Professional Pilot Weather Training and Education

First Officer Timothy H. Miner,Allied Pilots Association

(Senior Meteorologist, USAFR)

July 25, 2000OFCM Aviation Weather

OVERVIEW

A WEATHER TRAINING MODEL

WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

THE FUTURE

A WEATHER TRAINING MODEL

A PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW THREE LEVELS OF WEATHER (SKILLS):

1. WEATHER THEORY 2. STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE

(DISSEMINATION) 3. HOW WILL THE CURRENT

WEATHER IMPACT THE FLIGHT? (JUDGEMENT)

A WEATHER TRAINING MODEL

1. WEATHER THEORY

BASIC TEXTBOOK INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE ATMOSPHERE BEHAVES AND WHAT ARE THE AVIATION IMPACT VARIABLES/HAZARDS.

EXAMPLE: WHAT IS WIND SHEAR?

A WEATHER TRAINING MODEL

2. CURRENT STATE OF WEATHER

ACCURATE FORECASTS AND CURRENT OBSERVATIONS (ASOS, AUTOMETS, PIREPS) FOR THE ATMOSPHERE WHERE FLIGHT WILL OCCUR.

EXAMPLE: IS THERE WIND SHEAR?

A WEATHER TRAINING MODEL

3. WEATHER JUDGEMENT HOW WILL THE CURRENT OR

FORECASTED WEATHER IMPACT THE FLIGHT?

EXAMPLE: WHAT WILL WIND SHEAR LIKE THIS DO TO MY AIRCRAFT ON FINAL?

CREATES “GO/NO-GO CONFIDENCE”

A WEATHER TRAINING MODEL

A FULLY TRAINED PILOT IS ONE WHO RECEIVES INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE IN ALL THREE AREAS:

KNOWS BASIC WEATHER THEORY CAN INTERPRET ALL OBSERVATION/

FORECAST INFORMATION SOURCES HAS PRACTICE IN JUDGEMENT

SENARIOS

WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

IN THE PAST 10 YEARS WE HAVE GONE THROUGH MANY CHANGES IMPACTING AVIATION WEATHER FROM THE PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE: A. METHOD OF OBSERVATION AND

PARADIGM CHANGE B. METHOD OF ENCODING C. NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR SENSING

THE ATMOSPHERE

WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

BEST SUCCESS IS IN THE AREA OF WINDSHEAR/MICROBURST TRAINING A. ALL PILOTS GIVEN A WORKBOOK OF

THEORY AND DISSEMINATION INFO. B. ALL PILOTS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN

SIMULATOR PROFICIENCY. C. FAR REGULATIONS REQUIRE THIS

TRAINING.

WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

FAR REQUIREMENTS:

ALL LEVELS OF PILOTS REQUIRED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON WEATHER--BUT TESTS NOT SEGMENTED.

ALL INITIAL AND UPGRADE TRAINEES IN PART 121 FLYING MUST RECEIVE WEATHER TRAINING--BUT NOT EVERYONE DOES IT THE SAME WAY.

WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

IN MY OPINION, MANY PILOT TRAINING FACILITIES TRAIN TO THE MINIMUM IN WEATHER.

TRAINING IS $$$ BECAUSE TRAINING (ESPECIALLY CLASSROOM) IS TIME.

RESULT IS VERY INCONSISTENT PROFICIENCY.

WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

BOTTOM LINE

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MICROBURST/WINDSHEAR TRAINING PROGRAM, WE HAVE LACKED THE CONSISTENT STANDARD PROGRAM NEEDED.

FUTURE

NEED FOR INTERACTIVE COMPUTER BASED TRAINING FOR WEATHER THEORY, DISSEMINATION SKILLS, AND ESPECIALLY JUDGEMENT SKILLS.

AA DEVELOPING A WEB-BASED GRAPHICAL RADAR TRAINING PROGRAM.

FUTURE

MUST HAVE A CONSISTENTLY APPLIED NATIONAL TRAINING STANDARD FOR ALL PILOT LEVELS IN ALLTHREE PILOT WEATHER SKILLS.

EXAMPLE: REVIEW USAF ACADEMY WORK BETWEEN 1988-1989.

SUMMARY

WITH EACH NEW WEATHER TECHNOLOGY / PROGRAM THERE MUST BE CONSISTENT TRAINING PROVIDED TO ALL PILOTS USING THE NAS.

WE HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL YET.

SUMMARY

ALL TRAINING MUST ADDRESS ALL THREE SKILL LEVELS: THEORY, DISSEMINATION, JUDGEMENT.