FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TRIVIA: Over 10% of the world's Master CFI - Aerobatic instructors work at Aviation Performance Solutions (APS), the world's leading provider of Upset Prevention and Recovery Training. APS has more Master CFI–Aerobatic instructors than any other flight training provider.

Paul BJ Ransbury, a 3-time Master and SAFE member, recently renewed his Master CFI-Aerobatic accreditation.  BJ is the chief flight instructor and president of APS Emergency Maneuver Training, a Part 141 flight school at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA).  He specializes in aerobatics, upset recovery, and air combat maneuvers training.
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Master Instructors LLC takes great pride in announcing a significant aviation accomplishment on the part of Paul "BJ" Ransbury, the president of APS Emergency Maneuver Training and resident of Queen Creek, Arizona.  Recently, BJ's accreditation as a Master CFI-Aerobatic (Certificated Flight Instructor-Aerobatic) was renewed by Master Instructors LLC, the international accrediting authority for the Master Instructor designation as well as the FAA-approved Master Instructor Program.  He first earned this national professional accreditation in 2007, has held it continuously since then, and is one of only 86 worldwide to earn the credential three times.

To help put these achievements in their proper perspective, there are approximately 93,000 CFIs in the United States.  Fewer than 700 of those aviation educators have achieved that professional distinction thus far.  The last 16 national Flight Instructors of the Year were Master CFIs while BJ is one of only 23 Arizona teachers of flight to earn this prestigious "Master" title and one of only 23 nationwide to earn aerobatic accreditation.

In the words of former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, "The Master Instructor accreditation singles out the best that the right seat has to offer."

The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA.  Candidates must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service to the aviation community, and must pass a rigorous evaluation by a peer Board of Review.  The process parallels the continuing education regimen used by other professionals to enhance their knowledge base while increasing their professionalism.  Designees are recognized as outstanding aviation educators for not only their excellence in teaching, but for their engagement in the continuous process of learning -- both their own, and their students'.  The designation must be renewed biennially and significantly surpasses the FAA requirements for renewal of the candidate's flight instructor certificate.

Feel free to disseminate this information widely.  Questions regarding the Master Instructor Programä may be directed to 303-485-8136 or MasterInstrs@aol.com   To learn more about the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), visit http://SafePilots.org/  The International Aerobatic Club (IAC) can be reached through their website at http://IAC.org/  For more information about the Master Instructor Programä and to locate other Masters, please visit the "Find a Master Instructor" section of www.MasterInstructors.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alexander "Sandy" & JoAnn Hill, MCFIs
Master Instructors LLC,  Longmont  CO
Cells: 303-475-6008 (S) / 303-709-6862 (J)
Phone:  303-485-8136
www.MasterInstructors.org

"Serving Master Instructors since 1995"

The International Committee for Aviation Training in Extended Envelopes (ICATEE) Meets in Arizona this Week to Assess Advancements in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training to Enhance Commercial Air Safety Worldwide - A Report Issued by Boeing in July 2010 Identifies Loss of Control in-Flight (LOC-I) as the cause of the most crash-related fatalities in commercial aviation worldwide over the past 10 Years - Effectively Delivered Upset Recovery Training Mitigates the LOC-I Threat to Commercial Air Safety through Pilot Education and Skill Development. Arizona’s APS Emergency Maneuver Training has been Developing, Enhancing and Delivering LOC-I Solutions for Over 15 Years with Technologies that may Further ICATEE’s Global Flight Training Challenge.

Review PRWeb Version of ICATEE-APS Press Release

Mesa, AZ (PRWEB) March 22, 2011 – The International Committee for Aviation Training in Extended Envelopes (ICATEE), a working group of the Flight Simulation Group of the UK-based Royal Aeronautical Society, announced today an industry-wide attendance at its first 2011 research and development conference a the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona this week, being hosted by Arizona’s own APS Emergency Maneuver Training.

ICATEE was created in 2009 in response to loss of control in-flight challenges to commercial aviation safety worldwide. Due to the growing needs to address this potentially-fatal threat to air carrier operations, and because of the complexity of creating an effective and affordable change to current training, this international working group was formed.  ICATEE’s selection of Arizona, allows international representatives from all sectors of the commercial aviation industry a unique collective opportunity to witness first-hand, and evaluate one of the industry’s leading providers of loss of control in-flight solutions, APS Emergency Maneuver Training.

Effectively delivered upset recovery training mitigates the loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) threat to commercial air safety through a harmonized combination of pilot education and practical skill development. LOC-I is defined as flight that occurs outside of the normal flight envelope with an inability of the pilot to control the aircraft. In a report issued by Boeing in July 2010, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s statistical research identifies LOC-I as the most severe hull loss causal factor in commercial aviation worldwide over the past 10 years, resulting in the most crash-related fatalities from 2000 through 2009.

