2019 Conference

WATS 2019 Conference Team

Chris Lehman, WATS Conference Chair
Michael Karim, Moderator, Pilot Training Conference
Jeanne LaVoy, Capt. Alan LaVoy & Dan Duren, Moderators, Cabin Crew Training Conference
Dr. Bill Johnson, Moderator, Maintenance Training Conference
Capt. Paul Preidecker, Moderator, Regional Airline Training Conference

View the conference programmes below.

World Airline Pilot Training

Day 1 – Tuesday April 30th 2019

Session 1: Opening Remarks & Keynote Addresses (all conference tracks)
1) Daniel K. Elwell, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
2) Bobby Loeb, Senior Director, Southwest Airlines University
A Learning Culture’s Secret Ingredient

Session 2 – The Opening Act: Industry Thought Leadership (WATS Pilot/Regional Pilot/Maintenance)
1) Captain Jean-Michel Bigarré, Head of Flight Training Worldwide, Airbus
The Invisible Impact…
2) Captain David Owens, Global Head of Standards, CAE
Developing Better Pilots, Faster
3) Daniel Serfaty, CEO & Founder, Aptima, Inc. / Chairman, Aptima Ventures, LLC
The Future of Work: Human Performance in the Age of AI

Session 3 – Global Primary Training Issues (WATS/RATS Pilot)
1) Colin Rydon, Vice President Training, Standards & Development | Head of Training, L3 Commercial Aviation
Developing the Airline Ready Pilot
2) Karen Moore, Managing Director & Principal Occupational Psychologist, Symbiotics
Selecting for Resilience Then Maintaining Mental Wellbeing – Keeping the Stuffing in the ‘Right Stuff’
3) Jennifer Birdsong, Director, Advanced Learning Technology & Development & Steve Smith, Product Director, MissionFIT™, FlightSafety International
Continuum of Learning: Making Better Aviators by Teaching the Brain, Not the Pilot
4) Robert Burke, Manager, Air Carrier Training Systems and Voluntary Safety Programs Branch, AFS-280, FAA & Bruce “Buck” Rodger, Lt Col, USAFR, Action Officer, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Outreach HQ USAF A3 Aircrew Task Force
Promotion, Pathways and Partnerships

Session 4 – Flight Training Insights from the Regulators and Air Carriers (WATS/RATS Pilot)
1) Dr. Janeen Kochan, Engineering Research Psychologist, US Department of Transport/Volpe Center & Kelly Ann Curran, PMP, US Department of Transport/Volpe Center
Emerging Tools and Techniques for Risk Based Decision Making
2) Marc Brogan, Aviation Examiner – Flight Training & Operations, Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
The Profession of Aviation: Quality and Retention
3) Captain Owen Sims, Type Rating Examiner (TRE), Flybe
Modifying Human Behaviour; What Flight Training Can Learn From Psychotherapy

Day 2 – Wednesday May 1st 2019

Session 5 – Focus on Air Carrier Training Views
1) Mike Gerdes, Manager AQP/ISD, Flight Operations & Glenna Calame, Instructional Design Lead, Southwest Airlines
Instructional Design Professionals and Pilot Training – Transitioning to Professional Training Design and Development: Our Experience at Southwest Airlines
2) Captain Laura Lucas-Edwards, A320 Captain, Delta Air Lines
Committing to Video – Engaging Today’s Pilot
3) Dr. Michael Breus, The Sleep Doctor & Wally Hines, Director of Standards, JETPUBS
How To Be Better in Bed: Reducing Fatigue and Improving Safety

Session 6A – Focus on Air Carrier Training Views
1) Norman MacLeod, Human Factors Manager, Cathay Pacific Airways
Tracking ‘Normal’ in Flight Data – Getting Ahead of the Curve
2) Eamonn Powers, Director of Programs, DFW Learning Center, FlightSafety International
How Can Professional Training Organizations Fill the Gap Between Class and Cockpit with Informal Training?
3) Captain Suheil Abumariam, Manager of AQP, Gulf Air & Dr. Sunjoo Advani, President, IDT
Staying Alive: Teaching Angle-of-Attack Management

Session 6B – Special Panel – Pathways to Meet Safety and Hiring Needs
United Airlines and ALPA joint panel discussion on pilot mentoring and the best methods of identifying, preparing, and training the future pilot group in order to bridge the gap in experience and knowledge as the generational retirement waves ripple through the industry and the pace of technology continues to accelerate. Airlines will need to be more adaptive as new hire demographics become more variable, with customized and individual training becoming part of a comprehensive training program.

