Personal Development –Command and Leadership Training (Part B)
B.1.0 Personal Development
PPT provides personalised training for small classes of foreign Airline Cadets.
Very few young people have been exposed to the style of disciplined teams-man-ship that builds an airline pilot. The minimum pilot training required by law is only intended to train a set of sequences to develop flying skills appropriate to single pilot operations in visual conditions by day. But an airline pilot must operate in a multi-crew multi-engine environment, at night and in bad weather.
If an airline Cadet is to become a valued member of an airline team and then an executive commander in the company, the ab-initio training must set the foundations and imprint an appropriate team and Command culture within the Cadet.
Professional Pilot Training’s working environment copies an airline environment, students must report in uniform, on time, neat, clean and freshly shaven. Dress and behaviour codes similar to an airline’s codes are enforced from day one.
Each Cadet attends Toastmasters International to complete the Competent Toastmasters Program. The Cadet must complete 10 formal speeches, each with set objectives and pass the evaluation for each speech. At each meeting the cadets will take turns in different functions within the meeting such as Chairperson, Toastmaster etc. The club also enters speech competitions and some of our cadets have competed at NSW state level in speaking competitions.
At the completion of the program the Cadet is issued a Certificate from Toastmasters International in the USA.
Before each flight test and aircraft endorsement the candidate’s submit a formal assignment of about 30 to 50 typed pages and diagrams covering the academics and practical aspects of the flight test, this is written in the style of a university paper. This assignment is assessed by the staff and the cadet can not proceed to test unless the assignment meets the PPT standard.
B.2.0 Command and Leadership Training
Command and leadership training is woven into all activities. On rainy days many “hangar flying sessions” occur in the class room or synthetic trainer. Usually the CFI or senior staff will set a scenario and the class will work this through “brain storming” or mind mapping the issues.
After the Private Pilot Licence is issued cadets fly together and the Pilot Not Flying debriefs the Pilot Flying on standardisation and accuracy issues. This debrief is a critical aspect of crew interaction, it is supervised by a Flying Instructor, and both pilots are then debriefed by the Flying Instructor. PPT is one of the few schools prepared to send cadets flying together on solo flights. We do not suffer any discipline problems, because our cadets are disciplined aviators right from the first flight. If a school’s cadets are not disciplined enough to fly with themselves, how can you grant them a commercial licence? PPT has confidence in it students.
Other leadership exercises include team bonding camps in the local area and flying trips away, usually camping out. A team leader is appointed for each exercise and throughout the training each cadet will have several experiences leading an exercise.
In the full cockpit Synthetic Trainer PPT sets complex tasks of a multi crew nature and works through the scenario with several students sitting in the second row and contributing to the discussions.
Cadets are strongly encouraged to work as a team. A team leader is appointed each two weeks and the leader is responsible for directing daily activities such as cleaning, securing aircraft, meeting and greeting visitors etc. If one Cadet is struggling with a topic and the others are not offering assistance PPT quickly identifies this and directs the team leader to arrange appropriate assistance from other cadets or staff. The same concept is applied in the domestic living environment.
Air Niugini has provided written acknowledgement of the success of the leadership training programme conducted by PPT.