The FAA is restoring a program that places air traffic controllers in aircraft cockpits to give them direct experience with pilot workload, cockpit procedures and the operational effects of air traffic control instructions.
The Flight Deck Training program was suspended at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the reinstated program, controllers will apply electronically for specific flights and identify a training objective before seeking internal approval based on staffing and operational needs, according to AVweb’s report.
Each controller may take part in two commercial or general aviation flights and one military flight per year. Participants must complete multiple stages of vetting before boarding and submit a report describing what they learned.
The FAA said early testing helped controllers better understand how instructions affect flight crews, including complex clearances and changes to landing runways. That operational perspective could improve coordination between pilots and controllers, although the available report does not provide performance data or identify specific safety outcomes from the testing.
The agency worked with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to restore the program. AVweb reported that all major U.S. airlines have agreed to participate, while formal operations are expected to start after Thanksgiving.
NATCA President Nick Daniels said the program offers controllers a direct view of the challenges pilots face and how cockpit decisions interact with the air traffic control system. The reinstatement follows the September introduction of bipartisan legislation seeking to establish flight deck observation opportunities for controllers.