here is an email I got on the upset training that was offered on the ALPA websit about a year ago.......
___________________________________________
March 17, 2004
Dear XXXXXXX,
As we begin a new year, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and bring you up to date on the Flight Research Training Center's (FRTC) FAA Upset Recovery Training (URT) study. First and foremost, I am pleased to say that we have been very successful in getting representatives to participate in this important and informative aviation safety program. Over the past two years, we have trained over 250 pilots from virtually every domestic U.S. airline. We have demonstrated that our Upset Recovery Training program is having a significant impact on pilots' ability to recover from a loss-of-control situation.
As you know, the primary goal of this federally funded study is to improve the safety of commercial air transportation by reducing the Loss-of-Control (LoC) accident rate, one of the leading causes of airline fatalities. As such, we are conducting research to further refine In-Flight Simulation (IFS) based URT; to design and develop IFS technology and systems specifically for the URT role in an effort to make IFS affordable in the mainstream; and ultimately, to have a beneficial impact on the LoC accident rate. Based on preliminary results, the training is showing a dramatic increase in both pilot confidence and performance.
To support this I'd like to share with you some typical pilot comments that were made following their individual URT session:
* "It's one thing to talk about, but to experience the in-flight sensations were extremely valuable."
* "This training is worth more than any other previous applied training I've ever received."
* "The program is invaluable for the major airline and commuter airline pilots. It should be mandatory for all transport pilots."
* "We talk about the 0.5 to 2.0 g experience, but actually experiencing it was different. This training enables you to actually feel the forces. The forces can not be simulated on a ground-based simulator."
* "This training has been the most valuable I have received in more than 40 years of flying."
* "Real world experience equals real world results."
Also, as you can see from our letterhead, a recent change in the Alliance for Flight Safety Research team is that one of our members has a new name. Veridian, our primary technology provider, was recently acquired by General Dynamics. This acquisition is proving to be very positive in all aspects and we look forward to the future with General Dynamics as a much valued partner of the Alliance.
Finally, because the FRTC is federally funded through the FAA, we rely on congressional appropriations each legislative cycle. Along with many other federally funded programs, our FY '04 project funding has taken a major set-back.
We are working diligently to insure the program funding continues and we in turn are able to continue to provide this valuable training to as many airline pilots as possible. To allow this invaluable training to continue uninterrupted, one option we are proposing to the FAA is to allow FRTC to request a "partial payment" from pilots or their airlines participating in the study. While the exact amount has not yet been determined, a nominal payment of $3,000 is being considered to offset a portion of the cost of the Upset Recovery Training Program.
Thank you for your support and continued interest in the Flight Research Training Center and its Upset Recovery Training Program. We look forward to your continued involvement in this noteworthy program.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Moskal
FRTC Program Manager
_____________________________________
___________________________________________
March 17, 2004
Dear XXXXXXX,
As we begin a new year, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and bring you up to date on the Flight Research Training Center's (FRTC) FAA Upset Recovery Training (URT) study. First and foremost, I am pleased to say that we have been very successful in getting representatives to participate in this important and informative aviation safety program. Over the past two years, we have trained over 250 pilots from virtually every domestic U.S. airline. We have demonstrated that our Upset Recovery Training program is having a significant impact on pilots' ability to recover from a loss-of-control situation.
As you know, the primary goal of this federally funded study is to improve the safety of commercial air transportation by reducing the Loss-of-Control (LoC) accident rate, one of the leading causes of airline fatalities. As such, we are conducting research to further refine In-Flight Simulation (IFS) based URT; to design and develop IFS technology and systems specifically for the URT role in an effort to make IFS affordable in the mainstream; and ultimately, to have a beneficial impact on the LoC accident rate. Based on preliminary results, the training is showing a dramatic increase in both pilot confidence and performance.
To support this I'd like to share with you some typical pilot comments that were made following their individual URT session:
* "It's one thing to talk about, but to experience the in-flight sensations were extremely valuable."
* "This training is worth more than any other previous applied training I've ever received."
* "The program is invaluable for the major airline and commuter airline pilots. It should be mandatory for all transport pilots."
* "We talk about the 0.5 to 2.0 g experience, but actually experiencing it was different. This training enables you to actually feel the forces. The forces can not be simulated on a ground-based simulator."
* "This training has been the most valuable I have received in more than 40 years of flying."
* "Real world experience equals real world results."
Also, as you can see from our letterhead, a recent change in the Alliance for Flight Safety Research team is that one of our members has a new name. Veridian, our primary technology provider, was recently acquired by General Dynamics. This acquisition is proving to be very positive in all aspects and we look forward to the future with General Dynamics as a much valued partner of the Alliance.
Finally, because the FRTC is federally funded through the FAA, we rely on congressional appropriations each legislative cycle. Along with many other federally funded programs, our FY '04 project funding has taken a major set-back.
We are working diligently to insure the program funding continues and we in turn are able to continue to provide this valuable training to as many airline pilots as possible. To allow this invaluable training to continue uninterrupted, one option we are proposing to the FAA is to allow FRTC to request a "partial payment" from pilots or their airlines participating in the study. While the exact amount has not yet been determined, a nominal payment of $3,000 is being considered to offset a portion of the cost of the Upset Recovery Training Program.
Thank you for your support and continued interest in the Flight Research Training Center and its Upset Recovery Training Program. We look forward to your continued involvement in this noteworthy program.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Moskal
FRTC Program Manager
_____________________________________
