By the way, you wondered what foundation the pilots will be building upon.
I, among many other people in AETC are building upon the lessons I learned
from Hughes during my years in the C-141. In fact, 90% of the instructor
pilots in AETC are from prior weapons systems and graduates of CRM programs
from Flight Safety and Hughes to name a few. So I hope you agree that
there is somewhat of a foundation from which to build. I know I received a
good one. AETC's intent is to dovetail the compatible CRM programs taught
to AETC students and instructors into everyday line flights and create an
military organizational culture more attune to CRM skills .
I hope this clears up the confusion I created earlier by only painting half
the picture for everyone. Dave, your note was not negative at all, sorry
to put you through all that because I was vague. I look forward to
feedback on our intentions or structure for the course as mentioned in this
and the previous note to Vince. After all we wouldn't be here if we
weren't willing to listen. Thanks.
Capt Andy Newman
AETC CRAM at Large
----------
> From: CRMWILSON_at_aol.com
> To: crm-devel_at_db.erau.edu
> Subject: Re: Management Skill Oriented Simulations
> Date: Thursday, February 06, 1997 12:10 PM
>
> Andy, Please excuse my interrupting your conversation with Vince, but a
> couple of things you asked him about struck me and I thought I'd drop you
a
> line. Since advice is free, it may well be worth what it costs. However,
I've
> been in the military CRM business for about 12 years so maybe there will
be
> something here that is useful.
>
> In a message dated 97-02-05 22:57:34 EST, you write, in part:
>
> << I have been in a state of immersion over the past few weeks trying
to
> see where CRM will be
> in a few months so by the time the Air Force mails out the final product
we
> won't be too far out of date. From our past conversation I have to
agree,
> from all I have seen we are moving in a skills oriented direction. I
think
> this is by far the best approach for a skills oriented group (that is
the
> way we spoon feed all our curricula) like military pilots. A well
> facilitated annual classroom format that gives instructor pilots the
skills
> to hone in the simulator and take back to the flightline to practice in
> front of and teach students. I will begin with your suggestion of
listing
> the categorizations and gleaning skills approaches from each. My
biggest
> question is how do you get this across in an hour? My videos to cover
the
> 8 topics from the AFI are planned to be 1-3 minutes in length, and some
> will need to cover more than one skills objective (not to mix concepts,
> outcomes, and skills like you mentioned) because of time constraints.
Keep
> in mind I am talking about the classroom portion only. I also feel a
need
> to address mission specific issues as well. The T-1's will be in a
> separate class from the T-37/T-38's. With that in mind I feel the T-1's
> could benefit by some CRM in the automated cockpit training and the
> T-37/T-38's could benefit likewise by some formation resource management
> training. I also want to address some effective briefing and debriefing
> techniques (that enhance CRM skills) for the instructors to use on the
> flightline when they fly with students, and if at all possible a small
bit
> of cultural deference issues to ensure the IPs do at least some research
> into the culture of the foreign student they are flying with to get an
idea
> how to best approach individual training. I know, it is a lot for an
hour
> but I could use some help with prioritization. Is there any chance I
could
> see the course outline you use to get the skills training done in an
hour?
> >>
>
> I certainly agree with the skills oriented training approach. However,
the
> skills must be trained to a level that makes them second nature to the
pilot
> or the chances of their being used decreases substantially as the cockpit
> pressures increase. That means that the CRM program in an organization
must
> be pervasive, supported at all levels, and reinfored and refreshed
> frequently.
>
> I am concerned that the program you describe (and maybe I only see part
of
> the picture) calls for an "annual facilitated classroom" session that
"gives
> instructor pilots skills to hone in the simulator and take back to the
> flightline to practice in front of and teach students". I fear that an
annual
> classroom session of one hour is not going to be enough if that is all
the
> CRM training they will get.
>
> An annual program is only a refresher and one hour is not long enough.
First,
> if I am right, what is being refreshed? What is the foundation upon which
you
> wish to build?
> Our course, by way of example, begins with 16 classroom hours of basic
CRM
> training. Whether that is the right length or the course content is
perfect
> is not the point. But we do know what each student has been exposed to
and
> what foundation we are working from when they get to the reinforcement
and,
> later, the refresher phase.
>
> The answer to your biggest question: "How do you get all this across in
an
> hour?" is: You don't.
>
> Look at the timeline: 8-24 min for videos, so say 16 min for all of them.
> That's one fourth of your time. The other three subjects: mission
specific
> issues, briefing and debriefing techniques and cultural deference (I hope
you
> meant difference) issues at only 10 minutes each, would leave you a whole
14
> minutes or so for basic CRM stuff. I think most courseware developers
would
> agree that you are overloading the table. Or to put it in pilot
vernacular,
> trying to put 10lb of stuff in a 5lb bag.
>
> As I reread this it seems a lot more negative than I intended. You have a
> difficult task, but if one hour is all you can get, focus your time one
one
> of the subjects. None of the topics you mention, and they are all valid
and
> worthy of emphasis in any instructor pilot's training, could be
adequately
> covered in one hour per year. But trying to cover all four only
exacerbates
> an already tough situation.
>
> I hope this epistle helps. There is a critical interface here that merits
our
> attention, and that is the CRM training provided in undergraduate aircrew
> training and that provided in follow-on weapon system training. Hopefully
> they are compatable.
>
> By the way, what product are you expecting the AF to mail out?
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave Wilson
> HTI