Panel members:
– Captain Michael McCasky, Managing Director – Flight Training, United Airlines
– Captain Charles Hogeman, Director – Flight Training Support, United Airlines
– Captain Jack Barker, PhD, Chairman, ALPA MEC Training Committee at United Airlines
– First Officer Robert Thomas, Vice Chairman, ALPA National Training Council & Vice Chairman, ALPA MEC Training Committee at United Airlines

Session 6C – Special Panel – Hard Landings and Unstable Approaches
Captain Suheil Abumariam, Manager of AQP, Gulf Air and Dr. Sunjoo Advani, President, IDT will lead a special panel of experts that will explore the issue of hard landings which result primarily from unstable approaches. The costs to the industry of these incidents is significant and calls for more focused attention on the subject is growing. The US FAA is currently reconsidering current approach stability criteria and this expert panel, composed of regulators, training providers and airlines will help delegates understand this issue, identify the causes and recommend validated solutions.

Panel members:
– Dennis Crider, Chief Technical Advisor, Vehicle Simulation, National Transportation Safety Board
– Dr. Jeffery A. Schroeder, Chief Scientist, Flight Simulation Technologies, FAA
– F/O Jim Owsley, First Officer and Program Manager AQP, Southwest Airlines
– Captain David Owens, Global Head of Standards, CAE
– Captain Edward “Blaine” Kime III, Flight Standards Check Airman, FedEx MD-11 Landing Performance Team Member
– Captain Kevin Eissler, Check Airman, FedEx MD-11 Landing Performance Team Member

Day 3 – Thursday May 2nd 2019

Session 7 – Simulation Technology Update (all conference tracks)
1) Neil Wittering, Director of Business Development, Barco Simulation
Trends and Outlook for Sight and Sound in Simulation
2) Dr. Jeremy Goodman, Product Lead (SATCE), Quadrant Group & Dennis Hartley, Principal Systems Engineer, Collins Simulation & Training Solutions
Realizing an Active Airport Environment – SATCE and Visual Systems
3) Kevin Vizzarri, Vice President, AVT Simulation
Pilot Training with Augmented Reality

Session 8 – Advanced Training Environments and New Media (all conference tracks)
1) Nick Wilson, Assistant Professor, Aviation, University of North Dakota
Distance Learning Technologies with the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals: Lessons Learned
2) Amanda Bond, Research Scientist, Soar Technology, Inc.
Using Game-Environment-Based Training to Train Spatial Disorientation
3) Professor Lori Brown, Western Michigan University, College of Aviation
Beam Me Up – Holographic Telepresence and Collaborative Platforms: The Future Reality

Regional Airline Pilot Training

Day 1 – Tuesday April 30th 2019

Session 2 – The Opening Act: Industry Thought Leadership (WATS Pilot/Regional Pilot/Maintenance)
1) Captain Jean-Michel Bigarré, Head of Flight Training Worldwide, Airbus
The Invisible Impact…
2) Captain David Owens, Global Head of Standards,CAE
Developing Better Pilots, Faster
3) Daniel Serfaty, CEO & Founder, Aptima, Inc. / Chairman, Aptima Ventures, LLC
The Future of Work: Human Performance in the Age of AI

Session 3 – Global Primary Training Issues (WATS/RATS Pilot)
1) Colin Rydon, Vice President Training, Standards & Development | Head of Training, L3 Commercial Aviation
Developing the Airline Ready Pilot
2) Karen Moore, Managing Director & Principal Occupational Psychologist, Symbiotics
Selecting for Resilience Then Maintaining Mental Wellbeing – Keeping the Stuffing in the ‘Right Stuff’
3) Jennifer Birdsong, Director, Advanced Learning Technology & Development & Steve Smith, Product Director, MissionFIT™, FlightSafety International
Continuum of Learning: Making Better Aviators by Teaching the Brain, not the Pilot
4) Robert Burke, Manager, Air Carrier Training Systems and Voluntary Safety Programs Branch, AFS-280, FAA & Bruce “Buck” Rodger, Lt Col, USAFR, Action Officer, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Outreach HQ USAF A3 Aircrew Task Force
Promotion, Pathways and Partnerships

Session 4 – Flight Training Insights from the Regulators and Air Carriers (WATS/RATS Pilot)
1) Dr. Janeen Kochan, Engineering Research Psychologist, US Department of Transport/Volpe Center, Mindy Robinson, Physical Scientist, Office of Accident Investigation and Prevention, FAA Aviation Safety & Kelly Ann Curran, PMP, US Department of Transport/Volpe Center
Emerging Tools and Techniques for Risk Based Decision Making
2) Marc Brogan, Aviation Examiner – Flight Training & Operations, Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
The Profession of Aviation: Quality and Retention
3) Captain Owen Sims, Type Rating Examiner (TRE), Flybe
Modifying Human Behaviour; What Flight Training Can Learn From Psychotherapy

