This is the third and last in a seriesof articles introducing the FAA/IndustryTraining Standards (FITS) Program.The first article focused on the overallconcept of the FITS program. Thesecond article focused on what theFITS program is doing now and whoour launch customers are. Those ofyou who read the first two articles andwho do not want to read an overviewof FITS can skip the next three para-graphs. This article will focus on whatwe hope FITS will evolve into.

If you look into the cockpit oftoday’s modern general aviationairplanes, you can see GPS nav-igation, moving map displays,

and even full glass cockpits. Theseadvanced technology systems thatpreviously were the sole domain of air-

lines and expensive corporate jets,have now trickled down into small,single-engine aircraft. In the past, dis-plays, avionics, and navigation equip-ment all looked and worked prettymuch the same no matter who manu-factured the unit. (For example, a VORhead was a VOR head. You’ve seenone; you’ve seen them all.) Advancedsystems and displays, on the otherhand, look different and the way thepilot uses them may differ. If you tryand program a Bendix/King® KLN90B the same way you program aGarmin® GNS 430, it probably will notwork very well. This brings us to ageneral aviation training problem.

Air carrier captains are required totake recurrent instrument proficiencytraining every six months and an air-craft check every 12 months (Title 14

of the Code of Federal Regulations (14CFR) §121.441). Charter captainswho are authorized to fly under IFRhave a similar requirement (14 CFR§§135.293 and 135.297). Most cor-porate jets are large aircraft (over12,500 lbs. maximum gross takeoffweight) that require a two pilot crewand the captain to hold a type rating inthe aircraft. 14 CFR §61.58 requiresthese captains to complete a profi-ciency check at least every 12 monthsin an aircraft that is certificated for twopilots and a proficiency check at leastevery 24 months in the type of aircraftthe pilot in command is flying. Sothese pilots are constantly taking re-current and proficiency training in thetype of aircraft they operate.

In general aviation we don’t havethese requirements. A private pilot

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Part 3The Future of FITS by Thomas GlistaM

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ucts by September 30, 2003. Al-though these standards are for a spe-cific type of aircraft, most of them willbe converted to a generic templatethat a manufacturer or trainingprovider can adapt to their specific air-craft or program.

Now, let’s run through a few sce-narios of what could happen when theFITS program has matured.

Scenario 1

Mr. Joe Busy is a businesspersonwho is upset with the limitations andhassles of flying on airlines (hub andspoke system takes too long and thehassles of dealing with the airline andairport security) and sees the utility oftoday’s fast and efficient single-enginepiston aircraft (let’s call it a FlightAir-1).He wants to be able to use it for trans-portation as soon as possible. SinceVFR-only flight will not meet this Mr.Busy’s needs, a private pilot certificatewith an instrument rating will be re-quired. The 14 CFR part 141 pilotschool enrolls Mr. Busy in the private-instrument combined curriculum de-veloped under the FITS program andapproved under 14 CFR § 141.57,Special Curricula. This training mainlyutilizes scenario-based training (trainlike you fly and fly l ike you train).Under this special curricula the mini-mum experience requirements andlimitations on the use of simulation de-vices (personal computer-based avia-tion training device or PCATD, andflight training device or FTD) are notapplicable. So in a few months, with70-80 hours of fl ight time and 50hours of simulation time, Mr. Busy re-ceives a private pilot certificate with aninstrument rating and can safely oper-ate a FlightAire-1 IFR in the NationalAirspace System.

Scenario 2

Francine Jones is a 200-hour pri-vate pilot with an instrument rating.She purchases a 1/8th share of aFlightAire-1 from Acme Airplane Man-agement (AAM), an owner flown frac-tional ownership operator. AAM hasused the FITS transition training tem-

one passenger. This limits their poten-tial exposure to hazards. Personal orprofessionally flown single-pilot aircraftfor transportation with new technolo-gies is the current focus of FITS.

