A single day, our pilots are flying into distant communities previously mentioned the Arctic Circle. The next, they’re traveling into some of the busiest airports in the country. Our pilots must be ready to manage any challenge that might arise in flight – from blizzard circumstances to congested air area – and we rely on rigorous pilot schooling standards to properly fly our friends throughout our network.
As we’re selecting hundreds of new pilots at Alaska Airways and Horizon Air, we’re guaranteeing absolutely everyone is up for the process and fulfills our significant standards. To assistance with this, we’ve invested in new engineering to extend our coaching department.
Schooling in digital reality
Alaska has been at the forefront of pilot innovation for many years. It’s who we are, and we’re frequently innovating to make certain our pilots get reducing edge instruction.
Our latest innovation is a partnership with VRPilot, a Danish technological innovation enterprise. We have worked with them to almost reconstruct our 737 flight deck as a instruction support for pilots who are new to the aircraft. Just one of the first items pilots master is the layout of the flight deck and the function of each and every swap and button. Supplying new pilots an possibility to put by themselves “inside” the flight deck in which they might will need to crane their neck or lean to get to a swap is a a lot extra realistic educating software than images in a e-book or video clip tutorials.
It’s like your alarm clock in the early morning – you know particularly in which the snooze button is,” stated Alaska Initially Officer Scott Wathey, a recently employed pilot. “This technology can help the muscle memory to know precisely the place that switch is.”
Digital reality will augment current regular education methods wherever we count on it will final result in far better-prepared pilots, higher achievement prices through teaching and far more time for elaborate teacher-led training activities. With this technology, pilots can familiarize by themselves with the site of switches ahead of they action into a simulator.
Horizon Air, Alaska’s wholly owned regional partner, will also quickly be employing the same technological innovation with our regional pilots. This technology also offers an prospect to use virtual reality in our other workgroups like upkeep and engineering, ground service and our flight attendants.
Premier simulator buy to date
With so several pilots coming by way of teaching, we desired a lot more flight simulators. In our largest simulator buy at any time, we’ve purchased 2 new fastened-foundation simulators and 3 new total motion simulators. These coaching devices are becoming installed through 2023 and all will be operational by the finish of 2024. This will bring us to 18 mounted-foundation and entire motion simulators. Horizon Air has ordered an supplemental simulator to coach pilots on the now single fleet of Embraer E-175 plane. This will give Horizon two owned simulators and priority entry to a 3rd in Seattle.
These important investments in simulators and emerging virtual actuality know-how will proceed our commitment to rigorous pilot education,” mentioned Capt. Jeff Severns, managing director of pilot teaching. “The education our pilots acquire is truly planet class, and we’re very pleased of the perform of our instructors and pupils each day.”
A wonderful time to fly for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air
With significant investments Alaska and Horizon pilot contracts, distinctive flying chances and cutting-edge technological know-how, there is in no way been a much better time to on our team.
If you haven’t yet began your pilot journey, look at implementing for a single of our pilot growth programs.
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