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Pilot Training and Hiring - British Airways – 800 Pilots During the Next 5 Years, Renewed Interest in Ab Initio

From flightglobal.com

Boeing forecasts a need for 466,650 new pilots and 596,500 maintenance personnel to enter the industry over the next 20 years. According to a crew assessment forecast from Boeing, airlines will need an average of 23,300 new pilots and 30,000 new maintenance personnel per year from 2010 to 2029.

However, there is “no clear, long-term industry standard on how the next pilot generation will be trained to command the large fleet in the manufacturers' orderbooks“, Flight International emphasizes.

British Airways changed its pilot recruitment strategy last August after it foresaw a potential flightcrew shortage. The UK carrier wants to employ about 800 pilots during the next five years. While it needs about 100 new employees per year to maintain its approximately 3,200-strong cockpit workforce, BA wants to employ 150 flightcrew members every year for growth. Half of these recruits should come via direct entry from other airlines and the military, while the other half will be career starters from ab initio level. This is BA's biggest pilot recruitment initiative in more than a decade.

The main difference lies in the renewed interest in ab initio students. BA employed fresh air transport pilot licence (ATPL) holders before, but those graduates had undertaken and financed their training independently and were hired from the open market after qualification.

Airlines, including BA, previously pre-financed the training of a limited number of ab initio students after they had undergone an initial selection process, with the young pilots repaying the fees later during employment. This changed, however, with the aviation downturn after 9/11 and the concurrent rise of budget carriers such as EasyJet and Ryanair, which had always drawn cockpit personnel from the open pilot market. Petteford points out that the shift to this "retail" training model has moved control over cadet enrolment numbers from airlines to individuals.

BA still does not pay for the flight training in three selected academies, but now helps its students secure the required funding by guaranteeing a bank loan. Access to credit has become a main hurdle for pilot aspirants because of the financial crises since 2008, threatening to turn the profession into a career option mainly for children from sufficiently affluent backgrounds. BA worked with banks to devise a loan scheme because it feared the pool of applicants made of the right stuff was becoming too limited.

BA sister carrier Iberia is also recruiting a large number of flightcrew, although this will only be for its planned low-cost subsidiary Iberia Express, due to begin operations with four Airbus A320s at the end of March, which will gradually take over the parent's short- and medium-haul network. While 125 pilots are needed for the start-up phase, this is set to increase as the new airline is scheduled to have 13 aircraft by year-end and 40 by 2015. Iberia has traditionally recruited qualified pilots from a military or civilian background.

A number of flightcrew will transfer to Iberia Express from the parent carrier, which will concentrate exclusively on long-haul flights. The latter's approximately 1,500-strong cockpit workforce will gradually move up the ranks and convert to the A330/A340 fleet as senior flightcrew members retire. However, Iberia has no plans to recruit new pilots for the mainline operations. Whether it will be possible for Iberia Express flightcrew to transfer to the parent carrier is as yet unclear. Lufthansa expects to take on about 300 new pilots this year. The German airline mainly recruits ab initio cadets who learn their trade at the in-house training campuses in Bremen and Goodyear, Arizona. Only if demand exceeds the available supply of career starters does the airline fall back on direct-entry pilots.

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Aviation Training - Pilot Demand Rising

Here's an interesting piece from Baltic Aviation:

CAE Inc. is stepping up its business with Asia. It has sold five full-flight simulators and other training equipment together worth $65 million at list prices to Asian clients.

Citing estimates that Asia region would need at least 72,000 pilots in the next 20 years, Cebu Air Inc. (CEI) president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei signed with the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) an agreement for the establishment of a world-class, $50-million pilot training academy.

Environmental Tectonics Corporation (OTCQB: ETCC) ("ETC" or the "Company") today reported net sales for the 2012 third fiscal quarter of $17.3 million, an increase of $1.1 million, or 6.9% over net sales of $16.2 million in the 2011 third fiscal quarter

The integrated airport meteorological instrument system (AMIS), which is currently operational at eight airports in the India, will be extended to another 46 airports as part of the IMD's modernization program.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director General, Dr Harold Demuren, has said Nigeria has the highest safety standard. He also mentioned that was the reason Nigeria has not had any major accident recently, adding that no aircraft can fly in this country today without maintenance and safety record.

Pilot Training College, which has bases in Waterford and Dublin, has won a €12 million contract, the biggest in its history, RTE Ireland reported on 20 January.

