Training Aviation Glossary
Pilot certificates, ratings, instructor authorizations, methodology, examinations.
Training glossary terms cover the modern pilot training universe — the certificates and ratings (PPL / CPL / ATPL / MPL / LAPL / Instrument / Multi-Engine / Type / Class), the instructor and examiner authorizations (CFI / CFII / TRI / SFI / CRI / IRI / DPE / TRE / FE), the competency-based training methodology (CBTA / EBT / Core Competencies / Observable Behaviours, replacing the legacy KSA model), the multi-crew curriculum (MCC / APS-MCC / CRM / TEM / UPRT), and the logging conventions (PIC / SPIC / PICUS / dual / cross-country / actual vs simulated instrument time) that shape every cadet's career trajectory.
A
Ab Initio
Ab initio is a Latin term meaning 'from the beginning,' used in aviation to describe training programs that take students with no prior flight experience through to a professional pilot qualification.
Air Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP)
The ATP-CTP is an FAA-mandated ground and simulator training course, required under 14 CFR §61.156 since August 2013, that every ATP-certificate applicant must complete before sitting the ATP Aeronautical Knowledge Test.
Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL)
The Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), known in the United States as the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, is the highest level of pilot certification, required to serve as pilot in command of scheduled airline operations.
C
Certified Flight Instructor — Instrument (CFII)
A Certified Flight Instructor — Instrument (CFII) is a flight instructor who holds an instrument instructor rating, authorizing them to provide training for the instrument rating and to conduct instrument proficiency checks.
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
A Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) is a pilot who holds an FAA Flight Instructor Certificate, authorizing them to provide flight and ground training to student pilots and certificate holders seeking additional ratings.
Checkride
A checkride is the final practical examination conducted by an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) or FAA inspector that a student must pass to earn a pilot certificate or rating.
Chief Flight Instructor
The Chief Flight Instructor is the senior, regulator-approved instructor at a flight school responsible for the conduct, quality, and compliance of the training programme.
Class Rating
A class rating is a regulatory authorization permitting a pilot to fly a specific class of aircraft, such as single-engine piston, multi-engine piston, or single-engine seaplane.
Class Rating Instructor (CRI)
A Class Rating Instructor (CRI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.CRI permitting delivery of class rating training on single-engine piston (SEP), multi-engine piston (MEP), single-engine turboprop (SET), and certain complex single-pilot aircraft — the intermediate instructor authorization for class-rated aircraft below the Type Rating Instructor (TRI) complexity threshold.
Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
A Commercial Pilot License (CPL), known in the United States as a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is an advanced pilot credential that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command for compensation or hire.
Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA)
Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) is the ICAO-endorsed training methodology that defines pilot performance through observable competencies and behaviors rather than fixed hour minimums or task-by-task tick boxes — codified in ICAO Doc 9995 and adopted across IATA's training framework.
Core Competencies (ICAO / IATA / EASA)
Core competencies are the finite set of pilot performance domains — typically nine, defined by ICAO and adopted by IATA and EASA — that together describe what a competent flight crew member does, and against which Competency-Based Training and Assessment is graded.
Crew Resource Management (CRM)
Crew Resource Management (CRM) is the discipline — born from accident analysis in the late 1970s — of using all available resources (information, equipment, and people) to achieve safe and efficient flight, codified into mandatory training under EASA Part-ORO and FAA Advisory Circular 120-51E.
Cross-Country Flight
A cross-country flight is a flight between two points that exceeds a specified distance, typically 50 nautical miles, and is a required component of most pilot training programmes.
Cross-Country Time — FAA and EASA Variations
"Cross-country" flight time is not a single definition in aviation regulations — the FAA uses at least four distinct definitions under 14 CFR §61.1(b)(3) depending on the certificate sought, while EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 applies a single pre-planned-route standard; misapplying the wrong definition to logged hours causes certification failures.
F
FAA WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program
The FAA WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program is a voluntary, FAA-sponsored recurrent training program through which pilots earn Phase credit by completing approved knowledge and flight activities each year.
Flight Examiner (FE / FIE / IRE / CRE / TRE)
Flight Examiners are a family of EASA examiner authorizations under Part-FCL FCL.1000–FCL.1025 — including the Flight Examiner (FE), Flight Instructor Examiner (FIE), Instrument Rating Examiner (IRE), Class Rating Examiner (CRE), and Type Rating Examiner (TRE) — each authorizing the conduct of specific skill tests, proficiency checks, and examiner assessments, with authority granted by and under oversight of the relevant national competent authority.
