The Next Airline Pilot - Competency at the Core: The Definitive Guide to Competency-Based Training for Pilots, Airlines and Flight Schools (Skywards)

How do you train an airline pilot for the unthinkable?
The Next Airline Pilot – Competency at the Core reveals how to prepare pilots for the unexpected. For decades, airline training tried to rehearse every possible scenario. But when the unimaginable happens, statistics don't count anymore.

This book explains how competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) builds pilots who can think critically, adapt under pressure, and act decisively to save the day. Covering the full spectrum of training from ab initio programs, instructor training, simulators, immersive tools to Initial Operating Experience and far beyond, this book offers a complete reference for modern airline pilot training.

Written for pilots, instructors, examiners, training managers, regulators, and aviation enthusiasts, it combines history, case studies, and forward-looking insights. It also explores regulatory challenges, instructor standardization, and sustainability, showing how training shapes not just safe pilots but resilient aviation systems.

More than a manual, this is a blueprint for mastering the unknown—an essential guide for anyone shaping the future of pilot training. You will not only understand pilot training, this book shows you how to lead it.

The Journey of André Berger started with advanced mathematics studies in the late seventies, followed by engineering, though he soon pivoted himself to pursue a career as a pilot. Pilot training in the early eighties was challenging, especially during a time when airlines in his country, Belgium at the time, were not hiring novice pilots. European pilot licenses were country-specific, EASA and standardization did not yet exist. The only large jet-operating airline he aspired to join was the national flag carrier, Sabena, but due to hiring freezes and the closure of the Civil Aviation School, he had to gain experience through diverse roles: ground handler, aircraft cleaner, mechanic, flight engineer, dispatcher, scheduler, banner-towing pilot, air taxi pilot, flight instructor, caterer, and even driving instructor, before finally being offered a first officer role on the B737-200 at Sabena.In the mid-nineties, he became Managing Director of the Belgian Aviation School and then joined Sobelair, the leisure airline within the Sabena Group, to resolve regulatory issues. As Crew Training Manager, he developed Belgium's first certified Type Rating Training Organization (TRTO) under emerging JAA and EASA standards.Over time, he took on responsibilities as Head of Flight Operations and Head of Training across TUI Airlines five AOCs, creating interoperability between AOC's, heading fuel efficiency and sustainability, renewing the training department, conducting numerous operational and training audits of airlines and training organizations in Europe, the USA, the Caribbean, Russia, and the Far East.As a Chief Flight Instructor and CEO/accountable manager for several Approved Training Organizations (ATOs), he introduced Immersive Training in Multi-Pilot License (MPL) programs, streamlining training by canceling traditional but less effective steps like single-engine instrument flying and multi-engine piston training.Recently, he implemented Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) across all type rating and ab initio pilot training courses, enhancing crew selection and training while accommodating modern airline requirements.Currently based in the Middle East with his family, André is actively involved in pilot training, flight operations, and exploring advanced technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence in aviation. His passion lies in shaping the future of crew training by employing innovative tools to enhance the learning experience and skills of the next generation of pilots and cabin crew.