The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators plans to host a GA Pilot Training Reform Symposium in May to address issues that were raised at the AOPA Flight Training Summit in November. The symposium, which is expected to include 150 to 300 participants, will focus on strategies to reduce fatal accidents, increase student-pilot starts and improve student retention. The event will feature keynote speakers as well as six panels of leaders from the industry, academia, the FAA and the flight instructor community. “A new pilot training paradigm is vital to securing a more robust future for general aviation,” according to the group’s website. SAFE hopes the symposium will help to create a strategic three-to-five-year plan jointly developed by all stakeholders, including the FAA.
“Securing a more robust future for general aviation will require a collaborative effort among original equipment manufacturers, courseware providers, organizations and trade associations, university aviation programs and fixed-base operators, insurance providers, and regulatory agencies,” said Bob Wright, chair of the symposium committee. “We envision this process being driven from the flight line upward.” Cessna Aircraft Company, King Schools, Lightspeed Aviation, the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association, and Sporty’s Academy, among others, have signed as partners to participate in the event. The symposium will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Ga., on May 4 and 5. For more information, go to the event web site.