Sheridan College and the Brampton Flying Club announced a new partnership. It will allow students to earn a business degree and their commercial pilot's license in the same four years.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) had purchased a brand-new Airbus A320 full flight simulator.
Cabair International’s flight crew selection team is touring across the UK in 2012 looking for new pilots to join the class of 2012. Cabair will be scouting for at least 100 new recruits to train to be qualified as commercial pilots to the highest JAA accredited standards.

IATA has signed a deal with Etihad Airways for a training partnership to roll out training courses for the travel sector in the region. The agreement took place at the IATA-AACO Aeropolitical Affairs Forum in Abu Dhabi. Courses will include the Airline Customer Service program, but will extend to fields in aviation, cargo, travel and tourism, including courses for travel agents.

India's aviation regulator plans to review the massive fleet expansion plans of IndiGo, the country's No.2 airline, after the safety audit found a shortage of trained staff and alleged operational discrepancies, a report by the regulator shows.

At Singapore Airshow, happening on 14-19 February, Aviation Training & Services are discussed on Thursday, 16 February at Southeast Asia Business Forum. 5th International Conference “Air Transport Safety“ conference, held in Moscow, Renaissance Hotel, discusses particularities of training flight personnel for modern aircraft. Aviation Professionals conference, held on February 21, Moscow, will expand the topic on the cooperation of the state and the private sector as well as modern technologies of training.

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Mountain Flying Basics - getting maximum lift from the wing

As an instructor as well as a student of aviation and all things flight I am always interested in learning as much about aerodynamics as I possibly can, especially when it will help my flying.

One of the airplanes we operate here at Alpine Flight Training in Eagle Colorado is a Cessna Cardinal, the other is a Diamond DA20. The Cardinal has a significant load capability, but when heavily loaded the performance quickly diminishes. One of the challenges of flying the Cardinal is to accurately predict your climb performance prior to departure and then maximize that climb in flight, especially when more heavily loaded.

In talking to an aerodynamics guru I recently learned that generally speaking, ailerons are designed in a manner that when they are fully deflected in the down position the wing is in it's maximum lift configuration. While that fact is interesting about the aileron, what it also means is that if your plane's POH isn't specific about maximum lift flap setting, and easy way to determine this is to place the aileron in the fully deflected position and then lower the flap to match that angle. In the Cardinal, it turns out that maximum lift is a little less than the 10 degrees of flaps settings suggested by the POH for takeoff. As a result, I'll generally takeoff with 10 degrees, then retract the flaps slightly to maximize the climb.

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Mountain Flying Basics - Altitude for Pass Crossing

One of the frequent topics that comes up during our mountain flying courses is what is the correct elevation for pass crossing. I'll attempt to make the answer as straight forward as possible however there are several considerations.

The first thing to remember is that we should always keep our airplane in a position to turn towards lower terrain. Now as you approach the pass, many valleys narrow - each one will be different, but the basic premise of pass crossing is that you shouldn't cross the pass until you are at an altitude that is sufficient to allow power off glide to the pass or ridge from your position, at the same time you should not put the airplane in a position where it cannot turn towards lower terrain. So as you approach the pass or ridge, if you arrive at a point where you must turn away from the pass in order to (1) keep the plane in a position to turn towards lower terrain, then you would do exactly that and turn away from the pass because you are (2) not at an altitude that is sufficient to allow a power off glide to the ridge. As you come around again after a circle to gain some altitude you can now see you are high enough to glide to the ridge top, then you can continue up the valley to cross the pass. As you cross the pass, do so at a 45 degree angle if it allows so that you have the option of reversing course back to the side of the pass you came from.

Keep in mind I'm not saying we cross the ridge power off - that's simply the means for determining if we are indeed high enough to warrant continuing towards the pass to cross.

Alpine Flight Training offers a variety of mountain flying clinics, ideally suited to all skill levels. Call 970-401-5105 for more information.

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Night Flight in the Mountains

Flying VFR at Night in the Colorado Rockies

Simply from reading the headline some of you may respond "that's crazy." In reality night flight through the mountains can be more dangerous, but there are things a pilot can do to minimize the risk. If you pick the right night, night flight in the mountains can also be very rewarding.

I spent yesterday evening on a flight with a student traveling from Eagle Airport to Grand Junction and back. The flight departed and returned to Eagle in the dark. The flight itself was very enjoyable, and a pleasure to do.

In itself, night flight can be hazardous. Add a crossing of the Colorado Rockies and the hazards only increase. As I told my student, there are things a pilot can do to minimize these hazards and manage the risks; the following are my thoughts on night flight through the mountains...

