2024 Conference

Day 1 – Tuesday 30^th April 2024

Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
1) Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
2) Captain Erika Armstrong, Pilot (Part 135 and 121) / Director of Marketing, Advanced Aircrew Academy
The Pilot Brain: How Personality Affects Safety

Session 2 – Regulatory & Market Outlook (all streams)
1) Robert Reckert, Manager Air Transportation Division, AFS-200, Federal Aviation Administration
FAA Update
2) Soufiane El Ouartassi, Product Marketing Manager, CAE
Aviation Talent Forecast

Session 3 – Can We Agree on Methodology?
1) Captain Jorge Reyes, Director of Training, Copa Airlines & Captain Michael Varney, CEO, Salient
Enhanced Safety Results from Evidence-Based Training
2) Bob Burgin, CEO, Amplifire
Adaptive Learning in High-Stakes Work Environments
3) Captain Philip Adrian, CEO, MPS
Training Optimization Through Modern Knowledge and Technology

Session 4 – Criticality of Instructors
1) Aleksandra Kapela, Associate Aviation Psychologist, Symbiotics
Beyond the Checklist: Shaping Exceptional Pilot Instructors of the Future
2) Captain Ping Lee, Chief Pilot of HF CRM Team, EVA Airways
IRR: A Never-Ending Battle
3) Captain Stéphan Labrucherie, Head of Flight Training Worldwide, Airbus
The Impact of Instructors

Day 2 – Wednesday 1^st May 2024

Session 5 – Evolving Training Environments
1) Kathy Abbott, PhD, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor, Flight Deck Human Factors, Federal Aviation Administration
Automation, Manual Flight and Monitoring
2) Pau García Sanz, Lead Aerospace Engineer, Data Machine Intelligence
Evolving Flight Training Using Distributed Cloud Simulation Software
3) Asa Margareta Freitas, Innovation Lead, Thales
Will We Find the Holy Grail of Training?

Session 6 – Augmenting Intelligence
1) Captain Chris Ranganathan, Chief Learning Officer, Civil Aviation Training, CAE
Technology to Support Risk Based Training Programs
2) Cedric Paillard, COO, The Airline Pilot Club & Aleksandra Kapela, Associate Aviation Psychologist, Symbiotics
AI and Psychometrics in Pilot Selection & Recruitment: A Collaborative Model for Sustaining Quality Pilot Supply
3) Kevin Verdière, Head of Product, Hinfact & Thomas Bessiere, Founder & CEO, Hinfact
Enhanced (and Simplified) Pilot Training Management: The Convergence of Neuroergonomics and AI

Session 7 – Airmanship
1) Mike Tarsa, Senior Learning Engineer, Touch & Go Solutions
Cognitive Task Analysis for Flight Path Management
2) Captain Christof Kemény, Captain/Senior Checkairman/Senior Training Advisor, Lufthansa Group
Push-to-Unload – Are We Doing It Right?
3) Clarke McNeace, Executive Vice President, Compliance & Customer Experience, Aviation Performance Solutions (APS)
Harmonizing Excellence: Tailoring UPRT Instructor Training for Airlines and Flight Schools

Session 8 – Airline Training Leaders Panel (Pilot & Ab Initio)

Moderated by Captain Paul Preidecker & Rick Adams

Panel:

• Captain Jean-Michel Bigarré, Founder & President, Aircraft Manufacturer Flight Training Association (AMFTA)
• William McDonald, Managing Director, Flight Operations, Airlines for America
• Captain Michael Dee, Managing Director, Flight Operations, Republic Airways
• Captain Jorge Reyes, Training Director, Copa Airlines
• Captain Christof Kemény, Captain/Senior Checkairman/Senior Training Advisor, Lufthansa Group
• Captain Ping Lee, Chief Pilot of HF CRM Team, EVA Airways

Day 3 – Thursday 2^nd May 2024

Session 9 – Fit to Fly – Human Factors Panel: Stress, Fatigue and Mental Wellness (Pilot & Ab Initio)

• Captain (Ret.) Reyne O’Shaughnessy, Founder/CEO, Piloting 2 Wellbeing
• Jason Davenhill, Performance & Executive Coach / Helicopter & Fixed Wing Flying Instructor, Inflow Performance
• Andrés Ospina, Founder, The Aeronaut

