Cheap training on the fly

At Simuflight we can attest to the phenomenon of some pilots coming through our doors with a very shaky training foundation. Luckily, we also get a lot of serious pilots, and we always appreciate the ones approaching training as a growth exercise and a step to better competence on their career path.

There is a definite mental approach with some pilots that view training as a transaction and a tick-the-box exercise. These pilots, who frequently take the cheaper training option, train with a diferent perspective and this can only result in superficial learning with an emphasis on a quick course. In most of these pilots, this is a pattern and by the time they get to us, an advanced pilot training centre, their understanding of the fundamentals of flight principles and procedures is not as solid as it should be. This is often compounded by time, that has eroded the fundamentals that should have been part of their everyday operations. On a type or class rating course at Simuflight, this results in extra training and higher costs for the pilot or the company that he or she flies for or will be flying for, not to mention the frustration and finger pointing.

On a psychological level it results in mental shortcuts, an illusion of competence and diminishing stress tolerance. This alters how a student pilot’s brain processes risk, handles abnormalities and emergencies and builds situational awareness under pressure. Rushed training fails to expose student pilots to in-depth case-scenarios. Instead of building a solid problem-solving skill, cheap training programs result in a cognitive freeze when an out-of-script abnormality or emergency occurs in real time, during flight. Getting the training done fast and cheap supports“get-there-itis” as opposed to reviewing all the factors properly before the flight, so arriving at the best Aeronautical Decision Making (A.D.M.) decision, i.e. not shooting from the hip. Safety should always come first, and this is not part of the cheap and quick training culture.

The quick training culture is also well known for disregarding soft skills, such as multi-crew cooperation (as applicable) and crew resource management, as just something that must be done to satisfy the law. At Simuflight we regard these soft skills as crucial, and we use instructors with years of experience in a multi-crew environment to instruct these courses. Our new course, Weather Radar Practical Application, is one of the courses that supplements the initial conversions to make a better and safer pilot out of our candidates. Understanding the full purpose of a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and its application is another soft skills course which Simuflight presents.

In conclusion, we all know Aviation training is not cheap, but it is well worth it to start from PPL level, at a reputable training school and build your foundation as a pilot intentionally and with the purpose to learn and grow as a pilot and be as safe as humanly possible. It is after all your own life and those of others you will be responsible for, on the ground as well as in the clouds. Enjoy the journey getting there!