Currently, FITS is developing andgrowing. Our “launch customers” areworking closely with the FAA and theAir Transportation Center of Excel-lence for General Aviation (the Centerfor General Aviation Research-CGAR)to produce training standards forthese customers. Our first set oflaunch customers is AirShares Elite,Elite Flight Center, and Cirrus Design.AirShares Elite provides an ownerflown fractional ownership program forthe Cirrus Design SR22. The CirrusDesign SR22 is an advanced technol-ogy piston engine-powered airplane.Elite Flight Center is the training entityfor both transition training to the SR22and initial pilot training. Our other“launch customer” is Eclipse Aviation.The Eclipse 500™ is an advance tech-nology small turbine powered airplane.

The FITS team is working hard onproducing real products. We have fin-ished the Cirrus SR22 transition syl-labus. It is being used for the factorytransition training. The syllabus maybe changed as we gather data on thetraining. We are also writing the SR22instructor syllabus, a recurrent trainingprogram, and a private pilot/instru-ment rating ab-inito syllabus. For theEclipse, the FITS team is developingan Eclipse 500™ transition syllabus(type rating), recurrent training pro-gram, and instructor training program.The current (and aggressive) scheduleplans to have all of these FITS prod-

with a multi-engine and instrument rat-ing could satisfy the regulations bytaking a flight review every two yearsin a Cessna 150, then go fly off in aMitsubishi MU-2. So why doesn’t theFAA just create regulations that requiregeneral aviation pilots to take a practi-cal test every six months with a desig-nated examiner? First, the generalaviation industry would not be veryhappy with new regulations that placea major financial burden on them.Second, the rulemaking process in theFAA takes years, and we do not havethat kind of time. And third, and mostimportantly, it really is not necessary.Corporate operators have the samelow accident rates as airlines, butwithout all of the regulations. FITS isworking to take the best practices ofthe airlines, military, and corporate jetsoperators, and tailor them to the gen-eral aviation environment -- all thewhile increasing safety and conven-ience, and reducing the time and cost.

I must also explain what is thefocus of the FITS program. FITS fo-cuses on the segment of general avia-tion that uses single pilot, small recip-rocating or jet-powered aircraft fortransportation. Air carriers and largertwo-pilot corporate jets already haveextensive training requirements. Thesafety record of two-pilot corporatejets is just about the same as air carri-ers. The light-sport pilots (when therule is finalized) and recreational pilotsmay be limited to the size and com-plexity of aircraft that they can fly, towhat airspace they can operate in, tooperate only in VFR (Visual FlightRules) conditions, and to carry only

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Garmin® 430. (Garmin® Corp. photo)

plate and developed a transition pro-gram specifically for the FlightAir-1.Since the FAA has accepted this tran-sition program, going through this pro-gram (and continuing with their recur-rent program) allows Ms. Jones (alow-time pilot) to be insured to operatethis high performance aircraft at a rea-sonable cost. Without this program,Ms. Jones might not have been ableto get insurance at any cost. She ar-rives well-prepared for the transitionprogram because three months beforeher training she was sent an interac-tive CD with the FlightAire-1 systemsand performance training modules onthem. When she arrives for transitiontraining, a systems and performancequiz is first given to Ms. Jones. Thatway, the ground training portion will betailored to her needs, and not wastetime and money on things she alreadyknows. As soon as she completesthe transition program, she immedi-ately goes to the recurrent trainingprogram.

Scenario 3Recurrent Training Program

The recurrent training syllabus istaking a customer friendly approachby giving the pilot a new recurrenttraining option. The main thrust ofthis recurrent program is continuoustraining throughout the biennium —sort of like learning credits that doc-tors and lawyers are required to ac-complish. In this program Ms. Jonestakes an on-line module every quarter.The modules are updated andchanged periodically. In the fall andwinter there might be a module onicing. In the spring and summer amodule on thunderstorms. If the pilotis planning to fly from her home basein Florida to Boulder, Colorado, therewill be a module on mountain flying. Ifsecurity concerns change airspace re-strictions, there will be a module onthis. If the avionics package in the air-plane gets upgraded with new capa-

