It seems that in most industries, there’s an ongoing battle between creating a quality product and ensuring it reaches the market on time. However, in flight training, where safety is paramount, this tension doesn’t surface as often as we might expect - at least not as much as in other industries. Quality and safety understandably take priority. But what if we embraced a healthy balance between standards and on-time delivery in pilot training? In our experience, this balance can lead to even better results.
So, what does that relationship actually look like? The quality aspect is always prioritized. Whether it’s the Head of Training, Head of Standards, or Chief Flight Instructor, there’s always someone ensuring that standards are upheld. They will definitely hear about it if anything goes wrong or if the regulator isn’t satisfied with the quality of instruction. Depending on the size of the operation, that person may have a team around them, possibly also with a safety manager and their team, to maintain a strong focus on quality. It’s all well managed, as you’d expect. If it weren’t, we might not all be so willing to get on our next flight!
What we don’t see as often in pilot training is someone, or even a team, solely dedicated to on-time delivery. When you break down what it takes to achieve that, it’s no small task. To keep training on schedule, you need the right aircraft and simulators, the right instructors, all at the right time. Now add in the usual challenges - weather delays, cancellations, holidays, instructor turnover, repeated lessons, maintenance - and then throw in some unexpected challenges to make it a bit more interesting: a grounded fleet, ATC strikes, contaminated fuel, and on it goes ...
A great Delivery Manager and/or Delivery Team will have a plan for every student, anticipating predictable issues and rolling with adjustments as they arise. The result?
Students receive consistent, well-paced training and meet their predicted end dates.
A simple sentence, but with so much work, thought, and care behind it. Consider what that sentence means for the entire operation at every level, including, of course, the Standards team. And for the student, it’s a huge relief to know that someone has everything under control. They can focus on their training and look forward to life after that final flight test, without worrying about delays disrupting their plans.
Yet, in most operations we see, there is very rarely someone dedicated to the on-time delivery of pilot training.
How do we not value this role more within the industry?
The role of the Delivery Manager is vital, yet it represents just one piece of a larger puzzle. Equally important is cultivating a strong relationship between the Standards and Delivery teams. They must collaborate seamlessly, as a lack of alignment could lead to frustration, and when it really goes wrong, misalignment can actually be detrimental to the operation’s safety and standards.
When a trainee falls behind schedule, the Delivery Manager needs to step in and ask: what's the issue, and why? If it’s performance-based, that’s when a productive conversation with the Standards Manager occurs - how can we keep things moving in the best way for the student? But when the pressure ramps up - like cramming ten lessons into a single week to meet a flight test deadline - the Standards Manager should be able to freely push back if they deem that approach inappropriate for the student.
In the very best operations we’ve seen - and had the privilege of being part of - this push and pull between standards and delivery is managed masterfully, creating an environment where everyone, from students to leadership, can truly enjoy the journey.
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