Day 2 – Wednesday May 1st 2019

Session 5 – A Washington Review of the Regional Airline Industry
1) Robert Burke, Air Carrier Systems and Voluntary Safety Programs Branch, AFS-280, FAA
FAA Regulatory Review
2) Barbara Adams, Management and Program Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration
Update on the ATP Airman Certification Standards
3) J. Randolph Babbitt, Principal, Babbitt & Associates
The Modernization and Evolution of Pilot Training for the Future

Session 6A – Pathways to Professionalism: Setting Expectations
Panel Moderator: Captain Paul J. Preidecker, Chief Flight Instructor, Air Wisconsin Airlines
This panel draws from the experience and expertise of industry representatives who will discuss the key elements of managing and defining professionalism in an environment of changing demographics and expectations.

Panel members:
– Kent Lovelace, Professor & Director of Aviation Industry Relations, Dept. of Aviation, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, University of North Dakota
– Captain Jason DuVernay, Executive Pilot Recruiter, GoJet Airlines
– Darren Hall, Director – Operation Planning & Development, PSA Airlines

Session 6B – Pathways to Professionalism: Creating the Culture
1) Vin Parker, AQP Manager & Bill Whyte, General Manager Flight Operations Training, Compass Airlines
Re-Imagined CRM and Professionalism in AQP
2) Dr. Guy M. Smith, Professor Emeritus & Professor Michelle Hight, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Pilot Performance in Regional Airline Training & Their Backgrounds: Pilot Source Study 2018
3) Paul Harris, Aviation Psychologist & Captain Shem Malmquist, Visiting Professor, Florida Institute of Technology
Practical Utility of Personality in Flight Ops and Training

Session 6C – Pathways to Professionalism: Sharpening the Skills
1) Randall Brooks, VP Training and Business Development, Aviation Performance Solutions
Proper Upset Prevention and Recovery Training for Ab-Initio Pilots
2) Jennifer Roberts, Aviation English Specialist, Embry-Riddle Language Institute
The Local-Global Problem: Making Skies Safer by Teaching Aviation English
3) Captain Jason DuVernay, Executive Pilot Recruiter & Tammy Hoevel, Executive Pilot Recruiter, GoJet Airlines
Driving Success in Pilot Recruitment

Day 3 – Thursday May 2nd 2019

Cabin Crew Training

Day 1 – Tuesday April 30th 2019

Session 2 – Kick Off – Past, Present, Future
1) Jeanne LaVoy, Moderator WATS Cabin Stream
Opening Remarks
2) Martin Maurino, Technical Officer, Global Aviation Safety, International Civil Aviation Organization
Aviation Professionals: How ICAO is Promoting the Profession of Cabin Crew
3) Kyle Neathery, Senior Business Consultant, Southwest Airlines
HIGH WATage Crew Program, Member Introduction & Problem Solving Exercise

Session 3 – Pre-Qualification Training: Does It Work?
1) Carlin Clarke, Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Aviation Science, Utah Valley University
Closing the Gap with Comprehensive Experiential Training: How Raising the Industry Standard for Tomorrow’s Aviation Professionals Can Reduce Attrition Rates and Increase ROI
2) Ivan Noël, President/Founder, Inflight Institute
Cabin Crew Pre-Qualification Training: A Case Study of Success
3) Michaela Klasner, Director, Inflight Service, GoJet Airlines
Pre-Course Training: The Who, How, Why’s and Our Results

Session 4 – Tools, Technologies, Techniques
1) Jerry van den Berg, CEO, Be Secure International
Personalized Training to Improve Performance and Reduce Costs
2) David Jones, Founder/President, Quantified Design Solutions, LLC & Roger Lowe, Instructor/Evaluator, American Airlines
Maximizing Virtual Reality Cabin Crew Training: A Case Study
3) Latoya Gibbs, Affiliate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Southern Oregon University
Competency-Based Training: Connecting the Dots to Passenger Satisfaction

Day 2 – Wednesday May 1st 2019

Session 5 – Approaching Training Differently
1) Kate Manigold, Training Design Manager, Air Canada Rouge
Cost Effective Training: Cultivating a Learning Culture
2) Michaela Klasner, Director Inflight Service & Christa Nolfo, Flight Attendant/Check Flight Attendant/Instructor, GoJet Airlines
Moving Beyond Traditional Instructor Training: CRM to IRM … Fostering Cohesion and Motivation of Inflight Training Teams
3) Sharon Ramos, Instructor Inflight Training, JetBlue University & Lee Davis, Instructor, Inflight Training, JetBlue Airways
Threat and Error Management: Training to a Desired Outcome

Session 6A – Center Stage: Training Industry, Inc.
Doug Harward, Founder & CEO, Training Industry, Inc. & Dan Duren, Learning Consultant, Southwest Airlines
• Trends 2019: Adapting the Training Function to the Complexity of Today’s Business Environment. An interactive interview and Q&A solutions workshop.

