Updated training of pilots is essential

Question: What aspect of commercial aviation do you feel currently needs the most review and reform? – Adam, North Carolina

Answer: You ask a very difficult question – and a good one. It’s very hard to pick a single issue.

Pilot training in the upcoming years is probably the most difficult issue facing commercial aviation. Having the men and women that enter the flight decks of tomorrow’s airplanes properly trained is essential. We have to balance the necessary experience with high-quality training in both automation and manual flying. New aviators must be to adapt to increasingly complex airspace, in increasingly complex airplanes while maintaining the ability to fly and navigate manually if necessary. Properly diagnosing and responding to unexpected situations is a critical skill that comes from experience and training.

We have to move forward from the traditional training models and provide modern training for tomorrow’s needs.

Efforts by training organizations, operators, and regulators are needed, with innovative solutions. Doing things as we have always done them will not suffice.

Q: Is there a term for restarting stalled airline jet engines in flight? – Ron Hudson, Mississippi Gulf Coast

A: If the engine has failed, pilots say the engine has flamed out. Restarting an engine from a flameout is known as a relight.