bilities, this can be a module.At the end of each modulethe pilot can print out a certifi-cate of completion. The lastmodule is a flight with one ofthe AAM instructors who hasbeen trained and accepted toprovide this last module. Theinstructor reviews the com-pletion certificates to ensurethat the pilot has completedall the modules. The flightconsists of a short cross-country scenario. Ms. Jonesplans and executes the flight,with the instructor providingchanges and distractions tonot only evaluate her pilotingskill and knowledge of the air-craft, but also her decisionmaking, risk management,and single pi lot resourcemanagement abilities. At theend of this flight she receivesa certificate of completion.How is this approved as af l ight review? 14 CFR§61.56(e) stipulates that aconventional flight review of§61.56(a) is not required if thepilot, within the preceding 24

calendar months, has satisfactorilyaccomplished one or more phases ofan FAA-sponsored pilot proficiencyaward program. Since the FAA hasapproved this program as a pilot profi-ciency award program, the flight re-view requirement has been satisfied.

Scenario 4One-Stop Flight Review

Propeller Joe has not been in acontinuous recurrent training program,so he schedules a full flight review at alocal FBO with an instructor in theirCherokee 6. When scheduling, Joeasks if the CFI has been accepted by™The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., to givea flight review in this airplane. The CFIhas been through the appropriateNew Piper flight instructor acceptanceprogram. When Joe arrives (or evenbefore), the instructor goes on to theFITS website and, through a menusystem, inputs all pertinent informationon the operation, pilot, and aircraft.

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UPSAT MX20. (UPSAT. photo)

For example, the operation is a one-stop flight review. The pilot holds aprivate pilot certificate, airplane singleengine land with an instrument rating.The aircraft is a Cherokee 6 equippedwith a Garmin® 430 and a UPS Avia-tion Technologies (UPSAT) MX 20 withweather data link capabilities. Whenall this information has been entered,the website displays four possibleFITS flight reviews. One has beenwritten by Bendix/King®, one by theNew Piper, one by National Flight In-structors Association (NAFI), and oneby the University Aviation Association.Joe’s insurance carrier has approvedtwo of them. They choose one, printthe training program and are ready todo the training. Again, this syllabuscontains a short cross-country sce-nario that Joe will plan and execute.

All of these scenarios provide apilot with the training appropriate tothe equipment and operation with aknowledgeable instructor. Also, allthese scenarios can be accomplishedwithin the current regulations. Theseare only a few examples of what mightbe. There will be other options avail-able. For example, instead of a recur-

rent training module every quarter,there might be an approved programwith a module every four or sixmonths. We are planning to developtraining programs for individual piecesof equipment for those who retrofitnew equipment in their aircraft. An-other concern is the integration of thisnew equipment with other equipment.How does a Bendix/King® KLN 90Bintegrate with a UPSAT MX 20? We

will be working on these issues also.So, how do we tie this together to

get all these changes done? It willtake lots of people and organizationsworking together. We need to getmore than just two aircraft manufac-turers (Cirrus Design and Eclipse Avia-tion) as part of FITS if we want to ef-fect a change in safety and trainingphilosophy and culture. We havebeen working hard on the future of

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Adam 500 in flight, and below, the Adam 700 in flight. (AdamAircraft photos)

FITS by making contacts withprospective customers. Besidesmeetings with the established generalaviat ion aircraft manufacturers(Cessna Aircraft and ™The New PiperAircraft), we have had some discus-sion with Lancair® and have met withAdam Aircraft. Adam Aircraft is veryinterested in what we are doing.

Who will be doing the research ontraining? For example, if we intend toallow creditable time in FTDs andPCATDs over and above what the reg-ulations call for, we need to know howmuch time and in what type of simula-tion device helps or hinders training.We have been working all along withCGAR on this issue. We also havehad meetings with the University of Illi-nois and Averett University. AOPA/AirSafety Foundation is another resourcefor research. Of course, the manufac-turers of the simulation devices wouldlove to have their machines approvedfor additional use. We have made ini-tial contacts with ASA and Elite Simu-lation Solutions.

