Welcome to the new decade! I want to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! I hope that it will bring you all you wish for. Of course, if any of those wishes involve training devices or any expertise MPS can bring you, we will be happy to support you. With 2020 upon us, in this blog I intend to share some foresight on MPS and the aviation industry for the upcoming year.
MPS is planning to be present at all major trade shows across the world this year:
WATS April 28-30: Orlando, FL, USA
CATES May 14-16: Shanghai
AAETS June 18-19: Seoul, Republic of Korea
APATS September 8-9: Singapore
EATS October 27-28: Oslo, Norway
MPS will use these trade shows to showcase innovations with our partners and we hope to see you in person at these events or at any other venture. As has been the case in the past, in 2020 I will also continue speaking at many of these events about the path the industry is on; making better training achievable while at the same time reducing cost, carbon footprint and improving crew availability. I look forward to the changes we will be able to bring to aviation training this year.
MPS also plans to continue to sponsor and provide opportunities to those interested in the aviation field. Last month, we welcomed Women in Aviation International- The Netherlands Chapter to our Groenekan facility to expose young women to several of many aviation related career paths. In 2020, we will host similar events to continue to play our small part in inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to consider a career in our industry.
From a broader perspective, 2020 will also be the year in which the Boeing 737MAX will take to the sky again. Regulatory approval for the FAA and other global authorities will be needed. After simulator trials and flight testing, these regulators will also provide further clarity on training requirements through reports like the Flight Standardization Board (FSB) and Operational Suitability Data (OSD) reports. I have written and spoken about these reports, the way they are created and how they impact required training previously in my blogs if you are interested in learning more.
From a regulations perspective, changes are also coming to align with ICAO Document 9625 and the further development of the Aviation Blended Learning Environment (ABLE), items that I have expanded on in previous blogs as well. These changes will allow professional training organizations and airlines to tailor their training needs with devices that support the specific training objectives and desired outcomes, and provide greater flexibility.
As far as airlines are concerned, a positive trend we have witnessed in the last several years is that companies are invested in providing crew with better training. Airlines are not restricting themselves to just meeting regulations. Instead, they feel the desire to exceed them. This is a great inclination that I fully support and expect to see continue into 2020 and beyond. Many customers and regulators approach me about industry best practices, use of devices above and beyond the narrow regulatory framework and an overall improvement of training schemes, leading to more competent and confident crews. If your airline is interested in increasing crew competency and confidence, our devices and their capabilities are an ideal solution. For example, our industry leading “controlled training” feature in our FTDs allows crews to train without an instructor. This a key benefit that provides our customers with a slew of possibilities for better training, using a device that otherwise would sit idle.
With the projected pilot shortage now upon us, many airlines are also getting involved (again) with ab-initio programs, where they either sponsor or preselect individuals at an early stage. They then mentor candidates through the program all the way to First Officer and at a later stage, Captaincy. This shows the maturity of these organizations and the urgent need to get the right people in the flight decks. Initiatives like these, for example by Ryanair and other current and prospective customers are broadly supported by MPS. The leadership these organizations show is exactly what attracts us to partner with them, and I look forward to further supporting this trend.
Last of all, I will personally remain involved in the regulatory tasks about improving Performance Based Oversight, introducing wider use of Competency Based Training and Assessment, task-to-tool training identification and many other items that will allow us to improve training. Expect to find further blogs to be written about these topics.
My team and I are looking forward to engaging with you this year! Happy 2020!
