Airline pilot recruitment and training has experienced significant challenges. Among these, are the ongoing pilot shortage and the failure of traditional initial pilot training regimes to incorporate the modern concepts of human behavior modification; Crew resource Management (CRM); Threat and Error Management (TEM) and Competency Based Training and modern avionics.

In the United States the long-term traditional approach has been to draw from retired military pilots and from experienced civilian pilots. Until recently, high levels of operational experience meaning considerable flight time in certain equipment and operations has been the requirement.

Multicrew Pilot License (MPL) has provided the contemporary solution to the need for modernized airline pilot training. Unfortunately, due to the political fallout after the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash in 2009, MPL is not yet part of the FAA regulatory structure. However, MPL has become by far the highest quality method of training pilots for many European and Asian airlines. Jet Safety International has provided assistance in the implementation of MPL.

The MPL is Specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and was created in 2006 to provide an upgraded means for ab-initio training for airline Pilots. Requirements were included in the of Annex 1 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Personnel Licensing) 10th edition in November 2006.

Prior to MPL, training syllabi were simplistic task and hours-based programs. In the 1990’s a need for a review of ab-initio airline pilot training led to ICAO convening a Flight Crew Licensing and Training Panel in 2001. This led to the MPL concept, that takes advantage of modern flight training devices and simulators and instructional systems design (ISD) to provide training to incorporate the modern concepts of human behavior modification; Crew resource Management (CRM); Threat and Error Management (TEM) and Competency Based Training and the highly automated environment of the modern flight deck.

Jet Safety International has been involved in aviation consulting for major Asian airlines both within the United States and in Southeast Asia.

Posted 5/29/24