ICATEE Endorses Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid

“ICATEE was established to enhance the safety of commercial air travel to protect our family, friends and loved ones as they travel the globe by the millions daily.” said Dr. Sunjoo Advani, president of  Netherlands-based company International Development of Technology b.v., and Chairman of ICATEE, “Our mandate in ICATEE takes on the challenging task of developing flight training solutions at the global level to standardize and quality-assure initiatives specifically targeted to significantly reduce airline crashes and associated fatalities in the long term. With the involvement of all major stakeholder groups from the aviation industry, we have the unique ability to identify problems, suggest reasonable solutions, and validate these. It also is very assuring that one of the main participants in ICATEE, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has embarked upon adopting upset recovery training in collaboration with APS. That is also why this group is so excited to come to Mesa for this meeting”

The evaluation of APS Emergency Maneuver Training’s progressive efforts in upset prevention and recovery training hallmarks ICATEE’s transition from research, accident analysis and investigation of the LOC-I threat into the assessment of practical flight training applications from a variety of training providers that can be implemented worldwide.

“It is a great honor to have the distinguished opportunity to host ICATEE and to welcome its team of international aviation experts into the inner workings of solutions to the loss of control in-flight developed by APS over the last 15 years.” says Paul BJ Ransbury, president of APS Emergency Maneuver Training, former military pilot and airline pilot, “It is the responsibility of regulatory agencies and commercial aviation training departments around the world to implement industry-standardized loss of control in-flight solutions for pilots to effectively recognize and prevent an airplane upset. When unpreventable, and faced with a severe flight condition beyond everyday experience thresholds, pilots must have the fundamental knowledge and practical skills necessary to recover the airplane to controlled flight amidst a developed high-stress time-critical airplane upset situation.”

About APS Emergency Maneuver Training

APS Emergency Maneuver Training, based at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona USA, has successfully trained over 4,000 professional pilots in fully comprehensive upset recovery skill development. For more than a decade, APS has been committed to giving professional pilots of all skill levels the highest quality upset recovery training available. APS offers comprehensive LOC-I solutions via industry-leading web-based, on-aircraft, and full-flight simulator upset recovery and prevention training programs. In addition to all flight training being in full compliance with the internationally-recognized Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid, APS is the only Part 141 Flight School currently certified in the delivery of all of upset recovery, stall / spin and instrument recovery training courses worldwide. More information is available online at www.apstraining.com.

About the International Committee for Advanced Training in Extended Envelopes (ICATEE)

ICATEE is supported through participation from the aircraft industry, simulator manufacturers, training providers, regulators, researchers and airline customers. Participants include Boeing, Airbus, CAE, Opinicus, ETC, APS Emergency Maneuver Training, Calspan, FAA, NTSB, NASA, NLR, DLR, ALPA, IFALPA, KLM Flight Training, IDT, UTIAS and many others. In total, there are approximately 75 participants.

ICATEE has introduced the concept of comprehensive Upset Prevention and Recovery Training at the international level. Three levels of training are required: 1) Awareness, 2) Avoidance and Recognition, and, finally, 3) Recovery. To further define these levels, a detailed evidence-based training matrix was developed by ICATEE in 2010 through which the hazards, types of training, maintenance of skills, and possible training methodologies are defined.  The ICATEE Training Matrix continues to evolve as the working group continues its strides of advancements.  ICATEE is chaired by Dr. Sunjoo Advani, Mr. Peter Tharp, and Capt. Gordon Woolley (Chairman of the RAeS Flight Simulation Group) where all three are members of the RAeS Flight Simulator Group.

In September 2010, ICATEE provided its first inputs to the FAA/Industry Stall/Stick-Pusher Working Group, recommending how to deal with Startle in simulation, and how to make better use of the instructor station in flight simulator training. ICATEE’s main output will be through the International Committee for Flight Simulation Training Device Qualification (ICFQ) to ICAO. This is planned for the end of 2011. More information is available online at www.idt-engineering.com/ICATEE.html.

For Media Enquiries:

Dr. Sunjoo Advani, ICATEE Chairman

International Committee for Advanced Training in Extended Envelopes

+31 655 737 345 The Netherlands | s.advani (at) idt-engineering (dot) com

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KLM Flight Academy Selects APS Emergency Maneuver Training in Arizona USA to Provide Upset Recovery Training to all KLM Flight Academy ATP Program Pilots

The KLM Flight Academy Selects APS Emergency Maneuver Training in Arizona to Provide Mandatory Upset Recovery Training Services to All their Airline Transport Pilot Program Students - A Report Issued by Boeing in July 2010 Identifies Loss of Control in-Flight (LOC-I) as the Cause of the Most Crash-Related Fatalities in Commercial Aviation Worldwide over the Past 10 Years - Effectively Delivered Upset Recovery Training Mitigates the LOC-I Threat to Commercial Air Safety through Pilot Education and Skill Development. This Multiple Year Commitment between APS and KLM Flight Academy Indicates a Clear Signal to the Traveling Public that LOC-I will be Seriously Addressed by Progressive Airlines

MESA, ARIZONA: KLM Flight Academy, a 100% subsidiary of the Netherlands-based global air carrier KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, announced today the selection of Arizona’s APS Emergency Maneuver Training as its provider of upset recovery training to all KLM Flight Academy pilots participating in the KLM airline transport pilot program.

