Instructor Pilot, Captain Aaron Cheah shares what it takes to train a pilot and how technology has played a growing role in the process
As an Instructor Pilot for Singapore Airlines, Aaron Cheah has been a witness to the changing usage of technology in preparing the Airline’s pilots for flight. Having started his career in 1987, he first travelled to Oxford Air Training School in the United Kingdom to obtain his commercial pilot’s license, before returning to Singapore to train. “We were assigned fleets, and in my case, it was the A310s,” he recalls. “I started as a second officer, and after a year made it to first officer, then trained for nine years before I became a captain.”
For Aaron, becoming an instructor was a way of giving back to the company that allowed him to achieve his dream of flying. “I was trained by a lot of good instructors, and that made my career advancement a lot smoother and more enjoyable,” he recalls. “I wanted to be able to do the same thing for young recruits.”
Aaron works with trainees to familiarise them with the aircraft through onboard training as well as sessions in the simulators. “Today, the simulator is a lot more complex,” he says, explaining how technology has changed since he first did his own training. “For starters, they are electrically operated now, rather than using hydraulics as they did in the past. The whole experience is a lot more realistic. Trainees can really feel as though they are in an actual aircraft thanks to better visuals and graphic generation.”
The simulators used by the airline is state-of-the-art, which combined with the use of data analytics, ensures that trainees are getting the most out of the training experience. “What we do in the Flight Operations Training and Standards department is to collate the data from checks, and from the simulator training, which we then analyse for any areas the trainees have to improve in. From there we formulate a training programme specific to those areas for them. It allows us to really target problems – and solve them more effectively.”
Every training session starts with rostering. “The rostering department ensures our trainees receive the correct training syllabus,” explains Aaron of the training procedure. “The trainees then meet the instructors, who will want to know their needs and concerns before the simulator session starts.” Aaron stresses the importance of these pre-training sessions as they help both instructor and trainee focus on areas to improve and concentrate on. “The briefing is very important as it’s essential to know what to expect in a simulator.”
Usually a simulator training session lasts about four hours. At the end of it, there is an important debrief where both instructor and trainee evaluate the session. “The instructor will want to know how the trainee felt during the training, and how they can improve in the next session,” says Aaron. “There are usually only two trainees in each session. Occasionally there are pilots from the same cohort as observers – for them this is a chance to watch and learn from a different perspective.”
Occasionally, the cadets and trainees will need more help during their course of training. “Usually there’s a very specific reason as to why they find certain things particularly challenging,” he says. “That’s why open conversation and communication are so important. It’s best to be honest about anything that is troubling you. Also, utilising your instructor – who has tonnes of experience to share – can also be helpful.” Aaron notes that usually for experienced pilots and instructors, they can pick up quite readily on what is troubling a younger colleague and offer help. “I’ve had cases where a troubled pilot has been referred to me, and I was glad that I was able to help in that situation.”
In this way, Aaron sees himself as more of a nurturer than a disciplinarian – but, as he says with a laugh, “It’s my responsibility to the trainee to let the disciplinarian come out sometimes!”
As an instructor who has trained many pilots, Aaron believes the most important thing to drive one forward in this career is passion. “Anyone who wants to be a commercial pilot has to want to experience the whole lifestyle of a pilot,” he says. “There’s a lot more to the enjoyment of flying the airplane and visiting different destinations. There’s a lot of preparation beforehand and after, and there are the things you’ll miss back at home, like family events. It’s also important to be able to cope with the physical demands of the job.” Laughing, he admits this was easier when he was younger. “Rest is very important, and I plan that very carefully before each flight, as well as trying to eat better.” He also cites situational awareness and personal discipline as the two most important qualities he feels pilots should have. “With my trainees I ask them for commitment and preparation – which make up personal discipline.”
Aaron also fondly remembers some of his own training experiences. “I trained on the first ever A350 that was manufactured to fly. It was called MSN1 – manufacturer’s serial number 1. We flew within a few non-commercial airports in France, which is a pretty unique experience, and the aircraft that we flew on had all the engineers who designed the aircraft on board. The prototype aircraft had no seats inside, just a lot of equipment and monitoring terminals. It was a different experience from the simulator, as you get the noise and the bumps from the weather. We also had the original development pilots for the A350 programme on board as well, so it was a very memorable flight.”
He also captained the inaugural flight from Singapore to Amsterdam on the A350LH. “That was quite special as we had a water cannon reception in Amsterdam and it was the first A350 to land at Schiphol. The water cannon is really quite special, it’s really cool to taxi through it, and I’m sure it’s a great sight to see for those in the airplane as well.” He also remembers a special time flying through the aurora borealis, visible from Alaska to New York. “It was like flying through a curtain of lights that were constantly changing colours.”
But at the end of the day, Aaron’s first priority as a pilot is the safety of fellow crew and passengers. “During a flight, the most important thing is to be very alert and be present – physically and mentally. A lot of pilots say, ‘A good flight is an uneventful flight,’ and I believe this to be true as well.
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