Ask the Captain: Training for experienced pilots

Question: Hello, Captain Cox, I love aviation and really enjoy your articles.  Can you explain the regular training process that experienced pilots go through? And is it unusual for a pilot to fly with an unfamiliar flight crew? 

— Submitted by reader Collin, Lititz, Pa.

Answer: I share your love of aviation and am glad to hear you like the column.

Pilots attend recurrent ground school yearly where they revisit the systems on the aircraft and receive technical briefings on operational issues that may have occurred in the previous year. They receive the latest security information and crew resource management training.

In addition to the ground school once or twice a year, pilots fly a simulator where they practice dealing with system malfunctions and evaluate flying skill. These are intense four-hour sessions where  decision-making is tested.

Once a year, an evaluator rides in the jump seat to observe a pilot in his or her line operation. It is a look at the real world and how a pilot adapts to the challenges.

It is not uncommon for crewmembers who have not previously met to fly together. Airlines stress standardization for this reason. All pilots and flight attendants are expected to do the job the same way. Other crewmembers count on this standardization should an abnormal situation arise.

Q: With automation and fly by wire becoming the norm,  what, if any, effect will it have on the next generation of pilots’ basic flying skills?

— Rick, Saudi Arabia

A: Manual flying skills are a concern for pilots. The increased usage of automation reduces the time pilots  fly the airplane, and the perishable skill of manually flying suffers. The industry addresses this concern by encouraging pilots to manually fly and requiring more manual flying during simulator training.

The next generation of pilots will need both skill sets, manual and managing automation, to be successful. It is up to us to ensure they get the proper training.

Q: Do former Navy pilots really land commercial airplanes at a sharper angle as if landing on an aircraft carrier?

— Frank, Salt Lake City

A: No, all pilots are trained to land a specific type of aircraft the same way.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.