Effectively delivered upset recovery training mitigates the loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) threat to commercial air safety through pilot education and practical skill development. LOC-I is defined as flight that occurs outside of the normal flight envelope with an inability of the pilot to control the aircraft. In a report issued by Boeing in July 2010, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s statistical research identifies LOC-I as the most severe hull loss causal factor in commercial aviation worldwide over the past 10 years, resulting in the most crash-related fatalities from 2000 through 2009.

“KLM, being one of the most safety-minded major airlines in the world, realizes the importance of industry-compliant upset recovery training to prevent loss of control in-flight situations.” said Robert van den Heuvel, Head of Training for KLM Flight Academy, “During the ab-initio portion of flight training, the KLM Flight Academy has made specialized upset recovery training a mandatory part of our airline transport pilot (ATPL) flight training program. Following a thorough investigation and evaluation, APS is clearly the best solution available.” The multi-year upset recovery training commitment between KLM Flight Academy and APS indicates a clear signal to the traveling public that LOC-I, the leading cause of crash-related fatalities in commercial aviation worldwide, will be seriously addressed by progressive air carriers.

“APS is honored by this prestigious relationship with KLM Flight Academy. We’re looking forward to working with the entire KLM Flight Academy team and its future airline pilots undergoing licensing training.” says Paul BJ Ransbury, president of APS Emergency Maneuver Training, former military pilot and airline pilot, “It is the responsibility of commercial aviation operators around the world to implement industry-standardized loss of control in-flight solutions for pilots to effectively recognize and prevent an airplane upset. When unpreventable, and faced with a severe flight condition beyond everyday experience thresholds, pilots must have the fundamental knowledge and practical skills necessary to recover the airplane to controlled flight amidst a developed high-stress time-critical airplane upset situation.”

About APS Emergency Maneuver Training

APS Emergency Maneuver Training, based at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona USA, has successfully trained over 4,000 professional pilots in fully comprehensive upset recovery skill development, more than any other training organization. For 15 years, APS has been committed to giving professional pilots of all skill levels the highest quality upset recovery training available. APS offers comprehensive LOC-I solutions via industry-leading web-based, on-aircraft, and full-flight simulator upset recovery and prevention training programs. In addition to all flight training being in full compliance with the internationally-recognized Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid, APS is the only Part 141 Flight School currently certified in the delivery of all of upset recovery, stall / spin and instrument recovery training courses worldwide. More information is available online at www.apstraining.com.

About KLM Flight Academy

KLM Flight Academy is a 65 year old flight school and the preferred supplier of ab-initio pilots for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the flag carrier of the Netherlands.

For Media Enquiries:

Faye Hamilton, Marketing & Public Relations Manager
APS Emergency Maneuver Training
480-279-1881 USA | faye.hamilton (at) apstraining (dot) com

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Courtesy of Aviation Performance Solutions LLC
Front Left: Robert van den Heuvel Head of Training KLM Flight Academy Front Right: Paul BJ Ransbury President APS Emergency Maneuver Training Rear Row: KLM Flight Academy Students First Attending Training with APS	Left to Right: Robert van den Heuvel - Head of Training for KLM Flight Academy, Chris Haber - Training Manager for KLM Flight Academy, First 4 Students attending APS Upset Recovery Training, Paul BJ Ransbury - President of APS Emergency Maneuver Training	Client in Cockpit Recovering from Airplane Upset at APS	Clarke McNeace, APS Upset Recovery Instructor, Teaching Loss of Control In-Flight Recovery Techniques

Other Resources:

Video, Photos and Social Sharing Options Available at PRWeb at 9:00 am AZ time (GMT-7), 18 Jan 2011:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/upset_recovery_training/klm_aps/prweb4974394.htm

CAE and APS collaborate to offer Advanced Jet Upset Recovery e-Learning course based on FAA recommendations

Atlanta, Georgia  –  (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) – CAE and APS Emergency Maneuver Training announced on the eve of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual convention, the availability of an online computer-based training course designed to improve the ability of business jet pilots to recognize, avoid and, if necessary, recover from loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) flight situations.

The CAE-APS e-Learning course is based on U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommendations contained in the Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid (AURTA), Revision 2. The Air Line Pilots Association's (ALPA) Human Factors and Training Group and the ALPA Training Council announced recently its support for "enhanced academic requirements … on approach to stall, impending stall, full stall and abnormal flight conditions," including utilization of the AURTA "as a validated and appropriate guide for upset recovery training."

"Aircraft upset is not a common occurrence and the overwhelming majority of flights proceed without incident thanks to modern aircraft technology and training," said Lou Nemeth, CAE's Chief Safety Officer. "However, according to recent studies, loss of control in-flight remains a leading cause of accidents and incidents, and it is essential that professional pilots understand the aerodynamic principles and recommended recovery techniques that are similar for all large, swept-wing jet airplanes."

