Pilot Outlook Demand - Rethink

Maximizing efficiencies today, preparing for growth tomorrow

The industry is experiencing an unexpected change of course and facing unprecedented challenges, driving us to reconsider how we can develop and train better pilots.

In some ways, this challenge is not new. Even before our current environment, airlines asked tough questions about traditional approaches to recruiting, training, and developing their people. More than ever, now is the time for operators to rethink the way they create and train pilots, and in doing so, effectively address both ongoing needs and the requirements of the future.

Training Partnerships

One smart approach for coming together as an industry to meet the demand for pilots as well as instructors is to embrace training partnerships. Instructor provisioning was an issue before COVID-19. As growth returns to the industry, the availability of high-quality instructors will pose a challenge for years to come. To meet this critical need, training organizations can alleviate the stress to recruit, train, and retain instructors.

ATOs provide a range of training services, including :

Pilot selection, assessment, and aptitude testing

Program analysis and design

Development and provision of eLearning and other training content

Primary flight training

Initial type rating and recurrent flight training

Stand-alone training courses, such as Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT)

Instructor training

Integrated or stand-alone Crew Resource Management (CRM) training

To maintain momentum, growth, and the engagement of their people and customers, air operators that rethink training partnerships will be the ones that thrive.

Operators could form partnerships with ATOs (Approved Training Organizations) which would enable them to refocus their efforts on their core competencies. By doing so, air transport operators can become more agile and navigate through uncertainty with more flexibility, minimizing operational risk at the same time.

There are two types of ATOs, those that engage in the delivery of basic training programs at the primary level and those responsible for aircraft type and systems training.

Funding Pilot Training

The high educational cost associated with becoming a pilot has kept aspiring pilots from reaching their goals.

Many have difficulty gaining access to funding for their training program. Receiving funding is dependent upon the risk and return financing institutions are willing to take. Will the student drop out or fail her training? Will she pass it but not find employment? How long should the loan terms be? These are the questions financial institutions ask themselves before lending, which, unfortunately do not usually meet the institution's risk/return parameters.

Less than 10% of eligible aspiring pilots have access to direct funding. Rather than leaving talent on the bench due to funding, we can work as facilitators for access to direct funding by educating the financial industry on the job outlook for pilots and the reality of training.

Recently, CAE launched a new financing initiative for aspiring pilots in collaboration with financial institutions around the world. With this initiative, aspiring pilots are connected to banking partners that offer specific financing solutions for pilot training, making the profession more accessible to those who wish to pursue their dream of flying for a living. Approved partners will speed up the processing of applications and will offer competitive rates. In addition, future pilots will have access to a dedicated team that understands the reality of future pilots and a centralized point of contact in each of the participating banking institutions.

www.cae.com/funding/ for a list of partners.

Tapping into a Wider Pool of Talent

Through the years, many aviation pioneers were women. Despite their significant contribution to aviation, women represent less than 5% of pilots in commercial aviation.

To better understand the root causes of low female representation in the flight deck, together with McKinsey, CAE conducted over 150 interviews and gathered diversity data from over three-dozen sources, including data extracted and derived from a variety of publicly available sources.

The research highlights that women entering the aviation career pipeline must meet three prerequisites:

Awareness of aviation as a realistic career option at a young age
Development of an academic background with a strong grounding in mathematics and physics
Exposure to female role models

To make an impact on gender parity in the industry, everyone has a role to play. The global aviation community has an opportunity to take a leadership role in supporting and developing the pipeline of pilots by promoting gender diversity in the cockpit. Expanding the talent pool by attracting more women to the profession addresses a market need while providing increased opportunities for underrepresented demographics in aviation. Effective action is needed to attract women to the profession. The industry can rethink and encourage more women to join the pilot profession.

For more information on how CAE's Women in Flight scholarship program aims to develop the industry's future women pilot ambassadors discover Sky's no limit: Redressing the gender imbalance in aviation.