, they are frequently the first ‘red flag’ when something is amiss in what may appear a ‘normal’ operation. Similarly, SOPs are the tool by which two fully trained crew members can operate seamlessly having never even met before. The operation is defined to the smallest detail, even to the very words used in communicating, with a net result of pilots sharing common expectations, rather than surprises and uncertainty.

Beyond the simulator, induction training also branches out to include specific briefings on such area as Crew Resource Management, Human Factors and Emergency Procedures. The latter involves training on the aircraft’s emergency equipment from life-rafts to emergency oxygen and the roles played by the crew in the event of an evacuation or some other event. This training also provides an opportunity to interact with the other vital members of the team; the cabin crew, thus enhancing the mutual appreciation and understanding of each others’ duties.

In this age of Category D full motion simulators, completion of the training meets the requirements to be endorsed on the aircraft type. Previously ‘base training’ was conducted in the actual aircraft with no-one but crew on board to give crew a ‘feel’ for the aeroplane. Today, the simulators are so highly regarded that this practice has ceased across the board for most airlines. Consequently, the next phase of training is ‘on the line’.

On the Line.

Line training is the phase of training that takes place in the aircraft and critically, in the operating environment. Paired with a training Captain, the new crew member puts into practice the many SOPs that were learnt in the simulator in unison with the everyday duties of a line pilot. This involves not only flying the aeroplane, but attending to administrative duties and liaising with the many and varied personnel involved in despatching, operating and receiving a regular airline service. It is here that the real world time pressures are experienced and managed in a style to not compromise safety in any fashion.

In this time the pilot will experience all manner of instrument approaches and departures, weather and operational issues. As well as regular knowledge ‘quizzing’ by the training Captain a sense of what it is to be a crew member will be instilled. Everything from an awareness of alternate airports enroute, the varying options in operating the aircraft and their costs in terms of fuel and time to managing issues as they arise with a sense of priority; even where to eat in various ports of call.

The number of sectors for line training will vary from company to company and whether the pilot is short haul or long haul. Domestically, a pilot may fly 40 or 50 sectors, while an international trainee may see significantly less sectors, though their duration is far greater. With the sector requirement met, and a recommendation from the Training Captain, the trainee pilot undergoes a final check flight.

The ‘check’ is the culmination of months of training and study and its successful completion will see the candidate finally signed off as a line pilot; ready to operate as a fully fledged crew member. It is a great moment, but should the check flight not go to plan, there is the option of further training sectors to ready the trainee for another attempt at their check. Passing a check is not a formality; it is a function of safety and standards. It is this philosophy that finally determines the ongoing level of proficiency of qualified crews aboard airliners.

An Ongoing Process.

Training, like safety, is as much about culture as it is about content. Complacency has no place on the flight deck and every pilot must endeavour to not only maintain the level of knowledge gained during training, but enhance it with the real-world exposure of operational flying. Being ‘checked to the line’ may allow a pilot to operate the aircraft, but training is ongoing until the day of retirement. Continuing education is every bit as critical to crew standards as the intense months of initial training.

For the rest of their career, airline crews are continually scrutinised and asked to demonstrate their competency in a manner asked of very few other professions. There are ever challenging and frequent medical examinations and practical tests of their ability in the aeroplane and simulator alike. Not to mention refresher training in Human Factors, Emergency Equipment, Dangerous Goods and so on. And while at times met with dread, it is this ongoing commitment to checking and training, combined with experience that best prepares a crew for those days when the cards stack up against them and they are confronted with an emergency.

Of all the ongoing training, perhaps the most intensive and widely recognised is simulator based. Designed in conjunction with CASA, each simulator session forms part of an overall ‘matrix’ to ensure a wide range of topics is covered in the process. This matrix may consist of a number of simulator exercises spread over years, but when finished, another matrix begins. Depending on the approved syllabus, crews may be asked to demonstrate their proficiency 3 or 4 times annually and this doesn’t include additional training sessions that may arise for new equipment, procedures or ports. While some lesson plans call for an intensive session of one event after another, others are LOFT sessions, flown in real time with an emphasis on flight management, decision making and crew co-ordination.

Regardless of the content, each session will typically begin with a discussion during which time current operational issues are raised from a training perspective and knowledge of systems and procedures are tested with checking in mind. Preparation is the key to any simulator session and adequate forewarning is issued to crews with the content broadly outlined. As such, there isn’t really a valid excuse for not having been ‘in the books’.

Once in the simulator, certain exercises will be used to assess the crews proficiency in a sense of ‘pass or fail’, while others will be aimed at training and education. Checking and training components alike, SOPs, flight tolerances and standards must be maintained throughout. All manner of systems failures, flight manoeuvres and weather conditions can be replicated to expose the crew to situations that are statistically rare events. These scenarios can be stopped, repeated and even replayed back on video to dissect both the nature of the problem and the crew’s response. With the realism of the new generation of simulators, the training on offer is one of the most valuable tools available to prepare crews for non-normal events.

However, for all of the high-tech training aids, it is still imperative that the correct mindset pervades the operating crews to manage dire situations in a timely manner, sensibly prioritising issues and communicating effectively. As seen with the Hudson ditching and so many others, events sometimes occur that extend beyond the realms of the checklists. It is in these cases particularly that experience, training and company culture come to the fore.

Safety is no accident.

Through the media, isolated airborne dramas can place the proficiency of individual crews on a pedestal for the general public. The reality is that such performances, while meritorious, are not necessarily unique. They are the result of an ongoing checking and training regime that forms an integral aspect of every pilot’s career. Airlines would like to think that this investment in its people prepares all of its pilots to not only perform when confronted with emergencies, but also manage everyday threats before they ever have a chance to escalate.

The old cliché states that “safety is no accident” and this is no more apparent than in the proficiency of airline crews when placed under extraordinary situations with ever-mounting pressure. Far from being a random response, the management of an in-flight emergency is a calculated process combining years of training and experience with a calm, clear mindset. All pilots would prefer that the day never comes when they are faced with a major emergency, but should that day arrive, it is their experience and ongoing commitment to their training that will best ready them for the challenge they face.

Events sometimes occur that extend beyond the realms of the checklists. It is in these cases particularly that experience, training and company culture come to the fore.