July 23, 2015

Education, Qualification, and Mentorship: A Career of Learning

Capt. Frank Cheeseman (United), chair of the ALPA Air Safety Organization’s Human Factors and Training Group, led a spirited panel discussion Thursday at the Air Safety Forum on “First Officer Qualification: A Look Back at Implementation and Future Issues.” Included in the panel were Prof. Kent Lovelace of the Department of Aviation at the University of North Dakota; F/O Jolanda Witvliet (United), ALPA’s Membership Committee chair; Capt. Dave McKenney (United), director of pilot training in ALPA’s Air Safety Organization; Robert H. Burke of the Federal Aviation Administration; and Capt. Paul Kolisch, flight operations training at Endeavor Air and with the Regional Airline Association Training Committee.

“We all have the same goal,” said Cheeseman. “We all want qualified people in the cockpit.” Panelists touched on topics such as attracting youth to the profession, college and training programs in aviation, and the importance of mentorship.

Burke provided a brief history of the first officer qualifications and ALPA’s involvement. “We appreciate all of ALPA’s support and recommendations,” he stated. “Without that we’re just writing in a dark room.” Burke also discussed potential related regulations forthcoming from the FAA on topics such as mentorship programs and programs of instruction.

Lovelace shared data from a recent survey about pursuing a career in aviation. Comments on the survey gave three main concerns: cost, how they will pay for it, and starting salary. He prescribed four areas of action to promote more interest in the field:

1. Industry support; “ALPA’s ACE program is an excellent example of that,” he said.
2. A salary increase and/or more financial support
3. Recognition that lifestyle issues (e.g., family time, work-life balance) are more important today
4. A more clearly defined career path

Witvliet and McKenney discussed mentorship as an important means of continuing education in the cockpit, but Witvliet cautioned that mentors aren’t trainers—they’re a guide to finding resources. As pilots, McKenney said, “One of the biggest things we do is manage change,” suggesting that pilots manage the change in the industry and develop new mentorship programs for a new generation of pilots. “We build these programs together” with industry and government partners, he said. “That’s the most important thing we can do.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 52,000 pilots at 31 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.

-###-

CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org