LOC-I is defined as flight that occurs outside of the normal flight envelope with an inability of the pilot to control the aircraft. The CAE-APS e-Learning course uses real-world example animations, video, graphic diagrams and other techniques to address topics such as causes of airplane upsets (including environmentally induced upsets, systems anomaly-induced upsets, and pilot-induced upsets), swept-wing aerodynamics, control surface fundamentals, high-altitude operations, recovery from airplane upsets, and upset recovery techniques for stall, nose-high, nose-low and high-bank angles. The course is available at www.caelearning.com/aviation-pilot-courses.aspx.

"With a few dedicated hours of online study, pilots can gain potentially life-saving academic knowledge crucial to understanding unusual flight attitudes, prevention strategies and fundamental all-altitude recovery skills," said Paul BJ Ransbury, President of APS Emergency Maneuver Training and a former airline and military fighter pilot. "Pilots who understand the conditions of an upset will be better prepared to make time-critical decisions to prevent, or immediately recover from, an airplane upset safely."

In addition to threshold knowledge in upset recovery principles, the CAE-APS e-Learning course can help prepare professional pilots for scenario-based training in a full-flight simulator and real aircraft training in safe, aerobatic aircraft.

About CAE

CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.5 billion, CAE employs more than 7,500 people at more than 100 sites and training locations in more than 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 29 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crewmembers yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments, and through CAE's professional services division we assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs.

About APS Emergency Maneuver Training

APS Emergency Maneuver Training at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (Mesa, Arizona) has trained thousands of pilots in fully comprehensive upset recovery skill development, more than any other training organization. For 15 years, APS has been committed to giving professional pilots and private pilots of all skill levels the highest quality upset recovery training available. We offer comprehensive LOC-I solutions via industry-leading web-based, on-aircraft, and full-flight simulator upset recovery training programs. APS is the only Part 141 Flight School currently certified in the delivery of upset recovery, stall / spin and instrument recovery training courses worldwide. All APS upset recovery training courses are in compliance with the Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid.

Teterboro, 7 September 2010 - Polaris Aviation Solutions, an aircraft management and charter services company with world headquarters in Teterboro, NJ, announced today it has selected APS Emergency Maneuver Training to provide Airplane Upset Prevention & Recovery Training to its Boeing 767 and Gulfstream pilots.

Over the past 50 years of statistically analyzed accident history in commercial aviation, Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) is indisputably one of the leading causes of airplane crashes and crash-related fatalities worldwide.In a report issued by Boeing in July 2009, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s statistical research clearly shows LOC-I representing the most severe cause factor in commercial aviation over the past 10 years, resulting in the most crash-related fatalities from 1999 through 2008.

“Polaris Aviation Solutions is committed to providing the highest quality safety training available to its professional pilot team. We are a leader in the aviation management and charter industry in implementing comprehensive safety of flight mitigations identified through our ISBAO and Wyvern approved operations and safety management system. We recognize loss of control in-flight is the leading cause of fatalities in commercial aviation. It only makes sense to teach professional pilots upset recovery techniques starting today.” said Mike Santiago, President & CEO at Polaris Aviation Solutions, “APS Emergency Maneuver Training has demonstrated its ability to consistently provide the highest quality upset recovery training in a manner that directly compliments our unparalleled safety program”.

“It is a great pleasure to be working along side Polaris Aviation Solutions in its unwavering efforts to remain established at the forefront of aviation safety training practices.” says Paul BJ Ransbury, President of APS Emergency Maneuver Training. “APS fully supports upcoming industry regulatory changes to improve the safety of air travel by addressing the LOC-I threat head-on. Robust upset recovery training solutions must be proven effective and remain focused on recognition and avoidance through enhanced pilot awareness”.

Polaris Aviation Solutions

Polaris Aviation Solutions is an aircraft management and charter services company committed to providing transparency, integrity, and flexibility to the corporate aviation community. It was founded in 2007 by veteran pilots and aviation management professionals who realized a demand for personalization within the aircraft management and charter industry. Please visit us at Booth #1003 at the NBAA Conference. More information available at: www.polarisaviation.com

APS Emergency Maneuver Training

APS Emergency Maneuver Training, an FAA-approved 141 Flight School specializing in Upset Recovery, Spin Training and Instrument Recovery courses, offers what has been coined the “Master’s Degree Program in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training”. Each online, on-aircraft and full flight simulator training program provided by APS is compliant with the Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid. The APS staff of instructors are all former military formal-course instructor pilots with vast airline experience to ensure the recovery techniques taught at APS are directly transferrable to commercial jet pilots. The APS fleet of German-built piston Extra 300Ls and turbo jet L-39 Albatrosses, in conjunction with CAE Level D Full Full Flight Simulators, offer the ideal training resources to safely instruct all aspects of the various APS upset prevention and recovery training programs.

More information available at: www.apstraining.com For media inquiries, contact the APS Public Relations Coordinator, Faye Hamilton, in Mesa, Arizona USA 480-279-1881or via email at faye.hamilton@apstraining.com.