Frozen ATPL
"Frozen ATPL" is industry shorthand — not a regulatory term in EASA Part-FCL or FAA §61 — for the career stage of a pilot who has passed the full ATPL theoretical knowledge examinations and holds a CPL with Instrument Rating but has not yet accumulated the 1,500 hours of flight time required for ATPL issue under EASA FCL.510(a), with the theoretical knowledge credit remaining valid for 7 years from the last examination passed.
I
Instrument Approach
An instrument approach is a prescribed flight manoeuvre that guides a pilot from the en route phase to a point from which a landing can be made, using navigational aids when visual reference to the ground is not available.
Instrument Rating
An instrument rating is an additional qualification added to a pilot certificate or license that authorizes the holder to fly under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), navigating solely by reference to cockpit instruments in reduced visibility or cloud conditions.
Instrument Rating Instructor (IRI)
An Instrument Rating Instructor (IRI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.IRI permitting delivery of instrument rating training — including the full IR(A) syllabus under FCL.605 and Competency-Based IR training under FCL.605.A — in both aircraft and approved FSTDs, without requiring the full Flight Instructor (FI) certificate for the corresponding aircraft category.
Integrated vs Modular ATPL Training
The two structurally distinct paths to a frozen ATPL under EASA Part-FCL: the Integrated ATPL(A) program under FCL.510.A and Appendix 3.A — a single ab-initio course from zero flight hours to frozen ATPL at one Approved Training Organization — versus the Modular path under FCL.310, FCL.605, FCL.720.A, and FCL.735.A, which builds the frozen ATPL through sequential standalone courses that may be completed at different ATOs over an extended period.
K
Knowledge Test (Written Exam)
A knowledge test is the written, multiple-choice examination that a pilot applicant must pass before taking the practical test for a certificate or rating.
KSA Grading (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes)
KSA grading is the legacy training-assessment model that graded pilot performance against three taxonomic categories — Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes — and which Competency-Based Training and Assessment has progressively replaced with competency- and observable-behavior-based grading.
L
Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL)
The Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) is an EASA pilot license designed for recreational flying in light aircraft, offering a lower-cost and less complex pathway to piloting than the traditional PPL.
Line Training and Initial Operating Experience (IOE)
Line training and Initial Operating Experience (IOE) — codified in 14 CFR §121.434 and §135.244 (FAA) and EASA Part-ORO.FC.220 — is the structured phase of supervised line operations a newly type-rated pilot completes after type rating issuance and before unrestricted line operations, with a Line Training Captain providing supervision and progressive sign-off.
LOFT (Line Oriented Flight Training)
LOFT is a simulator-based training methodology in which a crew flies an uninterrupted, operationally realistic scenario — gate to gate — designed to develop crew coordination, decision-making, and threat management rather than isolated maneuver proficiency.
M
Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC)
Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) is the EASA-mandated course under Part-FCL FCL.735.A that prepares a single-pilot-trained CPL holder to operate as a flight crew member on a multi-pilot aircraft, focusing on the role split, communication, and CRM behaviors that single-pilot training cannot deliver.
Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI)
A Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) is a certified flight instructor who holds the additional multi-engine instructor rating, authorizing them to provide flight training in multi-engine aircraft and for the multi-engine class rating.
Multi-Engine Rating
A multi-engine rating is an additional class rating added to a pilot certificate or license that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command of aircraft with more than one engine.
Multi-Pilot Licence (MPL)
The Multi-Pilot Licence (MPL) is an ab-initio pilot license introduced by ICAO in 2006 (ICAO Doc 9868, PANS-TRG) and codified in EASA regulation under Part-FCL FCL.405.A and FCL.410.A, together with Appendix 5 to Part-FCL, creating a competency-based pathway directly from zero flight hours to type-rated airline first officer on a specific multi-pilot aircraft type.
Multi-Pilot Time
Multi-pilot time is flight time accrued as a required crew member on an aircraft type-certificated for multi-pilot operations. It is a distinct logbook category under EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 and a binding experience component for ATPL(A) issue under FCL.510(a), requiring a minimum 500 hours on multi-pilot aeroplanes.
