Fcti's

[FLYAWAY]

Heard through the grapevine that about 1/2 of the flight crew(pilot) training instructors in CLT were notified of their "termination" yesterday. Anyone with more information?

 

[BoeingBoy]

If you're talking about the ground school instructors, it unforutnately makes sense though it may not be as many as half the instructors. I think I'm in the first group to qualify for "train at home" non-airplane specific recurrent - this is the first month of my 3 month training window and I'm doing it on-line.

Eliminating classroom non-specific training by doing it on our own time from home or the crewroom eliminates 1/2 of the classroom time required for recurrent training.

Jim

 

[BabyBus]

Why and who did this? This previous company takes all....................................................

 

[BabyBus]

One more thing....How do you pilots feel about interactive training ie instructor led....Your new tin foil training and your union agreed to it.....small guy gone....here is your book, i mean internet, no questions, hurry, you are qualified, so sorry guy that studies to teach these guys for a living. They won't complain, you know why...?because they get to smoke through it at home....One new Startup is doing exactly the oposite...........It seems our old company wants to impress the new company and the new company isn't smart enough to know.....But they are young enough to know that reading the wall street journal on line is a bit different than reading it on paper.
Rambling................Figure most will not get it......

 

[BoeingBoy]

BabyBus,

Just speaking for myself, I'm not crazy about it. I'm sure that the FAA approval means it puts checks in all the squares, but there's no ability to interact, ask questions, share experiences, etc. I usually learned as much or more from the instructor, other pilots, or F/A's when we had the joint sessions at ground school as I did from the canned (slide or video) presentation. Now all we have is the canned presentation.

Jim

 

[Justme]

Of the 75 or so remaining fcti's, the bottom 20 have been waiting for this since 2002. This is the last of a group of about 75 junior fcti's hired in 98/99 and this final furloughee group couldn't be let go until resource management said they wouldn't be needed after the merger. If these were in fact let go then it means only one thing...no big shake-ups in what equipment pilots are flying. So, unless there is going to be some sort of "out-of-seniority" furloughes of pilots, the following changes are unlikely:

reduction of a large number of aircraft
addition of a large number of aircraft
reduction of a large number of pilots
addition of a large number of pilots

jm

 

[Justme]

OK, help out a Sales Trainer here.

Am I to understand that portions of the flight training is now web based?

What safeguards are there to ensure that the actual person that is supposed to take the knowledge checks is the one doing it?

What parts or types of training are now web based?

Bob, relax, it's no big deal. The material covered is considered "non-technical", meaning that it does not relate directly to the operation of the aircraft. Here's some of the subjects that were moved to web based training:

- how to use the wall mounted flashlight (remove it from its mount and it turns on)
- what's contained in the emergency medical kit
- a basic review of cold fronts, warm fronts, thunderstorms, and turbulence

There are a few other subjects that I won't list, but none of them are any more complicated than the three that I've listed.

does that help?
jm

 

[SoftLanding]

I'm all for the web-based training, it's about time this company figures out the web can be used for other than...surf for porn etc. 😉

This should have happened 10-15 years ago, IMHO...

And to topp if off, no "off" day travel to CLT/PHL...

SoftLanding

 

[sharkstooth]

Bob, relax, it's no big deal. The material covered is considered "non-technical", meaning that it does not relate directly to the operation of the aircraft. Here's some of the subjects that were moved to web based training:

- how to use the wall mounted flashlight (remove it from its mount and it turns on)
- what's contained in the emergency medical kit
- a basic review of cold fronts, warm fronts, thunderstorms, and turbulence

There are a few other subjects that I won't list, but none of them are any more complicated than the three that I've listed.

does that help?
jm

Justme,

It involves training for PRM approaches (close parallel ILS/visual approaches with special rules), operating into and out of "special airports" like San Jose, Costa Rica where the hillsides are littered with corroded piles of aluminum, as well as security considerations.

It all but kills any interactivity and information sharing on an informal basis, without fear of possible negative consequenses. It simply stops almost all information flow back up the chain to those who can do something about it, so that changes only will come about when there is injury or worse.

It basically "saves money" by betting something bad does not happen, sorta like not paying flood insurance while living in NOLA.

to Bob.

