Regulation
FAA Reinstates Flight Deck Training Program for Air Traffic Controllers
Air traffic controllers can soon apply for jumpseat access on various aircraft to observe flight operations firsthand.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on a Wednesday that it is bringing back its Flight Deck Training initiative. The program was originally suspended at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with one report noting it paused in the year 2019. It is designed to let air traffic controllers experience cockpit procedures, pilot workload, and the direct results of control instructions on flight crews.
To participate, personnel will submit electronic applications specifying target flights and outlining a training objective. Internal approval will depend on operational requirements and staffing levels. Following participation, individuals must file reports detailing their educational takeaways. Each controller may take part in two general aviation or commercial flights alongside one military flight every year.
The restored initiative follows a bipartisan legislative measure introduced in September that sought to create observation opportunities for controllers. The agency collaborated with the National Airational Air Traffic Controllers Association to revive the offering. All major United States carriers have agreed to take part.
Participants will face multiple vetting stages at airports and upon reaching aircraft. Early testing has already assisted controllers in comprehending how specific directives impact flight crews, specifically involving complex clearances and landing runway modifications. Officials anticipate formal operations under the restored framework will commence following Thanksgiving in the year 2026.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that frontline workers are the foundation of the National Airspace System, noting that increased knowledge improves their performance. National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels remarked that direct observation offers a distinct viewpoint regarding pilot difficulties and how controller decisions affect the airspace network, adding that nothing replaces direct cockpit exposure.
Sources: General Aviation News, FLYING, AVweb