FAA To Expand Research In Training

The FAA has established 12 Centers of Excellence to pursue research into safety, alternative fuels, airport operations and other aviation topics, and now the agency has announced its next COE will focus on training the next generation of aviation professionals. Teams from the University of Oklahoma and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will lead the new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Technical Training and Human Performance. "This world-class, public-private partnership will help us focus on the challenges and opportunities of this cutting-edge field of research," said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. "We expect this team will help us educate and train aviation professionals well into the future."

The two lead universities will draw on faculty and students from other schools with aviation programs to form partnerships and complete research projects. The projects will focus on developing technical training for air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, pilots and technicians. The COE will examine issues that affect training and learning, such as changes in learner expectations, and also will develop innovative practices for training a new generation of learners. This includes new technologies such as mobile learning as well as new ways of collecting and managing training data. The COE will be fully operational and engaged in a robust research agenda within a few months, the FAA said.