Airline Pilot Central Forums - eLearning solution for the aviation sector

Airline Pilot Central Forums (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/)

- Flight Schools and Training (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/flight-schools-training/)

- - eLearning solution for the aviation sector (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/flight-schools-training/127338-elearning-solution-aviation-sector.html)

eLearning solution for the aviation sector

Hello everybody,

As this is my first post, it's nice to meet you all :)

My name is Andrei, and I am a Product Manager for a learning solution dedicated to the aviation sector.
I've found this forum while doing research for a product I am helping my company bring to market.

In my initial research I saw that there is a shortage of pilots on the market and an even bigger one coming in the next few years. As I understand, the barrier to entry is very high, along with the ageing existing workforce and the introduction of new air planes to meet CO2 emissions and new technologies being adopted.

I am not looking to promote my product here or anything like that, I would like to get an expert opinion on the subject and was wondering if any of you where willing to answer a few questions that would help me develop a better product and hopefully solve part of the problem on the way.

I'm looking to find out how did you get start onto this career path and beyond:

- What steps did you take to research and apply for training or a flight school?
- How did you manage to build up flight time?
- Where did you get your Rating from?
- Did you apply for any funding?
- How do you go about renewing and re-validating your certificates and ratings?
- What challenges are you having at this time in your current phase of your career?
- What do you wish you could do online that you can’t do today?
- If courses were available online would you buy them?
- What where the hardest things you came across in your career from a training and qualifications point of view? How would you change that?

If any of you would care to talk about the subject and answer some of the questions above, that would honestly help out and is truly appreciated.

Thank you for any help.

*bump*

Any info would be appreciated guys :) Thanks in advance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andreiblanaru (Post 2974828)

Hello everybody,

As this is my first post, it's nice to meet you all :)

My name is Andrei, and I am a Product Manager for a learning solution dedicated to the aviation sector.
I've found this forum while doing research for a product I am helping my company bring to market.

In my initial research I saw that there is a shortage of pilots on the market and an even bigger one coming in the next few years. As I understand, the barrier to entry is very high, along with the ageing existing workforce and the introduction of new air planes to meet CO2 emissions and new technologies being adopted.

I am not looking to promote my product here or anything like that, I would like to get an expert opinion on the subject and was wondering if any of you where willing to answer a few questions that would help me develop a better product and hopefully solve part of the problem on the way.

I'm looking to find out how did you get start onto this career path and beyond:

- What steps did you take to research and apply for training or a flight school?
I just went to the nearest school to where I lived, which happened to be a University Part 141 program.

- How did you manage to build up flight time?
Flight Instruction

- Where did you get your Rating from?
University 141 program issued the certificates and ratings

- Did you apply for any funding?
I used the GI Bill and self-funding. Earned a scholarship that paid for my CFI certificate.

- How do you go about renewing and re-validating your certificates and ratings?
They don't expire.

- What do you wish you could do online that you can’t do today?
There isn't anything I can think of that could be done online, that isn't already available online in some format.

- If courses were available online would you buy them?
Ground school courses already exist online. I have used some in the past, but mostly in-person ground schools.

If any of you would care to talk about the subject and answer some of the questions above, that would honestly help out and is truly appreciated.

Thank you for any help.

See embedded answers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 35Right (Post 2976012)

See embedded answers.

35Right Thank you so much for this information. Honestly appreciate it.

A quick follow up question, if I'm not asking for too much: could you please name some of your go to places for online courses and other things related to aviation training that you've used and were satisfied with?

Thanks again for the help.

*bump*

Thanks in advance!

Quote:

Originally Posted by andreiblanaru (Post 2976568)

Typically pilots don't go to places on line..not professional ones. We are sent to ones by our company to do FAA/ company mandated training. It's a necessary evil we all put up with. Do a job all day...and it is kinda redundant, just review to check off a box in the training department records.

Interesting, thanks for the insight.

How do you feel about this reluctance the companies have to fully adapt to the times and be trendsetters in regards to training and recruiting of pilots and MRO technicians?

Quote:

Originally Posted by andreiblanaru (Post 2978525)

Honestly...
You are looking at the wrong levels.
The "airlines" be it the regionals, nationals or Major's aren't where people START.
They typically start and learn their craft at smaller companies, gain basic experience and move up....
Biggest issues is nobody pays for their own Training once they are rated...and the companies usually have/need very specific questions asked/information covered, so the online training is made in house (every operator is different, legally and operationaly) and inserted into online training program the company owns or contracts for....some of it is even legally limited in distribution.
for lower levels....many people put out online training...
Some of it paid, some free, of varying quality. However none of it counts as "Training" in the eyes of government, except things done under the FAA "wings" program (towards currency)...
As to adapting....that's a loaded question.
People know the LEGAL LIMITS if the experience levels companies can hire at....and sometimes there are ways to lower it, but at significant costs, more so than the regular HIGH cost to hire a regular employee (a couple months of hotels, meals, classroom time, then aircraft specific Training for pilot's, and lots of on the job training for mx personal).
Only so much can be done on line.... aviation is hands on, be it flying or wrenching. Shortcuts often kill....or can cost seriously$$$$ in damage, late flights, and list revenue.
For decades people in aviation have "paid their dues" to move up, learning along the way, while honing their craft.
A new pilot or s mechanic is a risk... taking several years to break even on Training....so the question always is....unless you can make a person stay, why risk it...just hire experienced people as much as possible.
Many don't understand the industry, and there tends to be a fairly high burnout rate at lower levels...lots if nights, holiday, missed family events. Till a person has a few years and a track record, it's always a gamble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andreiblanaru (Post 2978525)

How do you feel about this reluctance the companies have to fully adapt to the times and be trendsetters in regards to training and recruiting of pilots and MRO technicians?

For someone asking hat in hand for informed input, you seem awfully certain about the alleged incompetence of companies with decades of experience in the very questions you are asking...

just saying...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Excargodog (Post 2978814)

Excargodog :)) it may seem so, but I assure you it's not. I want to add to my original statement that along with not trying to pitch or sell anything, I'm also not working for any big airline companies, or government, I'm working for a startup that does already some business on the recruitment side of things in the aviation industry. But me, personally, I am new to the industry and I'm just trying to get to the root cause of why is this traditional, hands-on approach favoured in place of a more flexible, digital one. I'm talking about courseware and all of the necessary knowledge tests that you need to take, and maybe, to some degree in the near future - VR flight simulation, augmented reality engineer training, and so on, things that may not fully prepare you to fly a plane or repair it - but they may get you into a more comfortable mindset once you start doing the hands-on work as you are familiar with the way things work and fit together.