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APS Emergency Maneuver Training is now offering private pilots and professional pilots two new affordable online upset recovery video training courses which can be purchased without signing up for a monthly membership. The company has trained more pilots in fully comprehensive upset recovery training skill development than any other training organization. All instructors have extensive experience in general aviation, aerobatic maneuvering, military instruction, technologically advanced aircraft and commercial and/or transport flight operations.

The professional conduct of this training is far above anything I’ve seen in my military and civilian flying career I strongly recommend [APS training and firmly believe that all new pilots should have this training as a condition of certification. The training flows so well, even the lowest time pilot can follow easily.

Mesa, Arizona (PRWEB) July 1, 2010 -- Professional pilots and private pilots will benefit from two new affordable online upset recovery video training courses being offered by APS Emergency Maneuver Training – http://www.apstraining.com. Each course can now be purchased at a reduced rate without signing up for a monthly membership. Internationally recognized, APS is the leading provider of loss of control in-flight instruction, delivering the highest quality comprehensive online video ground training to pilots of all skill levels, including the life-saving knowledge to recognize and avoid numerous lethal loss of control in-flight situations.

All instructors have extensive experience in general aviation, aerobatic maneuvering, military instruction, technologically advanced aircraft and commercial and/or transport flight operations.

APS is now offering professional pilots and private pilots the following two new upset recovery video training courses which do not require signing up for monthly membership:

Basic Upset Recovery Video Training: Includes introduction and 5 training modules (13 hours of video training). The cost is $242 for three months. This course is ideal for private pilots, pilots on a budget and pilots interested in an introduction to loss of control in-flight. Topics covered include:

Advanced Upset Recovery Video Training: Includes all Basic Upset Recovery Video Training and 4 additional modules with 10+ hours of video training (23+ total hours of video training). The cost is $448 for six months – and on-going access to all content is available for $10 per month upon completion. This course is ideal for professional pilots, commercial airline pilots, jet pilots and serious private pilots. Topics covered include:

Both courses include the following articles which may be downloaded:

“The professional conduct of this training is far above anything I’ve seen in my military and civilian flying career,” said Kevin Fittz, Corporate Pilot: ATP, CFI-MEI, CFI-I, CSEL, Commercial/Instrument Rotorcraft. “I strongly recommend [APS training and firmly believe that all new pilots should have this training as a condition of certification. The training flows so well, even the lowest time pilot can follow easily.”

To purchase APS’ upset recovery training visit http://www.apstraining.com/upset-recovery-training/life-saving-pilot-training/

About APS Emergency Maneuver Training
APS Emergency Maneuver Training has trained more pilots in fully comprehensive upset recovery training skill development than any other training organization. For the past 15 years, APS has been committed to giving professional pilots and private pilots of all skill levels the highest quality, most affordable upset recovery training available. In addition to all APS training being in compliance with the Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid, it is the only Part 141 Flight School certified in the delivery of upset recovery, spin and also instrument recovery training courses worldwide.

Media Contact:
RPR Public Relations, Inc.
Tel. 786-290-6413

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Press Release Contact Faye Hamilton USA: 1-480-279-1881 faye.hamilton@apstraining.com

Online Upset Recovery Training for Pilots of All Skill Levels Developed by Aviation's Leading Provider of Loss of Control In-Flight Instruction

READ THE PRWEB VERSION OF THIS RELEASE

Mesa, AZ – Aviation Performance Solutions, LLC (APS) announces the release of its online upset recovery training academic program previously only available to pilots participating in-person at the APS Emergency Maneuver Training campus at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona USA. Over a decade in development, this 'pilot skills training enhancement course' will further support the APS commitment to providing pilots of all experience levels the knowledge necessary to be academically prepared to address aviation's most lethal threat, loss of control in-flight.

“One of the biggest challenges associated with addressing loss-of-control in-flight pilot training, often referred to as upset recovery training, is educating pilots that their regulatory-compliant licensing training only comprehends just over 10 % of the actual flight envelope they fly in every flight.” says Paul BJ Ransbury, President of APS Emergency Maneuver Training. “We witness on a daily basis the disbelief pilots experience, as well as the despair they feel, when they realize first-hand that not only do they not have training useful in nearly 90% of the full flight envelope of their aircraft, the skills they do have are often setting them up to do exactly the wrong thing in an airplane upset necessitating their intervention to recover. Very often pilots graduating from our courses testify they now know they would have never survived an actual airplane upset without having had specialized upset recovery training as offered by APS. Our recently released online course Preparing for Practical Upset Recovery Training lays the foundation of academic preparation for on-aircraft training but also educates pilots on their own deficiencies that they themselves must address as regulatory certification training does not currently provide these crucial survival skills”.

