PTC AVIATION TRAINING

(SACAA ATO 0240)

How can you move yourself to the front of the queue?

“How do I ensure that I have the best possible chance of landing that first Airline job?”

This is a question that has been asked by newly minted commercial pilots for many years. Career guidance is something that many young pilots seek out; yet there are so many opinions out there that entry into an airline becomes a bewildering mystery. This article seeks to explain the best way forward for any aspiring new airline pilot looking to enter this exciting career in the modern world.

To successfully pass an airline interview and begin your airline career, there are several competencies that need to be in place. Airlines are looking for candidates who can safely and efficiently operate a large, complex, multi-crew jet transport aircraft. Unfortunately, hardly any of these required competencies are taught during initial CPL training. The modern CPL pilot is well versed in single-crew, light piston aircraft operations. The challenge is, and always has been, how to get those additional competencies required by airline operators worldwide.

Firstly, let us explore these competencies:

• Adherence and compliance to a highly structured multi-crew SOP.

• Interfacing with complex automation and flight management systems.

• Manually handling a high inertia, swept-wing jet.

• Managing increased workload under normal and abnormal situations.

• Solving problems and making decisions that affect potentially hundreds of people.

• Being an effective member of a multi-crew flight deck.

In addition to all this, a new first officer is expected to have sound technical knowledge of the aircraft and aviation environment. It goes without saying, that one needs to have the appropriate type rating in order to fly a commercial jet transport aircraft. Modern type rating training is conducted with the assumption that all the competencies required of a new first officer are already in place. A type rating course is not the correct place to learn foundational competencies. Clearly, a large gap exists. Recognizing the mismatch between primary training output and industry’s needs, EASA, the Pan-European Regulator and the industry’s Aircrew Training Policy Group (ATPG) jointly developed the footprint for a course that will bring training output and industry needs together.

The course, known as: Enhanced MCC to Airline Pilot Standards

(or simply, APS MCC) has the following notable features.

• Multi-Pilot, advanced swept wing jet and advanced airline operations scenario training integrated into one seamless course

• 40 hours of training in a type-specific simulator, which must represent a multi-pilot, multi-engine swept-wing jet type capable of carrying at least 50 passengers

• The principals of Competency Based Training and Assessment are applied throughout

• Unlike a basic MCC course certificate, which is issued for ‘attendance’, the APS MCC course requires a final competency assessment, therefore it is a truly meaningful qualification

• UPRT, which is already mandated in Europe and will shortly become a compulsory element in South Africa – can be easily integrated into any APS MCC programme.

In short, APS-MCC is fast becoming the preferred method to get noticed by airlines. PTC Aviation has been instrumental in introducing the APS-MCC concept into the South African airline market. We have been using our APS-MCC course to supply suitable candidates ready for type rating training to several operators worldwide. We take commercial pilots at the beginning of their careers and ensure that they have the best possible shot at successfully completing a type rating and Initial Operator Experience (IOE), or ‘line training’ otherwise known as:

• Multi Pilot Operations

• Jet Aircraft Operations

• Airline Operations

• Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (‘UPRT’).*

*UPRT training is a regulatory requirement for any South African airline operator and PTC helps to ease the training burden by introducing UPRT training during the APS-MCC course.

To accomplish this, PTC employs highly experienced instructors from the industry who have been hand-picked and placed through rigorous training and development to ensure that they provide the best possible training. In addition to this, PTC has the benefit of using several airline training captains as part-time instructors who share their wealth of knowledge and vast experience.

PTC has had great success in engaging with ATOs who provide CPL training to ensure that their candidates enjoy a streamlined process from CPL training to airline entry. In the post-COVID-19 world, it is crucial that the new CPL pilot gets ahead of the game and PTC welcomes engagement with any ATO that would like to ensure their candidates get that all-important step-up.

With the world slowly returning to normality and airlines beginning to operate again, pilots will need re-activation training. With this, a huge demand for suitably qualified instructors is foreseen. For those in the industry who wanting to take advantage of this, PTC also offers instructor conversions on both the A320 and B737-800. Instructor experience on the two most popular narrow-body airliners will make you infinitely more marketable! As proof of this, every instructor that has worked at PTC has successfully passed airline interviews with various local operators. PTC is proud to have alumni all over the industry.