ATO (Approved Training Organisation) Conference

Flight Academy ATOs have an important role in providing future pilots in sufficient numbers and of a quality suitable to move on to commercial multi-engine jet operations. The ATO (Approved Training Organisation) conference is designed for key staff from Flight Academy ATOs.

Day 1 – Wednesday 8^th November 2023

0900-1030 Session 1 – Opening Remarks (combined Pilot, ATO & Cabin Crew)
1) Jesper Rasmussen, Flight Standards Director, EASA
2) Captain Marió Chavez, Chief Operations Officer, TAP Air Portugal
3) Captain Andy Mitchell, Chair, Aircrew Training Policy Group (ATPG)

1030-1115 Coffee Break

1115-1245 Session 2 – AMFTA & EASA Update (combined Pilot & ATO)
1) Captain Jean-Michel Bigarré, Founder & President, AMFTA
Inconsistencies in the Aviation Training System: A Pilot’s Perspective
2) EASA Aircrew and Medical

1245-1415 Lunch

1415-1545 Session 3 (ATO only)
1) Thomas Leoff, Chair, International Association of Aviation Personnel Schools (IAAPS)
Keynote Presentation
2) Nuno Nogueira, Deputy Head of Training, Bartolini Air
Tackling the Instructor Shortage
3) Captain Andy O’Shea, CEO, The Airline Pilot Club
Embracing the Future of Commercial Aviation – Understanding Gen Z in Aviation

1545-1630 Coffee Break

1630-1800 Session 4 – The Future? (ATO only)
1) Toni Vallès-Català, Head of Research, CESDA
Virtual Reality Flight Simulator Versus a Conventional Flight Simulator Training Device
2) Mark Soodeen, Director Innovation & Technology, CAE
Practical Use of Eye Tracking: A Case Study
3) Captain Salvador Costa Pereira, Chief Operating Officer & Head of Training, Sevenair Academy
The Gap Between Airline Training and FTO Ab Initio Training

1800-1900 Reception

ATO Conference sponsored by:

Day 2 – Thursday 9^th November 2023

0900-1030 Session 5 (ATO only)
1) Dr. Eva Maleviti, Program Coordinator Aviation & Aerospace Sustainability, Assistant Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Sustainable ATOs – Flying to Net Zero
2) Sergio Gómez Brito, Head of Training, Quality Fly
Using Sailplanes in Integrated Programs
3) Henry Emery, Board Member, International Civil Aviation English Association
New ICAO Guidelines on Aviation Language Test Design

1030-1115 Coffee Break

1115-1245 Session 6 – Technology & Human Factors (ATO only)
1) Captain Karl O’Neill, Chief Instructor ATO, Aer Lingus
MPL Funded Program
2) TBD, IAAPS
Regulatory Challenges
3) TBD, IAAPS
Financing of Training

1245-1415 Lunch

1415-1545 Session 7 – Technology (combined Pilot & ATO)
1) Captain Shane Carroll, Head of Training Software COC, Airbus & Gilad Scherpf, Senior Director Aviation Training Development, Lufthansa Group
XR Training in 2023: Use Cases, Challenges and Successes
2) Neil Waterman, Commercial Aviation Director, Advanced Simulation Technology inc. (ASTi)
Simulated ATC Environments: Stop Pretending You’re an ATC Controller!
3) Markus Heinonen, Varjo
Optimising Flight Training by Using XR

1545-1630 Coffee Break

1630-1800 Session 8 – Inclusion (combined Pilot, ATO & Cabin Crew)
1) Yirou Fang, Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki
Boosting Gender Equality in Airline Training: A Two-Phase Intervention
2) Peter Hogston, Head of Training, L3Harris Commercial Aviation
The Compromise of Achieving Diversity
3) Captain Filip Aerts, Nominated Person Crew Training, Brussels Airlines
Looking Back, But Most of All Looking Ahead: Female Leadership at Brussels Airlines