Bombardier has begun sending crews of newly purchased Challenger, Learjet and Global Express aircraft to a three-day, in-aircraft upset prevention and recovery training program.

The tie-up with Phoenix-based upset training provider, Aviation Performance Solutions (APS), includes an eight-hour, web-based initial training course covering core concepts in upset recovery, followed by three days of ground school and in-flight training with military-trained instructors in APS's Extra 300L single-engine aerobatic aircraft.

The programme is capped by a two-hour session in a Level D full-flight simulator, where differences between the Extra 300L and the actual aircraft the operator purchased are covered with respect to loss-of-control situations. Crews will also receive a "specialized briefing" on high performance swept-wing jet operations, said Bombardier.

,

APS in February 2011 began providing a 3-day upset recovery training programme to student of the KLM flight academy in Arizona, the primary pilot pipeline for Dutch flag carrier KLM. The company in 2008 stuck a deal with training and simulation provider CAE to offer an optional four-day upset recovery curriculum in the Extra 300L and in an Embraer ERJ-145 full-flight simulator.

Bombardier said the one-time only training is included in the purchase of the aircraft and starts when the operator takes delivery.

Flight International test pilot sampled the APS upset programme for a special report in 2010.

Source: Flight International