Horizon SFA provides UPRT (Upset Prevention and Recovery Training) courses acc. FCL.745A
In the lead-up to UPRT
In 2009, there were three fatal traffic accidents involving aircraft, all of which were due to loss of control in flight / loss of control in-flight (LOC-I). Investigations of all three accidents revealed that inappropriate controls and pilot input - sometimes in combination with partial/failure of technical aids - led to the loss of control and crash of the aircraft. After completion of the investigation reports, it became clear that adjustments to pilot training programmes were necessary in order to anticipate control LOC-I accidents more effectively.
Over the last 10 years, government regulators have spent revising training syllabi to prevent such accidents in the future. Since LOC-I accidents can occur in all aircraft categories, training or adjustments have been introduced at all training levels. In 2015, for the first time, official requirements were created which were taught by airlines in the context of recurrent training. Type-specific training (Type Rating) was also supplemented with UPRT modules. At that time, it was not yet known how UPRT would be taught in the non-commercial sector. This has changed in the meantime, altogether five different trainings have been defined. Especially during the basic training there were extensive changes.
The new training programs
The Basic UPRT course will be introduced at the beginning of the training of new pilots and will be integrated into the existing CPL and integrated courses. Especially existing exercises in different training phases will be practiced more intensively, such as spin avoidance, steep turns, slow flight, high speed flight, spiral dives, nose high & nose low upsets, stalls in different flight situations etc.
The new Advanced UPRT course represents the most significant change in the new regulation, which came into force on December 20, 2019. Since this date, all pilots starting their first MPA Type Rating Training must have successfully completed such a course. This module consists of 5 hours of theoretical training and 3 hours of practical training. The training aims to sensitize pilots to the physiological and psychological aspects of dynamic disturbances in aircraft. Furthermore, they should develop the necessary competence and resilience to be able to return aircraft to a safe flight position in dangerous flight phases. Unlike the Basic UPRT course, the Advanced Module is a separate training module.
It is not an aerobatics course, nor is it the aim to expose the students to the highest possible G-loads. The "R" in UPRT stands for Recovery, and this is the area of training on which the focus is placed. This means only to bring the aircraft out of a dangerous situation and back into a safe flight position.
Horizon SFA is among the first providers of Advanced UPRT courses in Switzerland. The training consists of a 5-hour theoretical course, which is partly taught by distance learning, the practical part of the training includes 3 hours on the acrobatic pilot Cap 10B. Training location is Bern-Belp.
In addition to the Advanced UPRT Training according to FCL.745.A, Horizon SFA is also the sole provider of UPRT Instructor Courses according to FCL.915(e). The aerobatic instructor training does not automatically entitle the student to teach this course, as UPRT differs significantly from aerobatics.