P
Pilot in Command Under Supervision (PICUS)
Pilot in Command Under Supervision (PICUS) is the EASA logbook convention — defined in Part-FCL FCL.010 and applied under AMC1 FCL.010 — for flight time during which a fully licensed pilot acts as PIC on a multi-pilot aircraft while a supervising captain carries the formal command authority; up to 500 hours of PICUS time may be credited toward the 1,500-hour PIC requirement for ATPL issue under FCL.510(a)(2).
Practical Test (Checkride)
A practical test is the regulator-mandated flight examination that an applicant must pass to be issued a pilot certificate, rating, or instructor authorization — known colloquially in the United States as a "checkride."
Private Pilot License (PPL)
A Private Pilot License (PPL), known in the United States as a Private Pilot Certificate, is the foundational pilot credential that allows an individual to act as pilot in command of an aircraft for personal, non-commercial purposes.
Proficiency Check (LPC / IPC)
A proficiency check is a recurring practical evaluation of a pilot's skills required to revalidate or renew specific ratings, such as the Instrument Rating, Type Rating, or Class Rating.
S
Simulated Instrument Time
Simulated instrument time is flight time during which the pilot is solely controlling the aircraft by reference to instruments, with outside visual reference blocked by a view-limiting device — historically called "hood time."
Skill Test
A skill test is the EASA practical examination conducted by an authorized examiner to assess a pilot candidate's competency for the initial issue of a license, rating, or certificate, serving as the European equivalent of the FAA checkride.
Solo Flight
A solo flight is a flight in which the student pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft, having been endorsed by their instructor to fly without supervision.
Sport Pilot Certificate
The Sport Pilot Certificate, codified under 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart J (§§61.303–61.327) and established by the FAA's 2004 Light-Sport Aircraft Rule, allows pilots to fly Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) without an FAA medical certificate, requiring a minimum of 20 flight hours and a U.S. driver's license as medical evidence.
Stage Check
A stage check is a formal evaluation conducted by a designated check instructor at prescribed points in a training syllabus to verify that a student has mastered the skills and knowledge required before advancing to the next phase.
Stall Awareness, Recovery, and Spin Training
Stall and spin training is the structured curriculum element — required under 14 CFR §61.107(b) / §61.127(b) for PPL/CPL stall awareness and §61.183(i) for FAA flight instructor spin training, and under EASA Part-FCL FCL.135.A for ATPL/MPL basic UPRT — that develops a pilot's recognition, prevention, and recovery from aerodynamic stall and aggravated-stall spin departure.
Student Pilot in Command (SPIC)
Student Pilot in Command (SPIC) is the EASA logging convention — defined under Part-FCL FCL.010 and applied through Part-FCL Subpart B and Subpart C — for flight time during which a student pilot acts as Pilot in Command on a flight that includes an instructor on board, with the instructor exercising supervision but not exercising command authority.
Synthetic Flight Instructor (SFI)
A Synthetic Flight Instructor (SFI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.SFI permitting delivery of type rating training and instrument rating training exclusively in qualifying Flight Simulation Training Devices (FFS, FTD, FNPT II) — without being required to hold the corresponding aircraft type rating or class rating for actual flight instruction.
T
Threat and Error Management (TEM)
Threat and Error Management (TEM) is the safety-management framework — developed from Line Operations Safety Audit data at the University of Texas Human Factors Research Project — that describes how flight crews identify threats, prevent or trap errors, and manage undesired aircraft states in normal line operations.
Type Rating
A type rating is an authorization added to a pilot certificate or license that qualifies the holder to act as pilot in command of a specific type of complex, high-performance, or large aircraft that requires specialized training beyond a standard class rating.
Type Rating Examiner (TRE)
A Type Rating Examiner (TRE) holds the examiner authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.1005.TRE permitting conduct of type rating skill tests, Licence Proficiency Checks (LPCs), and Operator Proficiency Checks (OPCs) on specific multi-pilot or complex single-pilot aircraft types — the highest type-specific examining authority in the EASA system below the competent authority itself.
Type Rating Instructor (TRI)
A Type Rating Instructor (TRI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.TRI that permits delivery of type rating training on a specific aircraft type — either multi-pilot aeroplanes (TRI(MPA)) or single-pilot complex aircraft (TRI(SPA)) — and is the most senior instructor credential in the EASA licence system below examiner.