Traditional instrument flight training continues to be an effective training approach for teaching pilots to fly technically advanced aircrafts (TAAs) in general aviation (GA). However, the increase of GA fatalities with TAAs (with 70-80% due to human factors: bad judgment and incorrect decisions) highlights a critical need for an improved training program. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has adopted the FAA Industry Training Standards (FITS) program to address the need. FITS is based on three tenets: scenario-based training (SBT), learner centered grading, and single-pilot resource management (SRM) to help students adapt to technical advances and develop judgment and decision-making skills.

When CFIs take refresher courses to renew their licenses, some of the courses offer a studying unit on FITS. However, it does not provide a thorough review of each of the tenets. The FAA has created supplementary documents and manuals found at http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/training/fits/training/flight_instructor/ used in conjunction with refresher courses. These documents only provide a superficial look on the teaching methodology behind SBT - the “cornerstone of the FITS program." Unfortunately, the FITS approach does not have the rich assortment of teaching techniques and teaching activities that traditional flight training has. It also does not share the luxury of having instructors who have experienced the FITS approach in their own training.

This W/CBT helps CFIs learn how to effectively teach scenario-based training by developing their own scenarios and appropriately framing a simulated malfunction so the student can learn how to think critically and respond to the malfunction under different conditions. The W/CBT discusses the objectives, features, and limitations of scenarios; how to design and execute scenarios; and how to debrief and use learner-centered grade. To begin, pick the device you are accessing the training from.