As Assistant Director of Training at Platinum Aviation, I understand the hectic nature of my clients’ lives. Between managing their business and family responsibilities, recurrent flight training often takes a back seat. Although pilots should be responsible for maintaining their own proficiency, as flight instructors, we often fall short on being a good cheerleader for the cause. Too often recurrent training is a canned checklist of stalls, slow flight, steep turns, and landings. While these maneuvers have their place, many pilots would be more apt to participate in recurrent training programs if there was a level of excitement and the promise of new knowledge.
As a leader in aircraft manufacturing and training, Cirrus Aircraft has done a great job of designing the Cirrus Pilot Learning Plan. In a nutshell the Cirrus Pilot Learning Plan takes pilots who have recently completed their Cirrus Aircraft transition training and sets up a pre-scheduled timeline for recurrent proficiency training. Once the pilot receives his/her initial transition certificate they are asked to return in 60 days for a half-day evaluation. More aptly this 60-day refresher is designed to help mitigate the onset of bad habits and sharpen/promote correct decision-making. After the initial 60-day consultation, pilots are requested to receive recurrent training every 6 months. In addition, Instrument rated pilots are also requested to complete an IPC (Instrument Proficiency Check) during this 6-month evaluation. The best part of the CPLP is that it allows instructors some latitude on what to focus.
It is no surprise that people will always take the path of least resistance, so the question became how do we as experienced instructors entice them to WANT to participate in recurrent training. The answer lies in providing a challenging and interactive training environment and moving away from the boring flight review concept to a dynamic learning experience. As always Platinum Aviation will adhere to all FAR’s while providing recurrent training.
Kerry Hackney (Director of Training at Platinum Aviation) and I are currently designing an advanced IFR pilot training program to help better prepare pilots who have a need to fly into high-density airports around the United States. While the basics learned during your instrument rating are the solid foundation from which to build experience, this is NOT a beginner’s instrument rating course. Platinum Aviation has designed our own departure and arrival procedures for local airports where we will subject you to a simulation of the high-paced unforgiving atmosphere of a place like Teterboro, NJ. With our combined experience flying into high-density airports, we have developed a training program to help current instrument rated pilots hone their skills in resource management and fast pace high workload operations. Platinum Aviation believes that recurrent training should be fun and productive. Although, our advanced IFR course is an incredible challenge the benefit of thinking outside the box with your flight training could pay off tenfold.
Platinum Aviation prides itself on being the largest Cirrus only flight school in the United States and designing new and innovative ways to further the flight training experience.
Check back with us soon for an update on the advanced IFR course.