APS president Paul BJ Ransbury had the distinct honor of moderating a panel of internationally recognized loss of control in-flight solutions experts in Bangkok, Thailand, at the 2014 Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS). The panel's goal was to comprehensively introduce ICAO Doc 10011 - Manual on Aeroplane Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (ICAO UPRT Manual).
APS had the additional privilege of presenting a concise briefing on the implications of the ICAO Manual to airlines and/or their approved training organizations. As is mandated by ICAO, the Asia Pacific airlines are required to institute ICAO-compliant UPRT training programs within 5 years - prior to November 2019. Major hurdles for airlines to overcome include: gaining UPRT instructor expertise, securing appropriate simulator capabilities and developing a robust UPRT program - all in compliance with ICAO. Ultimately, each of these challenges will be guided by the airlines own national aviation authority.
With several hundred airline training managers, executives and regulators in attendance, the panel was very successful in helping to get industry standardized UPRT information into the Asia Pacific region. Many incomplete and inaccurate assumptions on the meaning, intent and goals of ICAO UPRT permeate the industry. Educational sessions such as this are both essential and invaluable to aviation.