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BREAKOUT SESSION – Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) (Pilot & Ab Initio)
1) Murat Kose, CEO, Quantum3D
Mixed Reality eVTOL Flight Simulator
2) Dr. Samantha Emerson, Research Scientist, Aptima, Inc.
Training a New Generation of Pilots and Maintainers: Open Issues in eVTOL Training
3) Chase Schulze, Director of Engineering Services, Operations, Systems Technology Inc. (STI)
eVTOL Simulation from an (AI-Adapted) Clean Sheet

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Session 10 – XR Goes Mainstream (all streams)
1) Amanda Bentley, Senior Director Integration Sales, Americas, Tobii & Dr. Aki Nikolaidis, Chief Science Officer, VTR
Building Disruptive Training with XR and Eye Tracking
2) Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder, Loft Dynamics
Virtual Reality in Motion
3) Dr. Julian Abich IV, Senior Human Factors Engineer, Quantum Improvements Consulting
Multi-Pilot Mixed Reality Simulator for Aviation Training 

Day 1 – Tuesday 30^th April 2024

Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
1) Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
2) Captain Erika Armstrong, Pilot (Part 135 & 121) / Director of Marketing, Advanced Aircrew Academy
The Pilot Brain: How Personality Affects Safety

Session 2 – Regulatory & Market Outlook (all streams)
1) Robert Reckert, Manager Air Transportation Division, AFS-200, Federal Aviation Administration
FAA Update
2) Soufiane El Ouartassi, Product Marketing Manager, CAE
Aviation Talent Forecast

Session 3 – Opening of the Cabin Crew Stream & Training for Crew Member Wellness
1) Dr. Paulo Alves, Global Medical Director, Aviation Health, MedAire, Inc.
Crew member Training Impact on Airline Operations: A Focus on Health, Security and Overall Safety
2) Dr. Carlin Clarke, PhD, Facilitator, Leadership Development, Breeze Airways
Caregiver or Authority Figure? Managing the Two Faces of Flight Attendants’ Leadership for Increased Resilience
3) Michelle Mock, Inflight Crew Assistance Program Manager, Southwest Airlines
Are You Okay?

Session 4 – CBTA and Training Innovations
1) Victor Potesta, Head of Commercial Aviation Program, Columbia Institute
Multimodal Learning in Cabin Crew Training: A CBTA Perspective
2) Ivan Noël, President & Founder, Inflight Innovations & Inflight Institute.com
How Competency-Based Training and Assessments Play a Vital Role
3) Trevor Dale, Chief Executive, Atrainability Ltd.
How Do You Move from Assessment of an Hours-Based Training Course to a CBTA Framework? Timing is Everything

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Day 2 – Wednesday 1^st May 2024

Session 5 – Training for Crew Member Safety
1) Davy Snowdon MBE, Founder & CEO, Pristine Condition International
Navigating the Skies of Aviation Culture Change
2) Adam Seegmiller, Consultant, Tulmar Safety Systems Inc.
Dealing with Unruly Passengers in Commercial Aviation
3) Jose Alfonso, Founder & Co-Owner, Empower Communications Group
Tackling the Gorilla in Scenario Based Training

Session 6 – Human Factors & Evolving Concepts in Cabin Crew Training
1) Emily Hooker, Learning and Development Manager, SkyPeople Training
Adapting to Generation Z
2) Michaela Klasner, MA, LPC, Your Path Counseling & Mediation
The Resiliency-Learning Connection: Can We Learn It? Can We Foster It?
3) Anne Sølvsteen Knudsen, CEO, NaviMinds ApS
Epigenetics – The New Black! And Thoughts About the Future Training in Cognitive Processes and Mental Health

Session 7 – Training Insights
1) Eric Lipp, Founder/Executive Director, Open Doors Organization & Craig Kennedy, Project Coordinator, Open Doors Organization
How to Recognize, Handle and Report Service Animal Situations Under Part 382
2) Paul Stevens, CEO, Mayflower College
Communication without Understanding is Just Noise – The R-E-S-P-E-C-T Principle of Communication
3) Tanya Phipps, Aviation Safety Inspector & Francisco Gruneiro, Aviation Safety Inspector, Federal Aviation Administration
Training Cycle Extension

Session 8 – Cabin Crew Training Workshop

• How are you currently conducting CRM training?
Søren Seindal Agner, Owner/Managing Director, AEROTEAM Training Solutions

Discover a new approach to CRM training in which Active Learning and CBTA turn your training sessions into an interactive and engaging learning experience.

