By AIN: Upset Recovery Demands More Than Aerobatic Training

Read this Article at AIN Online: Upset Recovery Demands More Than Aerobatic Training
by Rob Mark
The emergency maneuver training provided by Aviation Performance Solutions (APS) aims to put a dent in accident statistics that confirm loss of control in-flight as the number-one cause of commercial jet fatalities. According to Dr. Sunjoo Advani, chairman of the International Committee for Aviation Training in Extended Envelopes, “[the problem] cannot be simply solved through technology, or through current pilot training paradigms.” APS believes pilot training must change to focus on teaching pilots to recognize and cope with potentially upset-inducing attitudes, which involves much more than simply teaching them aerobatic maneuvers. The Mesa, Ariz.-based company’s training includes important classroom education on angle-of-attack and swept-wing aerodynamics, as well as high-speed compressibility effects, blended with full-motion simulator and full flight experience to reinforce the ground school. The flight portion is conducted in an Extra 300 at Mesa. “The real emphasis of our training is recognizing an impending loss of control as the primary means of reducing the accident rate,” APS president Paul “BJ” Ransbury told AIN. “But should a pilot still fall prey to an airplane about to fall from the sky, the APS all-attitude recovery method teaches escape maneuvers that should save lives. The airplane and simulator, then, are simply tools to demonstrate and practice what pilots learn in the classroom.”