Is Loss of Control In-Flight really that big of a deal or just a new piece of 'here-today-gone-tomorrow' drama for the aviation training industry to let pass with time? Yes, it is a big deal and no, it won't just 'go away'. In fact, over the past 50 years of statistically analyzed accident history in commercial aviation, Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) is indisputably one of the most persistent leading causes of airplane crashes and crash-related fatalities worldwide. Regrettably, current pilot training curricula, standards and certification requirements perpetuate this pilot-skill deficiency. In a report issued by Boeing in July 2009, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s statistical research clearly shows LOC-I representing the most severe cause factor in commercial aviation over the past 10 years, resulting in the most crash-related fatalities from 1999 through 2008. Commercial aviation will continue to experience high rates of LOC-I fatalities until a training solution to mitigate this threat is implemented. This inexpensive online training course is the place to start for pilots at all stages of flight experience. Today’s aviation training marketplace does not currently offer a tangible solution to dealing with Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) using readily available assets, technologies and knowledge resources. This is primarily due to the perceived risk of thorough upset recovery training, the limited accuracy of simulator fidelity in extreme flight conditions, and the stark absence of instructor knowledge to effectively teach all-attitude all-envelope recovery procedures.

More Details on this Online Upset Recovery Training Course

http://www.apstraining.com/upset-recovery-training/life-saving-pilot-training/

About APS Emergency Maneuver Training

APS Emergency Maneuver Training has trained more pilots in fully comprehensive upset recovery training skill development than any other training organization. For the past 14 years, APS has been committed to giving both private and professional pilots the highest quality, most cost-effective upset recovery training available. APS has a diversity of turnkey solutions to mitigate the Loss of Control In-Flight threat from online computer-based training solutions to a fully integrated full motion simulator curriculum complimented by real on-aircraft training. Every APS instructor pilot’s professional flight experience spans a highly specialized spectrum of aviation uniquely qualifying them as ideal LOCI-I training providers. All APS instructors have extensive experience in; all-attitude all-envelope maneuvering in both piston and jet aircraft, military instruction, technologically advanced aircraft and transport category flight operations. In addition to all APS training being in compliance with the Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid – Revision 2, APS Emergency Maneuver Training is the only Part 141 Flight School certified in the delivery of upset recovery, spin and instrument recovery training courses worldwide.

For media inquiries, photos and flight information, visit: www.apstraining.com or contact the APS Public Relations Manager, Faye Hamilton, toll free at 1-866-359-4273 or via email at faye.hamilton@apstraining.com.

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Images for Media Use: Courtesy of APS Emergency Maneuver Training

Arizona-based Flight School Addresses Airplane Loss of Control Training Deficiencies in Response to the Fatal Colgan 3407 Accident in Buffalo, NY

Mesa, AZ – Aviation Performance Solutions, LLC (APS) announces its firm commitment to actively support the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009 requiring enhanced stall and airplane upset recognition and recovery training for Part 121 Air Carriers. APS has augmented its on-going training solutions to further assist commercial aviation operators to mitigate the loss of control in-flight threat tragically demonstrated by the Colgan 3407 fatal crash in Buffalo, New York in 2009.

Over the past 50 years of statistically analyzed accident history in commercial aviation, Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) is indisputably one of the leading causes of airplane crashes and crash-related fatalities worldwide. Regrettably, current pilot training curricula, standards and certification requirements perpetuate this pilot-skill deficiency. In a report issued by Boeing in July 2009, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s statistical research clearly shows LOC-I representing the most severe cause factor in commercial aviation over the past 10 years, resulting in the most crash-related fatalities from 1999 through 2008. Commercial aviation will continue to experience high rates of LOC-I fatalities until a training solution to mitigate this threat is implemented. Today’s aviation training marketplace does not currently offer a tangible solution to dealing with Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) using readily available assets, technologies and knowledge resources. This is primarily due to the perceived risk of thorough upset recovery training, the limited accuracy of simulator fidelity in extreme flight conditions, and the stark absence of instructor knowledge to effectively teach all-attitude all-envelope recovery procedures.

“At APS Emergency Maneuver Training, we consider upset recovery training to encompass the entire field of adverse flight-attitude and flight-envelope situations irrespective of whether they are pilot-induced, environmentally-induced or system anomaly-induced.” says Paul BJ Ransbury, President of APS Emergency Maneuver training. “APS fully supports upcoming industry regulatory changes to improve the safety of air travel by addressing the LOC-I threat head-on. Robust upset recovery training solutions must be proven effective and remain focused on recognition and avoidance through enhanced pilot awareness. The actual process of on-aircraft recovery technique implementation is both irreplaceable and crucial to significantly enhancing the professional pilot’s LOC-I skill-set. However, ‘recovery techniques’ on their own must not be the sole focus, nor take precedence over the pilot’s specialized education in prevention and diagnosis of potential upset situations. With APS’s enhanced multi-faceted approach to delivering our integrated prevention and recovery LOC-I strategies, tomorrow’s commercial pilot will be optimally armed to recognize, avoid and, if necessary, immediately recover from life-threatening flight scenarios such as the Dash-8 Colgan 3407 accident this past year in Buffalo, New York”.