Sounds intriguing? Just Call MAYDAY® and join our workshop.

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• Introducing STRATEGICS©: A Transformative Exercise in Threat and Error Management
Anne (Møller) Sølvsteen Knudsen, Chief Executive Officer of NaviMinds ApS

STRATEGICS© is an interactive exercise designed to help teams develop their various non-technical skills. In particular; Decision-making, cooperation, adherence to SOPs, and Threat and Error Management. It provides practical experience in navigating complex challenges through structured decision-making processes.

Each participant will have magnetic game pieces distinct in shape and color. The main objective is to strategically place these pieces on the game board, overcoming simulated threats and errors by using proven decision-making models such as DODAR and FORDEC. The exercise aims to enhance critical thinking and decision-making skills while emphasizing the importance of collaboration and information sharing among team members.

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• Virtual Reality Training for Cabin Crew
Ali Preissinger & Christin Orban, American Airlines; David Jones, President at Quantified Design Solutions

American Airlines will demonstrate a virtual training system that has been used to teach new cabin crew how to operate doors following normal and emergency operations over the past 7 years. A scaled version of their VR training lab will be on display along with mobile implementation that will be deployed to students this year. The new advancements that will be on display, including implementation using hand tracking on Oculus Quest headsets and tablets lay the groundwork to expand training to the classroom and beyond. Other future implementations that American Airlines are exploring for Cabin Crew training will also be on display, including game-based training concepts.

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• Time-sequenced Learning
Trevor Dale, Managing Director, Atrainability

Naturalistic decision making, commonly known as pattern-matching is an everyday facet of all our lives. Unfortunately, the human condition features fallibility which can manifest as selecting the wrong pattern, especially in a stressful dynamic situation. Even more so if the individual concerned is relatively new in their post and may not yet have established all the patterns that we call experience.

Couple in an amygdala-induced startle reflex and risk increases for all, the operator, crew and traveling public.

Can we put old heads on young shoulders by utilising innovative training methods that write direct to the long term memory?

This workshop will look at the conclusions we can draw from induced-stress training and discuss possible solutions.

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• Identify-Respond-Control-Care
Jose Alfonso, Founder/Owner, Empower Communications Group

We will be introducing our cabin crew threat response training course. The course is based on the IRCC (Identify-Respond-Control-Care) principle. The workshop will have two parts. Part one of the workshop we will discuss:

• Managing fear
• Developing the conscious mindset
• Principles of movement (Kinesics)
• Benefits of stress inocuation in training (Three Phases)
• Benefits of crisis rehearsal
• Control principles
• The false sense of security in personal safety/self-defense training as it is currently taught.

The second part of the training will be hands-on where participants will be given the opportunity to participate in the hands-on portion of the workshop. This workshop is designed to EMPOWER participants with real tools that will help cabin crew maintain critical thinking in a volatile environment.

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Day 3 – Thursday 2^nd May 2024

Session 9 – Looking to the Future: Adapting to Emerging Technologies
1) Aliesha Staples, CEO, StaplesVR
How to Get Started with Emerging Technologies
2) Levi Breeding, Human Factors Research Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration & Tanya Phipps, Aviation Safety Inspector, Federal Aviation Administration
Extended Reality in Cabin Safety
3) Ali Preissinger, Team Lead, Inflight eLearning & Programming, American Airlines, Christin Orban, Specialist, Inflight Training, American Airlines & David Jones, President, Quantified Design Solutions
Virtually There: A Journey in Cabin Crew Training

Session 10 – XR Goes Mainstream (all streams)
1) Amanda Bentley, Senior Director Integration Sales, Americas, Tobii & Dr. Aki Nikolaidis, Chief Science Officer, VTR
Building Disruptive Training with XR and Eye Tracking
2) Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder, Loft Dynamics
Virtual Reality in Motion
3) Dr. Julian Abich IV, Senior Human Factors Engineer, Quantum Improvements Consulting
Multi-Pilot Mixed Reality Simulator for Aviation Training

