Module 02 — Pilot Competencies Deep Dive for Instructors

Duration: ~3.0 hours
Competency focus: All eight competencies (as observation/facilitation tools) · Situation Awareness · Communication

Learning objectives

1. Explain why competency-based training and assessment outperforms manoeuvre tick-boxes alone.
2. Use an ICAO-aligned competency set as a practical observation frame in brief, session, and debrief.
3. Distinguish observable behaviours from vague impressions (“good CRM”, “a bit behind”).
4. Practice real-time noting: what happened → which competency → what to facilitate next.
5. Practise the instructor observation competences paraphrased from Doc 9995 Part I, 6.3.3: gather objective evidence; correlate behaviour with potential outcome; highlight good performance; determine root causes for below-standard performance; identify eroding safety margins.

1. Why competencies matter for the TRI

Manoeuvre completion answers: Did they fly the approach?
Competency observation answers: Why did that approach succeed or fail, and will the behaviour transfer?

For the TRI, competencies:

• Give a shared language with trainees, examiners, and training management.
• Support EBT and tailored training by pointing to underlying strengths and gaps.
• Improve fairness — judgements anchored to behaviours, not personality.
• Make debriefs transferable — same themes appear in line operations.

2. The competency set (instructional adaptation)

Use the following as the working set for MaxFli TRI delivery. Wordings are instructional adaptations for observation and teaching — not a verbatim reproduction of any protected manual.

2.1 Application of Procedures / Knowledge

Instructional meaning: Applies published procedures, SOPs, limitations, and system knowledge correctly and in context.
Look for: Correct checklist discipline; appropriate use of QRH/OM; technical explanations that match the aeroplane; recognition when procedure A vs B applies.
Typical notes: “Selected wrong checklist branch”; “Explained hydraulic logic accurately under time pressure”; “Skipped required call.”

2.2 Communication

Instructional meaning: Shares information clearly, listens, confirms, and closes loops — with crew, ATC (simulated), and cabin as required.
Look for: Standard callouts; readbacks; assertiveness without aggression; briefing clarity; silence when speech was needed.
Typical notes: “PF intention not stated before mode change”; “PM challenged effectively; PF acknowledged.”

2.3 Aircraft Flight Path Management — Manual Control

Instructional meaning: Controls the aircraft flight path manually with appropriate accuracy, energy, and smoothness for the phase of flight.
Look for: Pitch/power/trim coordination; path vs attitude priority; recovery technique; hand-flying under degraded modes.
Typical notes: “Stable path but high workload scan”; “Late correction on localiser; energy unmanaged.”

2.4 Aircraft Flight Path Management — Automation

Instructional meaning: Manages autoflight and related systems so that the aircraft path matches the clearance and plan; modes understood and monitored.
Look for: Mode awareness; appropriate level of automation; timely intervention when automation surprises; FMA discipline.
Typical notes: “FMA not verified after selection”; “Appropriate reversion to lower automation.”

2.5 Leadership and Teamwork

Instructional meaning: Directs and involves the crew to achieve the task; maintains an open climate; balances authority and participation.
Look for: Clear PF/PM roles; inclusion of input; conflict handling; setting priorities for the team.
Typical notes: “PM frozen out during non-normal”; “Good distribution of tasks in holding.”

2.6 Problem Solving and Decision Making

Instructional meaning: Identifies problems, generates options, decides, and reviews — with appropriate time horizon.
Look for: Diagnosis quality; option generation vs tunnel vision; decision communicated; review when conditions change.
Typical notes: “Committed early without considering fuel/weather option”; “Used time available to consult QRH and cabin.”

2.7 Situation Awareness

Instructional meaning: Perceives and understands the aircraft, environment, and crew state; projects ahead.
Look for: Position awareness; system state; weather/traffic; fuel/time; recognition of degrading margins.
Typical notes: “Lost track of MSA during vectoring”; “Anticipated holding fuel state correctly.”

2.8 Workload Management

Instructional meaning: Prioritises, plans, and manages task load; uses available resources; recognises overload.
Look for: Aviate–navigate–communicate priority; task shedding; use of automation/PM; pause/reset behaviours.
Typical notes: “Stacked tasks during configuration; callouts slipped”; “Asked for delay vectors — good load shed.”

Instructional themes (use alongside)

• Professional Standards — integrity, preparation, modelling.
• TEM — recognition of threats/errors/undesired states and management strategies (see Module 07).

3. Observable behaviours vs labels

Rule: If a third TRI cannot picture what happened from your note, rewrite it.

4. Instructor competences for competency-based / EBT delivery (Doc 9995 Part I, 6.3.3)

Paraphrased MaxFli teaching points — cite the section; do not quote the manual:

Related expectations outside this pack’s authority to grant: formal competency assessment before EBT instruction (6.3.4); annual refresher and periodic re-assessment (6.3.5) — ATO/Operator.

UK CAA SD29 v9.1 §10 (paraphrased): CRM/non-technical skills are assessed through recognisable behaviours. NOTECHS is one behavioural-marker system used by many operators (cooperation, leadership/managerial skills, situation awareness, decision-making). Under EBT/ATQP, technical and non-technical competencies are assessed together in the Evaluation phase (or equivalent). Use the operator’s official markers/grading when provided; this module trains the observation craft, not a substitute dictionary. See CAA Standards Document 29 alignment.

5. Observation technique for instructors

1. Watch the flight path and the people — both are data.
2. Note facts first — time/phase, what was said/done, aircraft state.
3. Tag competency second — one primary tag; secondary if needed.
4. Park judgement until you have enough samples (except safety interventions).
5. Look for patterns — one slip ≠ competency gap; repeated theme = training need.

Practical tip: In the box, use a simple two-column pad: Event | Competency / TEM. Transfer to the formal record in the debrief window.

6. Facilitating against competencies

In debrief, prefer:

• “Talk me through what you understood the automation was doing at that point.” → Flight Path — Automation / Situation Awareness
• “What options did you see before you committed to the turn-back?” → Problem Solving and Decision Making
• “How did you want the PM to support you in that segment?” → Leadership and Teamwork / Communication

Avoid leading only with your conclusion. Guided discovery builds retention; then confirm the standard so the trainee leaves with a clear model.

7. Exercise — video or live observation (classroom)

Using a short sim replay or role-play:

1. Individually note three events with competency tags.
2. Compare in pairs — align language.
3. Agree one tailored training focus for a follow-on scenario.

8. Key takeaways

• Competencies explain performance beneath the manoeuvre — competencies are the aim; manoeuvres and scenarios are vehicles.
• Notes must be observable and specific (objective evidence).
• Practise the full 6.3.3 set: evidence, outcome link, strengths, root causes, safety margins.
• The TRI uses competencies to observe, decide training need, and facilitate — not to decorate forms.
• Professional Standards and TEM sit beside the eight as continuous themes.

Instructor notes

• Provide the observation worksheet from worksheets/.
• Do not distribute copyrighted competency dictionaries; use this instructional adaptation.
• Link to Module 04 (debrief language) and Module 06 (assessment evidence).
• Cross-check coverage in ICAO Doc 9995 alignment (Part I, 6.3.3) and CAA Standards Document 29 alignment (§10 observable CRM/NTS).