About APS Emergency Maneuver Training

APS Emergency Maneuver Training has trained more pilots in fully comprehensive upset recovery training skill development than any other training organization. For the past 14 years, APS has been committed to giving professional pilots the highest quality, most cost-effective upset recovery training available. APS has a diversity of turnkey solutions to mitigate the Loss of Control In-Flight threat from online computer-based training solutions to a fully integrated full motion simulator curriculum complimented by real on-aircraft training. Every APS instructor pilot’s professional flight experience spans a highly specialized spectrum of aviation uniquely qualifying them as ideal LOCI-I training providers. All APS instructors have extensive experience in; all-attitude all-envelope maneuvering in both piston and jet aircraft, military instruction, technologically advanced aircraft and transport category flight operations. In addition to all APS training being in compliance with the Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid – Revision 2, APS Emergency Maneuver Training is the only Part 141 Flight School certified in the delivery of upset recovery, spin and instrument recovery training courses worldwide.

For media inquiries, photos and flight information, visit: www.apstraining.com or contact the APS Public Relations Manager, Faye Hamilton, toll free at 1-866-359-4273 or via email at faye.hamilton@apstraining.com.

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Images for Media Use: Courtesy of APS Emergency Maneuver Training

By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

Read the Full Article at USA Today

Accident investigators say new flight simulators could help correct the biggest killer in aviation: pilots who can't recover from out-of-control situations like the one that killed 50 people in a crash near Buffalo last year.

Pilots at airlines receive almost no hands-on training in how to recover from aerodynamic stalls and other extreme scenarios, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The reason for the glaring shortfall is that current flight simulators, the backbone of airline training programs, cannot accurately reproduce such calamities.

Years of research in the military and NASA has led to new simulators that accurately represent how planes behave in stalls, severe icing and other crash scenarios, according to the NTSB and scientists — but there is no federal requirement to use those simulators.

The machines could help with one of the most vexing and deadly problems facing aviation. A USA TODAY review of NTSB accident reports over the past decade found that 317 of the 433 airline fatalities on U.S. carriers since 2000 — or 73% — could have been prevented with better simulator training. Around the world, planes that went out of control and crashed killed 1,991 people from 1999 through 2008, according to Boeing. That is more than twice that of the second-biggest category, accidentally flying into a mountain or the ground.

In the crash near Buffalo on Feb. 12, 2009, a pilot jerked the plane into a steep climb that stalled the wings. The proper way to recover would have been to lower the plane's nose, but the pilot kept trying to pull the nose up, according to the NTSB. The plane struck a house, killing all 49 aboard and a man in the home ... Read the Full Article at USA Today

by Jonathan E. Doolittle, President
Sutton James Incorporated
Aviation Insurance Brokers

Download Aviation Consumer Article: APS's Upset Training: Practical Survival Skills

In a 2007 study going back over 50 years, a Boeing safety group identified in-flight loss of control as the number one source of airline fatalities. The 2008 Nall Report tells a similar story for general aviation airplanes.

Loss of control- in flight, or LOC-I in the argot of those who study aircraft accidents, includes a host of hazards ranging from garden-variety stalls to control surface hardovers and encounters with wake turbulence.  LOC- I accidents happen to the spectrum of civilian pilots, from Students to airline veterans, and every one of the rest of us in between.

The stubbornness of LOC-I as the single largest cause of fatal accidents has a great deal to do with the way that we train.  While the airlines have incorporated a number of  loss of control scenarios in their training, general aviation has not really addressed the issue.

The quality of GA training varies widely, and most pilots have never been in a spin unless they trained to be flight instructors or took aerobatic lessons.  Most stall training is aimed at avoidance, rather than recovery.  We go to the horn, or if we’re really feeling brave, to the buffet, and then fly the airplane out.  We rarely completely stall the airplane, especially in crossed-control or other aggravated configurations.  So is it any wonder that when we are confronted with a sudden loss of control of the airplane, we don’t typically react well enough to live through the event?

Enter APS Emergency Maneuver Training, whose motto is ‘to fly another day.’  APS is located in Mesa, Arizona, and is one of a handful of schools around the country that offers upset training to pilots of all backgrounds.  APS is one of the few that is 141 approved, and that is dedicated to this type of training.  We recently completed the APS Professional Pilot Upset Recovery Training Course, which included the core upset recovery program, spin training and instrument recovery training.  While there are a number of schools that offer this type of training, we feel that APS offers an excellent value based upon the qualifications of the instructors, the quality of the curriculum, and the suitability of the airplane used.

All of the APS instructors are former or current military instructor pilots, and a  number have airline experience as well.  We flew with the company’s president, Paul “BJ” Ransbury, and the Director of Flight Training, Clarke “Otter” McNeace.  Both flew F/A-18’s, both have thousands of hours in the Extra 300, and both have strong academic backgrounds for the material they are teaching. Before each flight, they conducted a thorough briefing on the flight.  There was a great deal of stress on making sure that we understood the physics of the upset as well as the recovery.  There was also repeated emphasis on the steps of the recovery procedure.  After each flight, students are debriefed.  We found that the debriefings were excellent reinforcement.  The instructors seemed to have almost total recall of the specifics of the flight.  The airplanes are also equipped with video cameras mounted on the right wing, vertical stab and inside the cockpit.  Particularly after the spin flights, video was used for the debriefings along with the instructors comments.  Each student goes home with cd’s of all of the flying that he did during the course.