Day 1 – Tuesday 30^th April 2024

Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
1) Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
2) Captain Erika Armstrong, Pilot (Part 135 & 121) / Director of Marketing, Advanced Aircrew Academy
The Pilot Brain: How Personality Affects Safety

Session 2 – Regulatory & Market Outlook (all streams)
1) Robert Reckert, Manager Air Transportation Division, AFS-200, Federal Aviation Administration
FAA Update
2) Soufiane El Ouartassi, Product Marketing Manager, CAE
Aviation Talent Forecast

Session 3 – Challenges for the Future
1) Jay Hiles, Group Manager, Aircraft Maintenance Division, Federal Aviation Administration
Regulatory Update
2) Buck Gaines, Manager Technical Training, Alaska Airlines / Chair, A4A Maintenance Training Network & Justin Madden, Managing Director, Engineering and Maintenance, Airlines for America (A4A)
Airlines for America, Maintenance Training Network (MTN) Introduction
3) Sean Glassberg, Owner, Educator Training & Consulting
Teaching Generation Z, X and Millennials

Session 4 – Roundtable Workshop – Developing the Next Generation of Trainers

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Day 2 – Wednesday 1^st May 2024

Session 5 – Training Methodology
1) Crystal Maguire, Executive Director, Aviation Technician Education Council
The New Part 147: How is the Transition Going?
2) Jason Stanelle, Associate Technical Fellow & Chief of Design, Boeing Commercial Maintenance Training
Training Efficacy Evaluation in Aviation Maintenance
3) Søren Seindal Agner, CEO, AEROTEAM Training Solutions
The Next Evolution of Engineering Training for Maintenance Technicians

Session 6 – Human Factors
1) Gareth McGraw, Principal Human Factors Specialist, Qantas/RAAF
Cool Story Bro … Needs More Dragons
2) Monica Teixeira, Training Manager, LAS Training & Delfim Dores, Senior Advisor, LAS Group
Training the Next Aircraft Maintenance Generation, The Alliance Between Human Factors and Emotional Learning in Personnel Readiness
3) Davy Snowdon MBE, CEO & Founder, Pristine Condition International
Navigating the Skies of Aviation Culture Change

Session 7 – Roundtable Workshop – Developing Better Technicians Quicker

Session 8 – VR/AI
1) Irwin Alcantara, Director, Customer Success – Americas, Loglevel
The Future of Aircraft Maintenance Training: Harnessing AI’s Potential
2) Aliesha Staples, CEO, StaplesVR
How to Get Started with Emerging Technologies?
3) Dre Fournier, Vice President of Growth, HTX Labs
Accelerating the Development and Delivery of an Immersive Training Program

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Day 3 – Thursday 2^nd May 2024

Session 9 – New Learning Insights
1) Yogi Rana, Director of Product, Covalent Networks
What the Aero Industry is Learning from the Auto Industry
2) James Scarpa, Maintenance Training Instructor, SkyWest Airlines
How Can Remote Maintenance Training Deliver Improved Outcomes?
3) Ryan Thomas, Ground Instructor, Leonardo Helicopters
Maintenance Technician Survival in the Classroom

Session 10 – XR Goes Mainstream (all streams)
1) Amanda Bentley, Senior Director Integration Sales, Americas, Tobii & Dr. Aki Nikolaidis, Chief Science Officer, VTR
Building Disruptive Training with XR and Eye Tracking
2) Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder, Loft Dynamics
Virtual Reality in Motion
3) Dr. Julian Abich IV, Senior Human Factors Engineer, Quantum Improvements Consulting
Multi-Pilot Mixed Reality Simulator for Aviation Training

Day 1 – Tuesday 30^th April 2024

Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
1) Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
2) Captain Erika Armstrong, Pilot (Part 135 and 121)/Director of Marketing, Advanced Aircrew Academy
The Pilot Brain: How Personality Affects Safety

Session 2 – Regulatory & Training Market Outlook (all streams)
1) Robert Reckert, Manager Air Transportation Division, AFS-200, Federal Aviation Administration
FAA Update
2) Soufiane El Ouartassi, Product Marketing Manager, CAE
Aviation Talent Forecast

Session 3 – Different Approaches, Same Outcome?
A Panel Discussion on Ab Initio Training
Moderated by Paul Preidecker
Panelists:

