Abstract:

In the last decade aviation has incorporated big technical advances to aeroplanes to improve efficiency and flight safety. Some of these technologies like the Engine Control Unit, the Glass Cockpit Devices or the Flight Management System, represent a higher computerization of the aeroplane’s systems and a significant change in the information transfer process. These advances endure an important change in the pilot’s role and mindset. The pilot needs to transition from physically manipulating mechanical actuators and receiving information through analogic mechanisms, to being able to operate a cutting-edge information technology environment based on sophisticated electronic systems.

This evolution in the pilot’s functions, produced by the advent of these new technologies, raises new formation necessities aimed at promoting specific intellectual abilities. Aspects such as having a higher perceptual velocity, spatial visualization and inductive and deductive reasoning have become essential for pilots.

Traditionally, the access and formation in these new technologies has been usually provided to pilots by the airlines through specialized courses, known in the aeronautical world, as type rating courses. Nevertheless, the European University College of Aviation (CESDA) includes this formation in the ab-initio pilots’ courses by means of a program of practices with new generation aircraft and synthetic trainers. This program, initiated with simple visual flights and ended with complex emergency simulations in two engine aircrafts, is designed to provide the core competences to students while facilitating their access to the job market.

The teaching methodology suited to these technological achievements, used by teachers in the flight practices, fosters how the student pilot acquires these core competences to take this new role of information manager and flight operator.

The use of individualized flight practices constitutes the cornerstone upon which all the methodologies used by the CESDA flight teachers are articulated. This individualization of the practices, and the technologies used in them, are the key to better acquire the abilities and knowledge that a student needs before becoming a future pilot. In this individualized flight practices program, stands out the importance of a flight checks structure through the last 3 years of the program in which all the students are evaluated by the same flight teacher in order to detect and correct any possible deviation from the goals established in the formation master plan.

This paper analyzes the adaptation of the teaching methodologies used in the flight practices for the ab-initio pilots’ education, in technological advanced planes, considers the new competences that students need to develop in order to adapt to the information technology environment of the new aeroplanes. Moreover, the achieved results (occupation, external knowledge and practices tests) and future steps to follow are presented.

Keywords:

teaching methodologies, competences, aviation, airline pilot training.