KSA100 Training & Assessments – You What??

Plus ça change…….

To all past and present military pilots, being assessed on soft skills as well as flying ability has always been an integral part of recruitment, training and annual reports.  What was known in the distant past as “airmanship” has now morphed into “threat and error management” and “officer qualities” into “core competencies”.  As the French put it: plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.  

Faced with the inevitable challenges that aviation throws at you at unexpected times, it is intuitively obvious that being able to think and communicate clearly, logically and effectively is vital to leading a team as an aircraft commander.  These skills are equally valid competencies in both the military and civil aviation context and need to be developed progressively.  Sadly, a lack of them has led to several major airline accidents and serious incidents, particularly in the last decade.  For example, an over-reliance on automation is one of the primary aviation safety threats that has been identified.  This needs to be actively managed by developing and maintaining these core competencies from day one of commercial training.   Although very reliable, sometimes the computer says no!

This new commercial licence training  requirement was published by EASA in a safety directive 4 years ago under the catchy title of “Knowledge, Skills & Attitudes”, otherwise known as  ”KSA100”.  It has now been introduced from the very start of commercial pilot training in ground school courses and is already common practice in many airlines.   For all EASA and CAA ATOs, the mandatory introduction of KSA100 training and assessments in ATPL ground training is now a reality.  For budding airline pilots, it is no longer sufficient just to pass the 13 ATPL exams to move on to the flight training phase.  

EASA left its ATOs to individually develop their own approach to meeting this new challenge, subject to the formal approval of its NAAs.  So, you will find a variety of different approaches from individual ATOs to meeting the new KSA100 learning objectives set by EASA and also adopted by the UK CAA post Brexit.   

Pathway Pilot Training has fully embraced this new requirement and we have gained both CAA and EASA approval for our methods of KSA100 training and assessments.  We are already issuing Completion Certificates to our graduates.  Satisfactory KSA Certificates are now needed in addition to just passing the 13 ATPL exams for future commercial licence applications, both in the UK and all EASA states. To meet this requirement, Pathway has greatly widened the scope of its ATPL classroom training and introduced practical skills training using external simulator resources and assessment days involving team/individual exercises and mental maths. Our students leave very well prepared for flight training and their career in aviation.  As all airlines aim to recruit not just qualified pilots but potential future aircraft commanders, this new KSA training should also help equip our students to stand out from the crowd in securing their first airline job.