Professional Pilot Weather Training and Education

1. Professional Pilot Weather Training and Education First Officer Timothy H. Miner, Allied Pilots Association (Senior Meteorologist, USAFR) July 25, 2000 OFCM Aviation Weather

2. OVERVIEW • A WEATHER TRAINING MODEL • WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS • THE FUTURE

3. 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)

4. 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?

5. 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?

6. 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”

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. WEATHER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS • BOTTOM LINE • WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MICROBURST/WINDSHEAR TRAINING PROGRAM, WE HAVE LACKED THE CONSISTENT STANDARD PROGRAM NEEDED.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

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