Night flight in the mountains requires the pilot to be operating at their peak. This is the case for flying skills, planning skills, and medical/psychological condition. If you're not fully 100% up to the task then it's just better to stay home.

Planning...

Planning is essential. Get a weather briefing, file a flight plan, understand the conditions, look at charts, and review forecasts. Review your route, draw it on the map, have nav aid info ready. If you have a GPS, preload the route. Do everything possible to ensure your attention is on flight operations and not on trying to plan a flight as you fly it.

Weather...

In the mountains at night is no time to be second-guessing the weather. If it's not ideal, it's not a good idea. If you're new to night flying in the mountains you may want to make your first voyage on a clear night with a full moon. In the winter, with a full moon there is an amazing amount of visibility because of reflected light off the snow.

Flight Plan...

When you plan your route, plan it with possible outs by over flying many airports. Since airports are generally in the valley and not on the mountain doing so will also keep you over lower terrain where the visual reference of lights is below. Just before you launch open your flight plan. Also, if possible use flight following, ATC can help guide you and keep you out of trouble if problems do arise - remember they're a resource for you. If you paid your taxes then you paid their salary, you have a right to use that service.

Physical Condition...

Make sure you're rested, well fed, and up to the challenge. If that's not the case pick another night. At night I generally fly higher altitudes, crossing the Continental Divide at Corona Pass at night I might fly 15,500 east and 16,500 west. This means have Oxygen! Oh... and use it. Oxygen will make your night vision sharper.... if you don't believe me; go to the USAF Altitude Chamber Training. Another important consideration is to allow your night vision to adapt. I sometimes just sit in the car for 30 minutes in the dark before the flight to accomplish this.

Aircraft Condition & Preflight

Assuming you’ve done everything to mitigate the above risks, the largest remaining risk will be that of an equipment failure like an engine failure. For this reason it’s essential to do a very good job on the preflight inspection. The preflight can be a challenge at night, sometimes it’s helpful to do the preflight before sunset and then wait for it to get dark. Do the most through preflight you know how to do, and then do it again. It’s also a good idea to organize the cockpit so you can find things in the dark. Have lights available to see charts, etc.

The up side of night flight is that it’s easier to find airports, see traffic, and often the air is smoother. A night flight under a full moon through the snow covered Rockies is truly a unique experience that few people get to enjoy. It’s definitely worth the extra work.

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Looking & Scanning for Other Air Traffic

Proof that you can never stop looking for other aircraft.

During a lesson today at Eagle Airport as we were taxing back to the ramp a completely unannounced aircraft suddenenly appeared on short final and proceeded to do touch-and-go's. Consider that Eagle Airport is a tower controlled airport with as many as 1000 operations per day. Eagle airport serves a variety of military, airline, corporate, and general aviation aircraft.

The unannouced aircraft was obviously confused about their position, as they probably thought they were in Rifle instead. This incident illustrates the necessity for the pilot to continuously look for traffic in all situations and all types of airspace. Even at controlled airports there is the possibility for controller and pilot mistakes that could put at risk your aircraft.

The pilot should continuously scan the sky in 10 degree increments. In addition, there are obvious places to look for traffic that presents specific hazards. When changing heading look in the direction of the turn and behind for aircraft that may collide from behind and the side. Before taking the runway for takeoff look at the approach course to each end of that runway. On final consider the possiblity of aircraft below or above your aircraft.

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Mountain Flying Strategy | Climbing in the Pattern

Earlier today I was hanging out at the funnest place on earth - the Vail Valley Jet Center, and a pilot called the FBO to ask about mountain flying. Well naturally, being the local CFI and being the lobby the phone got passed to me. The VFR pilot on the other end of the line was coming to the area for the first time and wanted to know if climbing in the pattern was something that could be done.

Overall this strategy is a good one, and it's something I've done many times. Simply take off, let the tower know you want to make a lap through the pattern and continue climbing. This is a great way to get to your crossing altitude. Not only does it keep you over friendly terrain, but also keeps you near an ideal landing site. I specifically do this at night quite frequently - I think it's a great strategy for circling over the airfield or city when the lights are below you to gain altitude before departing the area enroute - expecially where there is mountainous terrain.

