From: Harold Brattland <habrattland@arvig.net> Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 2:37 PM Check out this site https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/safety-experts-... -- Safety Experts Quantify Effect Of New Pilot Training Approach Thierry Dubois <https://aviationweek.com/author/thierry-dubois> January 07, 2026 <https://aviationweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2026-01/ebtraining-cae_promo_1.jpg?itok=SmcMJefi> A fast-growing carrier has seen a strong reduction in runway safety events, such as landing outside the touchdown zone. Credit: CAE Aviation’s safety brainstorming since the 2000s has crystallized with the implementation of an evidence-based training methodology in the 2020s. While the approach has yet to be widely applied, it is showing measurable success. A graphic released by evidence-based training (EBT) service provider Salient shows runway safety events, such as landing outside the touchdown zone, are decreasing for an operator in Latin America. “We have worked with a rapidly growing carrier, operating with a high proportion of relatively inexperienced pilots,” Salient CEO Michael Varney says. “The operating environment is challenging, with demanding weather, terrain and airport infrastructure. The data reflects the outcomes observed after the first three years of EBT implementation.” * Evidence-based training cut runway safety events at a Latin American carrier fourfold in three years * The method helps pilots build up skills and confidence Two decades ago, experts began to recognize the limits of conventional recurrent simulator checks. They sought improvements through eliminating a punitive assessment culture and making simulator sessions more constructive. The experts also wanted to elevate nontechnical skills, such as teamwork and decision-making. In addition, they found ways to use evidence gathered in flight to help determine risks that instruction should prioritize. Hence the notion of risk-based training, which was renamed EBT because it sounded awkward to nonspecialists, Varney recalls. He led the creation of EBT in the framework of the International Air Transport Association and then the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2007-13. In practice, EBT encapsulates solutions to aviation problems. After the fatal crash of an Air France-operated Airbus A330 in 2009, safety experts intensified discussions about preparedness for unforeseen situations. The Toulouse-based Air and Space Academy organized a conference titled “Air Transport Pilots Facing the Unexpected” in 2011. Then in 2019, Jon Holbrook, a lead researcher at NASA, published “Human Performance Contributions to Safety in Commercial Aviation,” a paper that emphasized how pilots solve complex predicaments in flight. Training for the unexpected and encouraging pilots are major contributions of EBT to safety. Operators devise crew training programs with biannual simulated EBT sessions. After an evaluation phase, the instructor adapts the exercises according to what they saw—which competencies have become ingrained and which need to be reinforced—and creates a personalized instruction phase. Experts assess safety advancements by counting incidents (see graphic) and deviations. Salient sees operational efficiency and safety as two sides of the same coin and evaluates progress by filtering delay data to show delays that pilots can influence. “We can see how anticipation and operational decision-making affect performance,” Varney says. Analyzing operator data, Salient specialists see a substantial, favorable effect on delays. Proactive crews anticipate problems, plan contingencies and share information continuously—behavior that EBT is fostering. Such crews are better prepared to manage both expected and unexpected situations, Varney emphasizes. EBT reduces the surprise effect. “This limits the impact of adrenaline, which can undermine objective thinking and effective planning,” he says. Salient uses a self-efficacy scale in surveys for pilots. “Prior to training, pilots systematically indicate their personal objectives,” Varney explains. “After completing an EBT module, they report what they gained and confirm whether the instructor highlighted areas for further development.” Unlike traditional methods, EBT shifts the focus to building pilot confidence and developing skills from demonstrating instructor superiority. “The first step is earning pilot trust,” Varney says. “In this environment, pilots approach recurrent training with confidence, knowing instructors will support understanding and learning rather than judge errors.” Pilots are more likely to make errors in a simulator than in flight because they are encountering more scenarios that they need to address. In line operations, the plan is set and flown; in the simulator, the context shifts constantly, Varney notes. Understanding what crewmembers do well informs progress in safety. “We have supported operators in creating channels that allow pilots to share examples of effective performance,” Varney says. Building pilot confidence can support the training organization’s own effectiveness. “We ask pilots to reflect on a recent flight where conditions were more demanding,” Varney says. “These discussions provide insight into how learning is being transferred into real-world performance.” <https://aviationweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/author_thumbnail/public/2022-01/ThierryDuboisIMG_4240_1.jpg?itok=4w0CkEpH> Thierry Dubois <https://aviationweek.com/author/thierry-dubois> Thierry Dubois has specialized in aerospace journalism since 1997. An engineer in fluid dynamics from Toulouse-based Enseeiht, he covers the French commercial aviation, defense and space industries. His expertise extends to all things technology in Europe.