Advanced Technology Aircraft Safety Survey Report - Australian ...

FLYING SKILLS
It would appear that the attempts of both the pilots and their airlines have not succeeded in
maintaining a perceived level of manual skills. Of concern are pilots who continue to
manually control an aircraft with a diminishing level of skill. This has been recognised by
some airlines who have implemented supplementary simulator programs to compensate for a
perceived loss of manual flying skills.
Some airlines have required pilots to demonstrate their manual flying skills during simulator
exercises to fulfil the requirements set down by regulatory authorities. These requirements
(for example, manually flown instrument approaches or emergency descents) are often
outdated and thus not appropriate for the current level of technology.
Further research is needed to determine how pilots can best maintain their manual flying
skills, the reliability of autopilot systems, and the appropriateness of licence renewal
procedures.
Recommendation
The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation recommends that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
(R980029):
Ensure that all recurrent and rating renewal simulator exercises are appropriate considering
the level of automation fitted to the aircraft type. Such exercises should reflect the level of
serviceability which the pilot may be expected to encounter during line operations.
L