As part of the normal private and commercial pilot training syllabi, pilots must become proficient at a number of critical maneuvers, including steep turns and various stall configurations—all in the name of preventing a pilot from departing controlled flight in an “upset.” However, under an FAA-compliant training program, there’s no incorporation of upset recovery training until the pursuit of the flight instructor certificate, which must include spin recognition and recovery.
That’s a gap in a career pilot’s progression that Aviation Performance Solutions hopes to close. With its latest offering targeted at folks who aren’t pursuing aerobatic proficiency, APS instead wants to give pilots exposure to flight profiles that have led to accidents for those unlucky ones who were unpracticed in recovering from them.
The company, based at Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA), in Arizona, announced its Jet Transition Program for aspiring professional pilots on August 6, and it proposes to be an antidote to this omission. Founded by eight-time master CFI and former F-18 pilot Paul Ransbury in 1995, APS has been endorsed by multiple airline and jet owners associations for its professional delivery of training. Using two-seat SIAI Marchetti S-211 jet trainers, the course combines virtual reality, simulator sessions, and training flights (with optional high-altitude segments) to introduce pilots to both jet operations and aircraft upset scenarios.
The course doesn’t require previous jet time, or a high-altitude or high-performance sign-off, and it comes in different lengths, from a half-day jet introduction to a multi-day training program that tailors to the individual pilot. One focus is on loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) accidents, with corresponding practice in stalls beyond the typical power-on and power-off configurations, as well as unusual attitudes that go into aerobatic territory. To sign up, visit the APS site.