Aircraft cockpits come with differ-ent options for instruments and dis-plays. So we have talked withGarmin®, Bendix/King®, L-2 (whichwas Goodrich Avionics), and UPS -Aviation Technologies. All of theseavionics manufacturers appear to beplanning to have displays that will ac-cept data linked weather displays. Sowe have had discussions with

Weather Services International (WSI). Some products, like the training

CDs Ms. Jones received before arriv-ing for her transition training programmust be developed by someone.Consequently, we have had discus-sions with some training providers in-cluding Sporty’s®, King Schools, andElectronicFlight Solutions. They all ap-pear to want to work with us.

There are times when a product isdeveloped and just “thrown over the

fence” in hopes that someone will useit. We want to make sure that thesebest practices are used, so flyingclubs and trade association have al-ready been contacted. We are ac-tively working with AOPA/Air SafetyFoundation, National Air Transporta-tion Association (NATA), General Avia-t ion Manufacturers Associat ion(GAMA), and the Small Aircraft Manu-facturers Association (SAMA). Wehave met with the American BonanzaSociety and the Cirrus Owners and Pi-lots Association.

When it comes to really lookinginto the future, there is always NASA.Currently NASA has a program under-way called the Small Aircraft Trans-portation System (SATS). The SATSwebsite is http://sats.larc.nasa.gov/main.html. The Congressional man-date is for the SATS program to vali-date the following four operational ca-pabilities:

• Higher Volume Operations inNon-Radar Airspace and atNon-Towered Airports

• Lower Landing Minimums atMinimally Equipped Landing Fa-cilities

• En Route Procedures and Sys-

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Lancair® HITS cockpit. (Lancair® photo)

Lancair® Columbia 500. (Lancair® photo)

tems for Integrated Fleet Opera-tions

• Increase Single-Pi lot CrewSafety & Mission Reliability

We have initiated discussions withsome SATS members on the possiblerole of the FITS program on the in-crease of single-pilot crew safety andmission reliability.

Another piece we haven’t forgot-ten is the FAA inspectors and desig-nated pilot examiners. We have anentire FITS workgroup made up ofFAA aviation safety inspectors lookingat the FITS team and products. Thisteam will recommend inspector train-ing and develop guidance. Appropri-ate portions of this guidance can beconverted for designated examinerpurposes.

What are the incentives for a pilotto use a FITS? I have hinted at someof the incentives: reduced insurancerates (or for some, just the ability toget insured), training at the pilot con-venience, lower cost of training withadditional use of simulation devices,

and training that is pertinent to thetype of flying the pilot does. But themost important incentive is that we willhave safer pilots and that benefits allof aviation.

FITS now has a website at<www.faa.gov/avr/afs/fits>. It is cur-rently very simple, but we had to startsomewhere. It contains additional in-depth information on the FITS pro-gram, a few of the FITS products, andlinks to associated websites (i.e., Cir-rus Design, Eclipse Aviation, Centerfor General Aviation Research, Avi-dyne, etc.). We plan for this websiteto house other information. I have re-cently talked to the National ProgramManager, Vintage and Surplus MilitaryAircraft. He needs a place to makethe industry training curriculums forvintage and surplus military aircraftavailable to the public. The FITS web-site would be a place for that. We willadd links to pertinent FAA and industryoffices. FITS is not planning to have asupply of paper documents. All stan-dards will be electronic on the web-site. As the FITS program evolves so

will the website.The FITS program is growing. We

are producing specific training curricu-lums for our launch customers. Manyof these initial products will be con-verted to generic standards that canbe customized to apply to other oper-ators. An outreach effort is underwaymaking initial contact with other avia-tion entities. We are doing this be-cause FITS is like a puzzle (a BIG andcomplex puzzle). Without al l thepieces in place, the picture will notcome together. Our website is up andwill grow and change as the FITS pro-gram grows and changes. We haveambitious plans to increase pilot safetyby better, more convenient, more effi-cient, and more pertinent training.And we will do this almost exclusivelywithin the current regulations.

Thomas Glista is an Aviat ionSafety Inspector in Flight Standards’General Aviation and Commercial Divi-sion and leads the FITS program.

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The Avidyne FlightMax EX500. (Avidyne photo)