In the crewroom, it is easy to walk away, forgetting to log off. The screen will patiently wait for the first person, perhaps in a hurry and will accomplish part of a module before they are confronted with the fact that they just did work for someone else. I know of one who actually had part of a module done that way.

 

[A1B2C3D4]

Justme,
Where did you get your very limited information? Let me give you an accurate picture. Here is a list of the courses required or will be required for US Airways pilots with no ability to ask questions or exchange dialogue with other pilots or instructors. Shortly after the USAir Piedmont merger we lost five airplanes which produced hundreds of body bags. 1 of the 5 was attributed to system failure. The other four were due to non-technical failures many of which are listed below. After these hull losses, a section of instructors was formed call Non Aircraft Specific Type Instructors (NASTI) to address these failures in training. Our hull loss and body bag count has been zero. Now distance learning. How many body bags will it take this time? Will you be one? Also take note of the security training related to hijacking, terrorist threats and response available to anyone with the money to pay a computer hacker.

Ditching Procedures
CRM Threat and Error Management
Low Visibility Taxi
Special Airport Approaches
CAT II/III Langind Procedures
Oxygen
Takeoff Performance System
Runway/Taxiway Operations 1
Runway/Taxiway Operations 2
NORAD Intercept Procedures
ILS PRM Approaches
Low Visibility
Convective Weather 1
Convective Weather 2
Convective Weather 2
Hazardous Materials
Flightdeck Security
LDA PRM
Winterization (General, Determination, Application, Pre-takeoff, Inflight)
Latin American Operations
Cuban Overfly
International Chart Orientation
International Weather
International NOTAMS
International Dispatcher/Crew Brief
International Preflight, Departure and Clearance Review
International Departure Procedures
International System Accuracy Check
International RVSM Altimeter Check
International Position Reports
International Speeds, ATC Rules and Terrain
International Non-radar environment
Descent Planning
Minimum Altitudes
Descent Profiles
Approach and Landing Contingencies
Diversions

This is a very dangerous trend which I'm sure will be revisited after the NTSB hearings following a crash. Web based distance learning has a place to enhance training but cannot be expected to be the training.

 

[A1B2C3D4]

Justme,
Where did you get your very limited information? Let me give you an accurate picture. Here is a list of the courses required or will be required for US Airways pilots with no ability to ask questions or exchange dialogue with other pilots or instructors. Shortly after the USAir Piedmont merger we lost five airplanes which produced hundreds of body bags. 1 of the 5 was attributed to system failure. The other four were due to non-technical failures many of which are listed below. After these hull losses, a section of instructors was formed call Non Aircraft Specific Type Instructors (NASTI) to address these failures in training. Our hull loss and body bag count has been zero. Now distance learning. How many body bags will it take this time? Will you be one? Also take note of the security training related to hijacking, terrorist threats and response available to anyone with the money to pay a computer hacker.

Ditching Procedures
CRM Threat and Error Management
Low Visibility Taxi
Special Airport Approaches
CAT II/III Langind Procedures
Oxygen
Takeoff Performance System
Runway/Taxiway Operations 1
Runway/Taxiway Operations 2
NORAD Intercept Procedures
ILS PRM Approaches
Low Visibility
Convective Weather 1
Convective Weather 2
Convective Weather 2
Hazardous Materials
Flightdeck Security
LDA PRM
Winterization (General, Determination, Application, Pre-takeoff, Inflight)
Latin American Operations
Cuban Overfly
International Chart Orientation
International Weather
International NOTAMS
International Dispatcher/Crew Brief
International Preflight, Departure and Clearance Review
International Departure Procedures
International System Accuracy Check
International RVSM Altimeter Check
International Position Reports
International Speeds, ATC Rules and Terrain
International Non-radar environment
Descent Planning
Minimum Altitudes
Descent Profiles
Approach and Landing Contingencies
Diversions

This is a very dangerous trend which I'm sure will be revisited after the NTSB hearings following a crash. Web based distance learning has a place to enhance training but cannot be expected to be the training.

 

[fatherabraham]

Over the years I have heard many complain about the pilot profession ( or lack of ) on this board. Some of the more prolific writers claim all can be done by the computer or auto pilot on board. Guess Usairways has not figured how to program said info into auto pilot yet?

E5