Acrojet is a flight training company focused on increasing crew, passenger and aircraft safety. We believe that upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) is an important step in that direction, and that every flight department should include realistic, in-aircraft UPRT in their aircrew training plan.
Statistics show that loss of control in-flight, or LOC-I was responsible for the greatest number of fatalities in commercial aviation from 2002 through 2012 by far.
In a 2009 study evaluating upset recovery training devices, the FAA noted that “most air transport pilots flying today have never experienced the extreme pitch and bank angles and high G forces associated with severe airplane upsets. Indeed, most have never been upside down in an airplane, even once”. The report further suggests that standard airline simulator upset training may not be sufficient to train a pilot to recovery with minimum altitude loss. This is definitely a safety concern, but one that can be managed. In response, the FAA and NTSB have repeatedly called for additional training in pilot recognition and recovery from unusual attitudes.
And all UPRT is not created equal. In their study comparing the two methods of upset training, the FAA concluded that there was a far smaller altitude loss during upset recovery training by pilots who trained in an all-attitude maneuvering airplane than for those who trained for upset recovery in a simulator.
Bottom Line: Pilots can benefit greatly from UPRT, and UPRT in an aircraft is more effective than UPRT in a simulator.
So as much as we would like you to choose Acrojet for your UPRT plans, the important thing is that you schedule it. And do it. And keep doing it. Read up on UPRT (see additional blog posts and links to relevant articles on this site) and give us a call to schedule your training. Keep checking back for aviation safety articles, information and discussions, and sign up for our free newsletter to get the latest posts, hot off the presses.
Best regards,
Acrojet-Training for Life
