Pilot Training Conference

WATS is entirely dedicated to airline simulation and training, allowing you to discover the latest innovative training solutions for pilots. Supported by the training industry and subject matter experts, the WATS 2025 Pilot Training Conference will provide practical solutions for those day to day challenges and offer key insights into the future of the industry.

Pilot Conference Moderator: Rick Adams

Day 1 – Tuesday 8^th April 2025

0900-1030  Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
1) TBD
2) TBD
3) Airline Manufacturer Flight Training Association (AMFTA) Panel
• Captain Jean-Michel Bigarré, President & Founder, AMFTA
• Captain Stéphan Labrucherie, Head of Flight Training Worldwide, Airbus / Director, AMFTA
• Mark Albert, Senior Director, Commercial Business & Program Management, Boeing Global Services / Director, AMFTA
• Captain Jin Yibin, Chief Engineer of Aircraft Operation Safety, COMAC / Director, AMFTA
• Captain Alexandre Toribio, Head of Flight Crew Training, Embraer / Director, AMFTA

1030-1115  Coffee Break
Sponsored by: EPST / Compass

1115-1245  Session 2 – Looking at the Future
1) Ade Ajayi, Director of Global Sales, Reality Lab, Meta
2) Captain Philip Adrian, Co-Chair, ATPG
Future Training Solutions for Future Generations
3) John Cunningham, COO, The VR/AR Association
AR/VR Digital Twins

1245-1415  Lunch

1415-1545  Session 3 – AI/Data Analytics
1) Captain Stéphan Labrucherie, Head of Flight Training Worldwide, Airbus & Thomas Bessière, CEO, HINFACT
Tracking, Data & Us
2) Brock Booher, President, Volant Systems & Shane Jordan, President/Lead Developer, Turtle Creek LLC
AI = Aviation Intelligence: Shaping the Future of Aviation Training
3) Blake Donovan, Learning Design Program Manager, Pilot Leadership, Delta Air Lines & Hillary Belcher, Learning Design Program Manager, Fleet Common Programs, Delta Air Lines
Developing a New Generation of Pilots with AI-Driven Learning Experiences

1545-1630  Coffee Break
Sponsored by: EPST / Compass

1630-1800  Session 4 – EXPO TIME

Pilot Conference
sponsored by:

Day 2 – Wednesday 9^th April 2025

0900-1030  Session 5 – CBTA
1) Dr. Kristy Kiernan, Associate Director, Boeing Center for Aviation & Aerospace Safety, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University & Joel Samu, PhD Student, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univeristy
Learning From All Operations: Where Safety and Training Intersect
2) Steve Dennis, Vice President of Training Design, CPaT Global
Microlearning and its Role in CBTA/EBT Training Programs
3) Andy O’Shea, Executive Chairman, The Airline Pilot Club & Cedric Paillard, CEO, The Airline Pilot Club
Adaptive Learning for Instructor & Pilot Performance

1030-1115  Coffee Break
Sponsored by: Moog Inc.

1115-1245  Session 6 – CBTA/EBT
1) Captain Stuart Gruber, Senior Airline Training Deployment Manager, Boeing
Incorporating SMS/MS into CBTA/EBT
2) Thomas Bessiere, CEO, HINFACT
Data-Driven CBTA & EBT Implementation
3) Captain Francisco Herrera-La Rue, Co-Founder, Aviatrix Aerial Training Solutions LLC & Captain Vicente Garcia, Flight Instructor, Aero Mexico Airlines
How to Train for Competencies Without Losing Your Mind

1245-1415  Lunch

1415-1545  Session 7 – Human Factors
1) Aleksandra Kapela, Associate Aviation Psychologist, Symbiotics Ltd.
Gen Z in the Cockpit: A Data-Driven Examination of Their Impact on Aviation Practices
2) James Cooley, Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota
From Rescues to Readiness: Strengthening Human Factors for High-Stakes Performance
3) Aedrian Bekker, Clinical & Aviation Psychologist, Centre for Aviation Psychology & Stuart Beech, CEO, Founder & Mentor, Resilient Pilot
Training the Next Generation of Pilots: Integrating Human Factors and Personnel Readiness Through Continuous Resilience Development

1545-1630  Coffee Break
Sponsored by: Moog Inc.

1630-1800  Session 8 – Emerging Technology
1) Dre Fournier, Vice President of Growth, HTX Labs
Leveraging Human Performance Data & AI to Enable Competency Based Training
2) Julian Abich PhD, Senior Human Factors Engineer, Quantum Improvements Consulting
Overcoming Barriers to XR Adoption
3) Maximilian Zweybrücken, Product Manager Pilot Training/FO A320, Lufthansa Group & Gilad Scherpf, Senior Director Aviation Training Development/SFO B747, Lufthansa Group
VR in Flight Crew Training

Day 3 – Thursday 10^th April 2025

0900-1030  Session 9 – Human Factors
1) Captain Samantha Brown, Pilot, UAL MEC Training Committee Vice Chair, Air Line Pilots Association
Human Factors in Pilot Monitoring
2) Florian Jentsch, Professor & Chair, Dept. of Psychology & IST, University Central Florida
Key Thoughts on the Use of XR & AI in Aviation Training
3) Dino Garner, Author, Frontier Insights LLC
Elevating Aviation Training Through the Power of Storytelling

1030-1115  Coffee Break

1115-1245  Session 10 – Emerging Technology (all streams)
1) Nigel Sargent, Director Flight Simulator Operations, Alaska Airlines
Additional Capabilities of FTDs
2) Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder, Loft Dynamics
Faster, Safer Pilots
3) Captain Samuel Chandra, Managing Director, Deepsky
Using Agentic AI to Personalise Theory Delivery

1245  Closing Remarks