• Samantha Bowyer, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Lee Collins, Chief Executive Officer, National Flight Training Alliance
• Lee Woodward, Chief Executive Officer, Skyborne Aviation Group Ltd.
• Andy La Susa, Senior Manager, Cadet Programs, American Airlines

Session 4 – The Expectations of Experience – Beyond the Numbers
1) Jeff Wolf, VP of Government Affairs, FAA Liason, National Flight Training Alliance
Does Flight Training in America Need a Fundamental Overhaul?
2) Captain Salvador Costa Pereira, Chief Operating Officer/Head of Training, Sevenair Academy
Bridging the Gap Between Airline Training and Ab Initio Training
3) Samantha Bowyer, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
The Value of Variety

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Day 2 – Wednesday 1^st May 2024

Session 5 – The Cost of Doing Nothing

This panel explores the repercussions of neglecting pilot training, emphasizing the imperative of establishing training and accreditation protocols in early pilot education.

• Moderator: Maryanne DeMarco, Executive Director, Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA)
• Barbara E. Holder, Ph.D., Presidential Fellow & Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Captain Deborah Hecker, Director – Flight Operations Training Policies & Procedures, American Airlines

 Session 6 – It’s Not Too Late to Start Early
1) Kathryn Creedy, Aviation Journalist
Developing an Aviation Education Ecosystem and How Everyone Can Help
2) Dr. Carolina Anderson, Associate Professor & Samantha Bowyer, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Increasing the Pilot Population by Improving Aviation STEM Education in High Schools
3) Dana Marshall, Lead Teacher, South Alberta Flight Academy
Pilot Training in a Canadian Public High School: A Unique Opportunity for All

Session 7 – Creating Success Beyond the Norm: Integrating Alternatives
1) Captain Marnie Munns, Pilot Training Specialist, Commercial Training Solutions, Boeing Global Services
Revolutionizing Pilot Training: Early Introduction of Competency-Based Training and Assessment
2) Dr. Robert Thomas, Assistant Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Guiding the Selection of Proper XR Displays to Enable Effective Ab Initio Training
3) Dr. Nicholas Wilson, Associate Professor & Dr. Andrew Leonard, Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota
Assessing Stakeholder Opinions in the Shift to Electric-Powered Aircraft

Session 8 – Airline Training Leaders Panel (Pilot & Ab Initio)
Moderated by Captain Paul Preidecker & Rick Adams 

Panel:

• Captain Jean-Michel Bigarré, Founder & President, Aircraft Manufacturer Flight Training Association (AMFTA)
• William McDonald, Managing Director, Flight Operations, Airlines for America
• Captain Michael Dee, Managing Director, Flight Operations, Republic Airways
• Captain Jorge Reyes, Training Director, Copa Airlines
• Captain Christof Kemény, Captain/Senior Checkairman/Senior Training Advisor, Lufthansa Group
• Captain Ping Lee, Chief Pilot of HF CRM Team, EVA Airways

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Day 3 – Thursday 2^nd May 2024

Session 9 – Human Factors Panel: Stress, Fatigue and Mental Wellness (Pilot & Ab Initio)

• Captain (ret.) Reyne O’Shaughnessy, Founder/CEO, Piloting 2 Wellbeing
• Jason Davenhill, Performance & Executive Coach / Helicopter & Fixed Wing Flying Instructor, Inflow Performance
• Andrés Ospina, Founder, The Aeronaut

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BREAKOUT SESSION – Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) (Pilot & Ab Initio)
1) Murat Kose, CEO, Quantum3D
Mixed Reality eVTOL Flight Simulator
2) Dr. Samantha Emerson, Research Scientist, Aptima, Inc.
Training a New Generation of Pilots and Maintainers: Open Issues in eVTOL Training
3) Chase Schulze, Director of Engineering Services, Operations, Systems Technology Inc. (STI)
eVTOL Simulation from an (AI-Adapted) Clean Sheet

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Session 10 – XR Goes Mainstream (all streams)
1) Amanda Bentley, Senior Director Integration Sales, Americas, Tobii & Dr. Aki Nikolaidis, Chief Science Officer, VTR
Building Disruptive Training with XR and Eye Tracking
2) Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder, Loft Dynamics
Virtual Reality in Motion
3) Dr. Julian Abich IV, Senior Human Factors Engineer, Quantum Improvements Consulting
Multi-Pilot Mixed Reality Simulator for Aviation Training