We found the curriculum to be a good balance of academics and a rote building block approach to use in the airplane.  We were furnished with the course manuals months before arriving and were urged to read them and re-read them before starting the course.  We found that this helped speed up our learning substantially.  Everything that we were taught in the classroom sessions was carefully related to what we would see and do in the airplane, but there was a considerable underpinning of aerodynamics.  None of this is rocket science, but we came away with a much better understanding of the fundamental importance of angle of attack, as well as the effects of g-loading, roll-yaw coupling, negative roll damping.

In addition to the academic side of things, APS provides a building block approach which they call the ‘All Attitude Upset Recovery Checklist,’ a five step procedure which allowed us to proceed one step at a time from total chaos to recovery of the airplane to an upright attitude.   As the name implies, this technique is used for almost every situation except for fully-developed spins.  For spins, APS uses the NASA spin-recovery technique.

One of the most important parts of the training was the ‘say and do’ technique, which forces the student to name each step of the recovery process as he does it.  We found that if we could say it, we could eventually do it as well.  By the end of the course, the combination of increased understanding and repeated practice with the techniques made us feel that we probably would have the chance ‘to fly another day.’

For upset and spin training, APS relies upon two Extra 300L’s, complete with shark’s teeth.  While the point of the training is to learn to recover within the limits of Standard or Transport category airplanes, the Extra’s unlimited aerobatic capability and limit load of plus or minus 10 g’s make it an ideal airplane for this type of training.  There is no maneuver that can’t be recovered from, and your internal organs will probably fail before the airplane does.  The huge margin between the g’s that you pull in the course and the g-load available to the airplane made us feel very comfortable.  And if you haven’t flown an Extra before, you are in for a treat.  Aside from the light stick forces which took us about 15 minutes to get used to, there are few surprises.  It goes where you point it, and does what you think it will.  If you have never flown with a stick before, you will find the transition painless.

APS has a military feel to it, and it is noticeable throughout  the course.  The instructors and some of the students wear flight suits.  Most flights start as a formation flight of two airplanes out to the practice area, then break up into north and south working areas, and at the end of the lesson, rejoin for the brief flight back to the airport.  If you are interested in trying your hand at formation flying, this is a good time for it.  Missions, as APS refers to them , are  crafted so that there is no time wasted, and yet we never felt that it was a problem if we wanted to see a given maneuver yet another time.  And if we didn’t do it correctly, the instructor’s would point out our errors, and we would keep doing it until we had it right.

There were a number of maneuvers put into the syllabus as demonstrations, and we thought that these were well chosen and great teaching tools.  Our personal favorite was the zoom maneuver, which basically consists of pulling the nose up to about 30 degrees, and then pushing till you are light in the seat, about ½ G.  The airplane flew a gentle arcing parabola, and as airspeed dropped, we were encouraged to move the controls in order to see that when unloaded, the controls remained effective 20 knots below the published 1-g stall speed.  This was an excellent graphic reminder of the effects of g-loading on angle of attack and hence upon stall speeds.

The greatest benefit of the course is that the student, accompanied by an extremely experienced instructor in a very capable airplane is able to safely explore areas of the envelope well beyond what he will see in normal operations, or what he could live through if he saw it by himself for the first time.  The skidding turn stall is performed by starting a turn, and then feeding in increasing amounts of inside rudder while gradually adding aileron against overbank and back pressure in an attempt to keep the nose from falling.  When the stall comes, it is spectacular, and it happens at a speed well above the published stall speed, rolling the airplane onto its back quite briskly, and leaving you looking down at rocks and desert, no blue sky, the proverbial ‘face full of dirt.’  Using the all-attitude upset recovery technique, the student goes from step to step, fixing the upset by saying and making one control input at a time.  Another unusual attitude covered in the course is the spiral dive.  When our instructor gave us the controls, the airspeed was almost 200 knots, and the g-load was about 3.8, well beyond what you would want to do intentionally in your own airplane, but not so different from what might happen in the real situation.

We liked the businesslike approach that the instructors took toward the training.  They carefully briefed the flight, and then flew the mission as briefed.  In case we missed anything, we then sat down and debriefed.  We felt that there was a good balance of academics and the rote learning that must be at the heart of any emergency procedure where the pilot is not likely to be thinking clearly.  We liked the airplane.  While the point of the course was to learn how to recover the kind of airplane that you actually fly day in and day out, it was nice to know that if you screwed up a maneuver or a recovery, you wouldn’t hurt the airplane.

We think that the experience we gained during the course is invaluable.  Our sense is that in order to remain proficient in the recovery procedures, we would have to return every two years or so.

The APS courses are not cheap.  The 2-day, 3 flight Basic Upset Recovery course lists on the website for $2,415.  The Standard Emergency Maneuver Training course lasts 3 days and includes 5 flights,  and lists for $3,290.  APS also offers training in formation flying, aerobatics, and simulator training as well.

We felt that given the experience of the instructors, the curriculum and the airplane, that the price of the courses we took was an excellent value.  We would recommend this school to any pilot who is interested in learning more about upset recovery. We will certainly be back next year.