Improving simulator pilot training

[RichardMcDWoods]

Basic pilot training is currently insufficient to enable comprehensive flying knowledge, particularly for newcomers. Available training courses mix provision of VATSIM processes with shallow piloting skills.

A solution is to provide a comprehensive pilot ground school training course that significantly broadens piloting skills. This can encourage pilot participation by recognising test success with formal awards.

With my experience, I am willing to lead a group to establish the initial training for POSCON.

Further planning is, of course, necessary. Please contact me for further discussions.

[Giorgio B]

3 hours ago, Richard McDonald Woods said:

Basic pilot training is currently insufficient to enable comprehensive flying knowledge, particularly for newcomers. Available training courses mix provision of VATSIM processes with shallow piloting skills.

A solution is to provide a comprehensive pilot ground school training course that significantly broadens piloting skills. This can encourage pilot participation by recognising test success with formal awards.

With my experience, I am willing to lead a group to establish the initial training for POSCON.

Further planning is, of course, necessary. Please contact me for further discussions.

Hi Richard

I agree with you in terms of training in both network and I can guarantee  that in POSCON HQ they are working hard so stay tuned !!

[Zachary Woock]

Richard,

Based on the dialogue I have had with Andrew in the past POSCON will have pilot training unlike anything you have seen before. I have worked with Andrew in discussing what the training footprint would look like. Taking our combined real-world pilot experience and applying it to simulator pilots is no easy task. There is a lot of extra information that we know that does not necessarily need to be learned by simulator pilots. That being said, our initial discussions centered around having training and ratings not only for basics of flight (i.e. VFR vs IFR, reading charts, communication with ATC) but other specific modules that will teach pilots how to operate an FMS or autopilot or how advanced sysems operate (i.e. turbojet engines and hydraulics). We may even see guides for specific aircraft as the Airbus FMS and autopilot are almost identical across their entire fleet.

[RichardMcDWoods]

Hi Zachary,

My thoughts have been around providing a virtual ground school to provide training for the absolute basics of flying.

It seems that there is no FAA provision of a ground school curriculum on which to draw. Rather it is left to individual schools to seek approval of their proposed curricula from the FAA.

There is, though, the EASA AMC1 FCL.210 curriculum which would provide a good, broad base for new v-pilots. Turned into a computer-based learning management system, it could provide a very efficient self-paced process of gaining initial qualifications.

I shall be interested in your thoughts.

Kind regards, Richard

[Andrew Heath]

@Richard McDonald Woods

But the problem is a "virtual ground school" can get really lost in the weeds. There is definitely a lot of information a virtual pilot does NOT need to know to be successful online. We have no intention of fully training pilots, that is for 3rd parties to do, not POSCON. Our goal is to have a successful simulation, which means pilots comply with ATC commands and ATC provide efficient and effect separation services.