Advanced airline training: meeting the challenge.

Thousands of new aviation professionals, a huge part thereof pilots, have to be trained in the next decade and thereafter in order fulfil the demands of the worldwide air transport system. The training departments of airlines and the training organisation taking over the task to train their future pilots, face a new challenge. This challenge is not limited to the areas of the required speed and limited budget but increasingly in the area of the necessary high quality of future pilots and the reliability to deliver them to the flight line in time in the right numbers.

Matching your training aircraft fleet with a changing training structure.

Operating complex and highly automated transport aircraft in a more and more dense environment of also growing complexity, is calling for new approaches to flight training. Advanced flight guidance, glass cockpit and CRM are nowadays standard elements of a pilots profession. Much has been done in the last decade regarding the Multi Pilot Licence (MPL) by organisations, authorities and the industry. But further development is required and under way affecting training methods and syllabi of the future, e.g. competence based training and implementation of threat and error management principles, only to name a few. The question is now: Is your current training aircraft fleet capable of delivering what is required for the future?

The Diamond advanced airline training package.

We at Diamond Aircraft have analyzed the training needs of future airline pilots together with the operational needs of the training organisations offering high quality training. This was done with the goal to deliver new pilots airline ready to their first type-rating on a transport category aircraft and the following initial operating experience. We have come up with a set of improvements and modifications available in any standard Diamond aircraft together with a variety of options contained in the Advanced Airline Training (AAT) package. This package enables you to implement airline procedures and the respective operational realism from the first hour of your training program. From the very beginning student pilots are enabled to develop the right psycho-motoric, cognitive, strategic and tactic skills which can be easily transferred into the cockpit of an airliner.

Glass cockpit and fadec controlled engines.

While the G500 avionics, available for the DA-20, and the G1000 avionics, as a standard for the DA 40 and DA 42, can be found in many aircraft, the combination with the FADEC controlled AE-300 Jet-A1 engine in the NG series puts you right in the seat of a jet airliner. The AAT package contains the Garmin Synthetic Vision option which not only gives you a 3-D view of terrain and traffic but offers a wider pitch spread on the attitude indicator and a Flight Path Vector (FPV) indication for precise attitude flying. Speed bugs, bugs for altitude, vertical speed and heading together with HSI, multiple CDI, constant wind vector and ground track display train the specific skills and behaviours required. This effect is enhanced by the single lever controlled engines in the NG aircraft with a jet like power management. No unnecessary behaviours and skills (e.g. handling prop, mixture or cowl flaps) have to be dealt with, leaving space for more important training contents.

Advanced flight guidance and MCC capability.

New training curricular or schemes like the MPL programmes require the acquisition of proper skills in shorter time. These skills include the integration of automation and the work in a multi pilot environment. With the DA 40 and DA 42 equipped with the GFC 700 automatic flight control system you are able to demonstrate and train all levels of automation from “guided manual” up to “managed auto”. The G1000 can be configured so that a real multi pilot cockpit environment can be created for your advanced training phases.

Standard operating procedures and flight pattern.

While all transport category aircraft are delivered with guidance for the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and flight pattern for different flight phases or maneuvers under normal and abnormal conditions, general aviation aircraft used for flight training usually lack this kind of documentation. This leaves every training organisation which wants to train for an airline to draft their own set of procedures. This in turn is usually costly and time consuming if done properly. The Diamond AAT package includes factory endorsed SOPs for normal and abnormal operation, pitch power tables and flight pattern diagrams based on airline operating procedures.

Cockpit organisation and crew integration.

An organised workplace, the management of sheets, charts, documentation and flight briefing packages together with the associated communication and team work, form the basis of efficient cockpit work and the safe conduct of a flight. Student pilots must be acquainted with these concepts from the very beginning. Our training aircraft offer an integrated system of checklists (hardcopy and/or electronic), Quick Reference Handbooks (QRHs) and space for take-off data sheets etc. This is accompanied with stowage facilities for operational flight plans and briefing packages as well as for other documentation required to be handy on board (AFM etc.). Full rear seat intercom and ATC communication facilities allow the integration of an observer or additional crew member in the training process.

Flight tracking and lesson review.

In order to enhance flight safety and for the effective and quick review of flight lessons by student and instructor, the AAT package contains options for a digital flight data recorder and a cockpit video recording installation. Data can be transferred by data storage devices or wireless applications directly into the briefing room allowing real time critique and adequate feedback on student performance.

Hardware options and improvements.

Data and experience from our flight training customers is constantly retrieved and analyzed. This leads to a constant flow of improvements in our products. The certification of higher allowable weights and a decrease in empty weights was conducted on some models to enable especially training organisations to profit from higher operational flexibility and higher cruise speeds. Together with the unprecedented fuel economy of our NG models we can offer you training efficiency unmatched in the industry. Hardware options include durable interior materials, protective surfaces around service openings and refuelling ports, storage provisions for equipment etc.