Session 6B – Workshop: Building Generational IQ
Terry Whitaker, Associate Partner, BlessingWhite, A Division of GP Strategies
• Building Generational IQ – How to develop both personal and organizational competence in engaging a multi-generational team.

Session 6C – Training, The New Reality
1) Kyle Neathery, Sr. Business Consultant, Southwest Airlines
HIGH WATage Crew – Solving today’s training issues (team project report): Experience insights from high-performing training team members through “reverse mentoring” – a highly engaging and informative exercise.
2) Martin Maurino, Technical Officer, Global Aviation Safety, International Civil Aviation Organization
Workshop: Assessing Competencies Through Scenario-Based Training

Day 3 – Thursday May 2nd 2019

Maintenance Training

Day 1 – Tuesday April 30th 2019

Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Addresses (all conference tracks)
1) Daniel K. Elwell, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
2) Bobby Loeb, Senior Director, Southwest Airlines University
A Learning Culture’s Secret Ingredient

Session 3 – A Global Perspective of Engineering Training
Discussion Moderator: Dr. Bill Johnson, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance Systems, FAA
1) Gareth McGraw, Principal Human Factors Specialist, Qantas Airways
Maintenance HF in the Australasian Region
2) Marc Arendt, Manager Technical Training and Examinations, Cargolux
A View of Engineering Training from Europe
3) Dr. Paula Sind-Prunier, Director, NTSB Training Center
NTSB Training for US and the World

Session 4 – Demonstrations of Groupwork Instructional Methods
1) Gareth McGraw, Principal Human Factors Specialist, Qantas Airways
PEAR Cards – A Practical Training Demonstration
2) Gordon Dupont, CEO, System Safety Services
Demonstration of Group Problem Solving
3) Søren Seindal Agner, Owner, Aeroteam
Introducing Gamification into the Maintenance Training Environment

Day 2 – Wednesday May 1st 2019

Session 5 – A Government Perspective of Employee Training
1) Keith DeBerry, Director, FAA Academy
The FAA Academy for Training Federal Employees and Others
2) Dr. Michael Lim, Director, Singapore Aviation Academy
Professional Training Programs in Singapore

Session 6A – Maintenance Training & Personnel Perspectives
1) Keith McGann, Director, Regional Airline Maintenance Sales & Professional Development, FlightSafety International
Maintenance Training – Past/Present and Future
2) Christian Delmas, Head of Maintenance Training, Airbus
Aircraft Mechanics – The Challenges for Operators, MROs and Training Centres
3) Matthew Krepps, A&P Instructor, Pennsylvania College of Technology
Instilling Positive Training Cultures and Learning Environments

Session 6B – Industry-School Cooperation Initiatives to Solve Labor Shortage
Session Chair: Ryan Goertzen, Vice President, Maintenance Workforce Development, AAR Corp & Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) Immediate Past President
Addressing Technical Workforce’s Challenges Through AAR’s EAGLE Career Pathway Program
1) Crystal Maguire, Executive Director, Aviation Technical Education Council
The 2018 Pipeline Report and a New Career Promotion Campaign
2) Dr. Joel English, Vice President of Operations, Aviation Institute of Maintenance
Increasing Graduate Certification Rates to Fill the National Skilled Labor Shortage
3) Kim Pritchard, Sr. Manager – Airframe Overhaul & Repair, United Airlines
Approach to Pipeline Challenges – Understanding and Eliminating “Industry Fatigue”

Day 3 – Thursday May 2nd 2019

Session 8 – Advanced Training Environments and New Media (all conference tracks)
1) Nick Wilson, Assistant Professor, Aviation, University of North Dakota
Distance Learning Technologies with the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals: Lessons Learned
2) Amanda Bond, Research Scientist, Soar Technology
Using Game-Environment-Based Training to Train Spatial Disorientation
3) Professor Lori Brown, Western Michigan University, College of Aviation
Beam Me Up – Holographic Telepresence and Collaborative Platforms: The Future Reality