Thune Presses FAA Nominee on Need to Strengthen Pilot Training

Press Release

"As you know, current training for airline transport pilots requires the vast majority of their flight hours to be accumulated in the cockpit.

I fully recognize the value of cockpit experience, and see time in real aircraft as an essential part of training airline pilots.

However, I am concerned that little to none of the currently required flight hours are accumulated in the type of aircraft that these pilots will be flying should they get a job with an airline.

Instead, they are typically accumulated in small, single-engine aircraft.

To address this issue, Senator Sinema and I offered an amendment to the Senate FAA reauthorization codifying the recommendations of the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee to create a two-month Enhanced Qualification Program (EQP), completed in exchange for a 250 hour credit toward the requisite aeronautical experience.

The EQP's use of simulator training -- whose proven value has resulted in its extensive use by the military -- and instruction from seasoned airline pilots would give trainees exposure to the cockpits of the jets they would actually be flying and, crucially, allow them to experience what it's like to handle challenging and dangerous situations in those cockpits.

A bipartisan group of former FAA administrators and Airline Pilots Association presidents recently called on Congress to expand the use of simulator training, stating that, "Requiring the repeated practice of the prevention of and recovery from myriad real-world accident scenarios in full-motion flight simulators will make better pilots.'

Mr. Whitaker, I frankly find it hard to believe that anyone would disagree with this statement from a respected group of aviation safety officials.

Just like with the adoption of Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast -- which you championed when you were last at FAA -- the agency's leadership in adopting new technologies has significantly benefitted aviation safety time and again, making the U.S. aviation system the safest in the world.

Can you describe how, if confirmed, you would work to ensure the FAA takes the same leadership role in expanding the use of flight simulators to ensure new pilots are well-rounded and best prepared to fly safely in airline operations?"

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