Ab Initio Training Conference

WATS 2024 is entirely dedicated to airline simulation and training, allowing you to discover the latest innovative training solutions. Ab Initio schools have an important role to play in providing future pilots in sufficient numbers and of a quality suitable to move on to commercial multi-engine jet operations. The WATS Ab Initio Training Conference sessions will provide key insights into the future of the industry.

To find out more about the speakers and to learn what they’ll be talking about, click on their name or go straight to the Meet the Speakers page.

Ab Initio Conference Moderator: Paul Preidecker

Day 1 – Tuesday 30^th April 2024

0930-1030 Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
Room: i1-4
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

1030-1115 Coffee Break
Sponsored by: EPST/COMPASS

1115-1245 Session 2 – Regulatory & Training Market Outlook (all streams)
Room: i1-4
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

1245-1415 Lunch

1415-1545 Session 3 – Different Approaches, Same Outcome?
Room: Wekiwa 6/7
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

1545-1630 Coffee Break

1630-1800 Session 4 – The Expectations of Experience – Beyond the Numbers
Room: Wekiwa 6/7
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

1800-1900 Networking Reception in Exhibition Hall

Day 2 – Wednesday 1^st May 2024

0900-1030 Session 5 – The Cost of Doing Nothing
Room: Wekiwa 6/7

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

1030-1115 Coffee Break
Sponsored by: Moog

1115-1245 Session 6 – It’s Not Too Late to Start Early
Room: Wekiwa 6/7
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

1245-1415 Lunch

1415-1545 Session 7 – Creating Success Beyond the Norm: Integrating Alternatives
Room: Wekiwa 6/7
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

1545-1630 Coffee Break
Sponsored by: Moog

1630-1800 Session 8 – Airline Training Leaders Panel (Pilot & Ab Initio)
Room: i2/3
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

0900-1030 Session 9 – Human Factors Panel: Stress, Fatigue and Mental Wellness (Pilot & Ab Initio)
Room: i2/3

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

0900-1030 BREAKOUT SESSION – Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) (Pilot & Ab Initio)
Room: Wekiwa 4/5
1) Murat Kose, CEO, Quantum3D
Mixed Reality eVTOL Flight Simulator
2) Dr. Steve Ellis, Learning Coordinator, AFWERX Agility Prime Program & Dr. Samantha Emerson, Research Scientist, Aptima, Inc.
Training a New Generation of Pilots and Maintainers: Open Issues in eVTOL Training
3) G. Craig Vachon, CEO, AI Redefined & Dr. Mike Jones, Director and Program Lead, Systems Technology Inc. (STI)
eVTOL Simulation from an (AI-Adapted) Clean Sheet

1030-1115 Coffee Break

1115-1245 Session 10 – XR Goes Mainstream (all streams)
Room: i2/3
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