Grant: College and Community Innovation Program

Canada's flight training industry is in a serious state of decline. Over the past five years, the number of Flight Training Businesses (FTBs) in Canada has decreased from 222 to 166, a failure of one in four. Seneca College's research partnerships with the flight training industry have identified the potential of increased use of flight simulation to mitigate this decline. As well, there is a as gap in applied research about simulation technology and its implementation in aviation training. The critical first component is to establish the needed capacity for applied research in the area of simulation technology. However, Seneca's industry partners recognize that they lack the ability and resources to conduct this research independently; this reality forms the underlying motivation for this project and the industry partnerships that accompany it. CCI funding would support building the necessary applied research capacity to justify increased simulation technology use in flight training. The immediate research objectives for the project include: developing applied research expertise and capacity; identifying how to best increase simulation use to decrease aircraft flight hours; and measuring pilots' non-technical competencies to determine how simulation can be used to replicate conventional flight experiences, currently gained in aircraft. Seneca's School of Aviation and Flight Technology has been an industry leader in rigorous, technology-based flight education and training for commercial and transport pilots for more than 40 years with the necessary resources to fill this gap in applied research. CCI funding would directly facilitate increased research capacity at Seneca and strengthen the College's industry relations. Through Seneca's creation of the network tools and online training programs created to fill the gap in applied research capabilities, the flight training industry will have a sustainable resource for future research initiatives and partnerships.