Future
Singapore Airlines (SIA) cadet pilots can expect to graduate in two years
instead of three, and with skills that should better prepare them for actual
flight operations.
The
airline has carried out a detailed study on a new multi-crew pilot licence
(MPL) programme and is now preparing for a field test.
Unlike
the conventional training method, the new teaching programme focuses on
simulator experience and multi-crew operations, instead of solo flying.
The plan
is for the bulk of the training to be done in Singapore, instead of at SIA's
facilities in Australia where cadets currently spend much of their time.
The field
test will start soon and involve up to eight new SIA cadets. Those already
being trained will not be affected.
SIA
spokesman Nicholas Ionides told The Straits Times: "As cadets are immersed
early on into the airline environment, the training provided is more airline
specific, equipping cadets with the relevant skills to operate in the cockpit
of a multi-crew airliner."
Currently,
cadets who graduate from the flight academy need to be trained in multi-crew
cooperation skills before moving to the aircraft they will be flying.
It takes
about three years for the full training to be completed.
SIA is
proposing a 24-month plan for its new training programme which must first be
approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. A spokesman said it is
reviewing details of SIA's trial.
So far,
budget carrier Tigerair is the only Singapore airline to have been given the
green light to conduct multi-crew pilot licence training.
Approved
by the International Civil Aviation Organisation in 2006, the new programme is
backed by global carriers represented by the International Air Transport
Association.
More time
spent in flight simulators, and on equipping trainees with interpersonal and
communication skills, better prepares them to operate in a multi-crew
environment, experts say.
They
believe that simulators allowing airlines to put their trainee pilots through
many different incidents and scenarios are also more relevant to commercial
flying than hours spent in a single-pilot plane.
Captain
Mok Hin Choon, president of the Air Line Pilots Association - Singapore, said
that while total training time will be cut, he is certain SIA will work closely
with the regulator to ensure that safety and other standards are met.
Calling
it a step in the right direction, he said: "It makes sense to get trainees
accustomed to teamwork and the dynamics of two-man operations instead of a
focus on solo flying, the relevance of which in commercial aircraft operations
may be questionable."
Article taken from AsiaOne