The only complexity of this strategy really only comes into play if the weather is less than ideal, or the traffic to the airport is heavy. Here's why. You can assume at any given field there are probably a couple instrument approaches, with missed approach procedures. There is also the "go around" flight path to the runway. As you climb in the pattern, you are climbing through airspace that is sometime used for that go around or used for the missed approach. Let's say as a VFR pilot you're in clear airspace directly above the airport, but to the east is a cloud formation and arriving aircraft from the east are on instrument approach. Assuming the arriving aircraft don't see the airport by the missed approach point then they start their go around, then they may pop out of the clouds right where you're circling to climb.

No strategy is perfect, but this an overall good one.

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Mountain Flying Instruction, Resources and Seminars

A great online resource for Mountain Flying

I frequently get e-mails asking for recommendations on the best books, online training and videos for the topic of mountain flying. Usually, whenever I schedule a student for the training they also ask... "Should I read anything before I come?"

In terms of books, Sparky Emerson has a couple great books, excellent detail. If you read his series of books on the topic you'll be well versed. If you don't have the time available then another resource I can't promote enough is the AOPA Air Safety Foundation online Mountain Flying Course.

This online course is fantastic. What's better, it can be completed in several hours. While it does not take the place of an in depth study, this online course is an excellent way to prepare for a mountain training course or a way to refresh your knowledge prior to mountain flight.

Of course the best training is by doing, and Alpine Flight Training provides mountain flying seminars of 1 and 2 days in length to give you the practical real-world experience of flying in the mountains. Call for more information at 970-401-5105

Mountain Flying Instruction

Mountain Flying Course in the Heart of the Colorado Rockies

Mountain Flying in Colorado Have you ever wanted to venture into the mountains with your airplane, but worried that you may not be ready for the challenge? If you want to fly in the mountains, the best idea is to get some mountain flight instruction from a qualified flight instruction that specializes in mountain flying. The team of instructors at Alpine Flight Instruction can provide just that training.

Central Colorado offers incredible natural beauty, from desert mesas to snow-capped 14,000 ft peaks. This landscape also presents a wide variety of challenges for all pilot experience levels. Narrow and sloping runways, one-way airports, density altitudes in excess of 10,000 ft and difficult-to-predict mountain wave will test your decision-making abilities and skills as a pilot.

Safe and enjoyable flying in the mountains requires the right perspective, solid understanding of aircraft performance, the operating environment and most importantly, your abilities as a pilot. The proficient mountain pilot will carefully assess each of these factors when planning a mountain flight.

Call and talk to the instructors at Alpine Flight Training. We will build a training plan ideally suited to any pilot's skill level and experience. Our instructors can provide mountain training in our rental aircraft or in your own aircraft. Additionally, we can arrange to meet you at an airport east or west of the Rockies on the way from where you are coming from.

Instinct and Intuition - A Recipe for Disaster

In the course of going through the most basic pilot training many of us learn that control inputs based on instinct or intuition are often wrong. Some examples of this are the graveyard spiral or recovery from a spin. In the case of each, the natural thing to do is not the correct thing to do. Mountain Flying is very similar, in that the natural and intuitive strategy does not always equate to a good strategy.

The goal of our mountain flight training is to help you develop a different perspective with regards to navigating your aircraft through the mountains. This new perspective will help you develop conditioned responses to keep your aircraft safe as you navigate the mountains. The basic premise is simple....(1) stay in a position to turn to lowering terrain and (2) never fly past the point of no return. While these rules seem simple enough, it takes some practice to develop them into conditioned responses. This conditioning takes time and effort, that is, practice with an experienced mountain pilot. It is not something you go out and do once or twice and figure you have "it." But it is something you can be aware of so that you condition yourself. Keep repeating the rules to yourself, "Stay in a position to turn to lower terrain," while constantly evaluating the flight situation.

Redefining Aircraft Performance and Weather

The second really large area we focus our time on when teaching mountain flying is related to the areas of aircraft performance and weather. With regards to the topics of aircraft performance and weather the goal is to thoroughly review the knowledge areas, and focus specifically on how they apply to mountain flying. Additionally, we'll show you some techniques you can use to improve your flying specifically related to aircraft performance and weather.

Mountain Flying Syllabus
Our mountain flying training is custom tailored to each pilot. Every pilot is different is terms of what they plan to do, and the sort of aircraft they are using, as a result every mountain flying training session is a little different. For this reason we don't have a set training syllabus, however the training syllabus below will provide an overview of many of the topics we cover during mountain flight training. The goal of this course is to provide the pilot with the basic tools of knowledge, skill and judgment to fly safely in mountainous terrain, while having a challenging and rewarding experience.

Course Outline

Mountain Flying Strategy