Summary
- Spirit Airlines partners with Wayman Aviation Academy, the one aviation college within the US using the ICAO’s recent flight training standard, CBTA.
- Graduates from Wayman Aviation will receive an R-ATPL, an associates degree, and 250-300 hours of flight time, with the restriction removed at 1,000 hours.
- US airlines are implementing pilot pathway programs to handle the worldwide pilot shortage, with homegrown pilots hired on a conditional basis and mentored by experienced pilots.
On August eleventh, 2023, Spirit Airlines partnered with Wayman Aviation Academy, an aviation college in South Florida. The faculty is positioned just quarter-hour away from Spirit Airlines headquarters.
Wayman Aviation Academy is the one aviation college in america that trains pilots using the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) recent flight training standard, Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA).
Tony Shen, President of Wayman Aviation, had this to say concerning the partnership:
“As innovators at top-of-the-line aviation colleges within the state, we’ve got adopted a process called competency-based training which allows our students to be far more advanced within the principles of aviation safety on the early stages of their profession in comparison with students from traditional flight schools.”
Wayman Aviation is the most recent flight school to affix the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program amongst the airline’s push to scale back the impact the worldwide pilot shortage is having on the aviation industry. Recently the airline partnered with US Aviation Academy and L3Harris Airline Academy.
Partnership and pathway program
When students graduate from the flight school, they’ll be equipped with a Restricted Airline Transport Pilot License (R-ATPL), an associates degree in Aviation, and between 250 to 300 hours of flight time. The restriction on the license can be removed upon reaching 1,000 hours total time.
Photo: Spirit Airlines
Students who graduate from a flight school affiliated with an airline’s pathway program are given the chance to affix this system. Candidates in this system are on a quick track to a profession in aviation, starting as a primary officer within the cockpit of a Spirit Airlines flight.
If chosen, the candidates are hired on a conditional basis and can receive mentorship from seasoned Spirit Airlines pilots. While constructing time, students within the mentorship program can be prepared to tackle airline training, which pilots compare to ‘drinking water from a hearth hose.’ Candidates will learn methods to fly the aircraft, airline procedures, and other relevant information.
Pilot shortage
The rapid expansion of the aviation industry in regions reminiscent of Asia and the Middle East, together with the wave of early retirements in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and far of the workforce nearing the retirement age of 65.
Airlines within the US are taking the brunt of the impact because the aviation industry rebounded faster than another region. Many airlines within the Middle East and Asia poach pilots by offering impressive remuneration packages.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
The result’s multiple pilot pathway programs by US airlines to supply homegrown pilots and stave off the consequences of the worsening shortage.
Recent training standards
This system prioritizes an immersive curriculum specializing in competencies reasonably than conventional lecture-based training. The ICAO defines the brand new training standards as follows:
“Training and assessment which are characterised by a performance orientation, emphasis on standards of performance and their measurement, and the event of coaching to the required performance standards.”
This system looks to teach and test pilots in nine major areas:
- Application of Knowledge
- Application of Procedures and compliance with regulation
- Communication
- Aeroplane Flight Path Management: Automation
- Aeroplane Flight Path Management: Manual control
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Situational Awareness and Management of Information
- Workload Management
Over 70% of all aviation accidents are attributable to human error. CBTA programs aim to enhance aviation safety by exposing students to situations they encounter within the cockpit using real-world data and other resources.
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