Every Pilot - In Control - All The Time | Aviation Performance Solutions

The Gold Standard in Life-Saving Upset Training

At APS, our Purpose is ‘We Help Pilots Bring Everyone Home Safely’. We accomplish this Purpose by executing on our Brand Promise of ‘Every Pilot Trained – In Control – All The Time’. Our training methods have been perfected over 25 years and our solutions proven; APS has saved 100s of lives. It’s all we do.

APS Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) is comprehensive pilot training designed to help you prevent the #1 fatal threat to air safety – Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I). Our comprehensive courses ingrain the time-critical, counter-intuitive skills necessary to prevent or, if necessary, recover from life-threatening airplane upsets. Where few specific industry upset training provider guidelines or standards exist, APS provides evidence-based training that adheres to the Every Pilot In Control Solution Standard™ (EPIC-S2™), providing the safest, most effective upset training available today. APS’ UPRT programs are trusted by corporations large and small, military and government agencies, flight schools, aviation insurance agencies, global airlines and major US air carriers.

An immediate and accurate pilot response is critical to prevent an airplane upset that can quickly lead to Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I). Unfortunately, general pilot training requirements do not cover the counter-intuitive and time-critical skills necessary to prevent and overcome LOC-I. For more than three decades, we’ve collaborated with aviation’s key industry leaders, safety organizations, and regulatory agencies as we have tested and refined the best practices for effective Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT). The Every Pilot in Control Solution Standard (EPIC-S2) is the resulting practical UPRT methodology incorporating the six Critical UPRT Program Implementation Factors necessary to produce an unparalleled and effective UPRT solution for every fixed-wing pilot.

EPIC-S2 Six Factors

Explore the six factors of EPIC-S2 in the section below.

Critical UPRT Implementation Factors

The Every Pilot in Control Solution Standard (EPIC-S2) outlines the six critical UPRT program implementation factors that are needed to provide the foundation for any complete UPRT program delivering an effective solution to solve Loss of Control In-flight. A UPRT program that successfully integrates each of these critical factors and the specific criteria outlined for each one in the EPIC-S2 Compliance Guide not only has the highest expectation of achieving lasting and effective upset prevention and recovery skill development, but also offers pilots an enjoyable, valuable and transformational training experience that will benefit them and all those who fly with them.

Elite Instructors

Train with the Best

Industry regulatory agencies such as ICAO and the FAA agree that a well-qualified instructor is the most critical element of effective UPRT. Our exceptionally qualified UPRT instructors are fighter pilots, test pilots, aerobatic pilots, commercial pilots and master certified flight instructors (CFIs), together bringing thousands of hours of experience on the edge of upset to your training experience. However, elite qualifications and experience are only the beginning. Every upset instructor also undergoes APS’s standardized, rigorous UPRT instructor qualification process to maintain precision in proven teaching methods and to avoid negative training. APS has more Master CFIs on staff than any flight training organization in the world.

Integrated Program

Academics, On-aircraft, & Simulator Training

The most effective, safe, and long-lasting upset training is accomplished through an integrated combination of industry-approved loss of control academics, proper use of all-attitude piston and jet airplanes, and expertly integrated advanced flight simulation training devices when appropriate. The tactical integration of these three training mediums provides an engaging learning environment required to ingrain powerful and resilient UPRT skills.

Training Intensity

Multiple Flights Over Multiple Days

In an unexpected airplane upset, accurate decision-making, resilience and measured reaction times are critical. Behavioral studies show practicing a skill multiple times intensely over multiple days develops deeper learning, faster decision-making and precise reaction time with accurate control response. Our minimum profile of four flights over three days builds the vital structured response, decision making, and reaction times you need to safely recover from a wide diversity of airplane upset conditions and provides a level of instruction that will allow those skills to remain second-nature should an event occur months or even years after training.

Best Practices Compliant

FAA/EASA/ICAO

Addressing regulatory-defined training content is a bare minimum and not optional. Some UPRT providers may skip what they think doesn’t matter, which is unacceptable. Over the past three decades, APS has worked closely with regulatory agencies and oversight organizations such as ICAO, EASA and the FAA to help them establish guidance and best practices for safe and effective Upset Prevention and Recovery Training. UPRT training at APS is in strict compliance with these guidelines, adhering to the strictest safety standards and proven training practices, and, most importantly, also includes critical features these organizations have missed.

Purpose-Built Platforms

Safe, Certified, All-Attitude Capable

On-aircraft training in an all-altitude aerobatic-capable airplane is essential for pilots to develop advanced manual handling skills, effectively develop a three-dimensional mental model, and overcome critical human factors that often derail successful upset prevention or recovery in a real world crisis event. Together with expert instructors following a comprehensive training curriculum, safe all-attitude aircraft that are fully recoverable from inadvertent spins assure the delivery of a complete program while guaranteeing a margin of safety essential to safe and effective UPRT.

Initial & Recurrent Training

Multi-day Initial with 1-Day Recurrent Every 2 Years

The intensity of the initial APS UPRT program establishes a long-term, renewable knowledge and skill foundation that can be completely refreshed every year in a short, one-day recurrent course. The APS Every Pilot in Control Solution Standard includes the ability for pilots to take control of the design, content, and structure of their annual recurrent training sessions. In addition to the single day recurrent, pilots and flight departments can optionally choose from comprehensive menu of enhancements they feel best fits their personal and operational needs.

EPIC-S2 Six Factors

Explore the six factors of EPIC-S2 by interacting with the wheel below.