Advanced Qualification Training: A Study Of Implementation of Crm into Airline Training

The emphasis in training pilots on today's aircraft is placed on preparing the crew to interact with each other and to recognize any problem that may occur long before such a problem becomes a flight hazard. The training that is necessary to do this is called Crew Resource Management (CRM). Although CRM has been used by the airlines for about the past ten years, no integrated training among the airlines has been formulated until recently. Recent pressure from outside sources has prompted the FAA to initiate action to formalize CRM training in the airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) 58, which created the Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) (Federal Aviation Administration, 1990). This allowed the airlines to develop their own training program which incorporates CRM and Line Operational Simulations (LOS). LOS utilizes simulator training using a typical operational passenger flight scenario, in a controlled training environment. It is designed to improve cockpit/cabin communication and coordination skills, and pilot decisionmaking skills (Federal Aviation Administration, 1995).