Definition
The Multi-Crew Cooperation course is required under EASA Part-FCL FCL.735.A before a CPL holder can be issued a multi-pilot type rating. The course consists of a minimum of 25 hours of theoretical knowledge instruction and a minimum of 20 hours of MCC training in an FNPT II MCC, an FTD 2 MCC, or a Full Flight Simulator (FFS) qualified for MCC. The course must be completed at an Approved Training Organization, and the resulting MCC certificate is a one-time, non-expiring credential that the licence holder carries forward into all subsequent multi-pilot type ratings.
The substantive content of MCC is the role transition. A pilot who has trained entirely as PIC of a single-pilot aircraft has internalized a particular operational mode — make decisions alone, fly and monitor simultaneously, run the radio while flying. Multi-crew operations require deliberately breaking that integration: the Pilot Flying flies and decides, the Pilot Monitoring runs the supporting tasks, and both run a tight communication and cross-check loop. MCC scenarios are deliberately constructed to expose the failure modes of the single-pilot habit transferred into the multi-crew cockpit.
EASA's Airline Pilot Standard MCC (APS-MCC) is the higher-fidelity variant introduced through FCL.735.A and AMC1 to that paragraph. Where standard MCC focuses on the role-split mechanics, APS-MCC delivers full airline-style operations training — performance-based scenarios, automation philosophy, jet upset awareness, line-oriented flight training (LOFT) — and is graded against a competency framework rather than a task list. APS-MCC is increasingly the de facto standard for cadets entering airline integration, and many ATPL integrated programs now embed APS-MCC rather than the legacy MCC-only course.
The FAA does not have a direct MCC equivalent. Multi-crew operations training in the FAA system is delivered as part of the type rating training programme for the specific aircraft and through the operator's Part 121 indoctrination. Pilots transitioning from a multi-pilot EASA path to a multi-pilot FAA path generally retain the MCC competency credit informally, but no formal cross-recognition exists.
Why It Matters for Flight Schools
For ATOs delivering integrated commercial training, MCC (or APS-MCC) is the operational gateway between the modular CPL/IR phase and the airline-employer phase of a cadet's pipeline. Schools that retain a basic MCC course while their cadets' employers expect APS-MCC see graduates struggle in airline cadet programs, generating reputational damage that affects future cadet recruitment.
The operational complexity is significant. MCC requires qualified MCC instructors, qualifying simulators (FNPT II MCC or higher), and a curriculum that integrates competency-based grading. Upgrading from MCC to APS-MCC is not just a syllabus change — it requires a calibrated competency framework, OB-graded scenario design, and an inter-rater-reliable instructor team. ATOs that announce APS-MCC capability without rebuilding their assessment infrastructure produce cadets that fail at the airline integration phase even though their certificate says APS-MCC.
How Aviatize Handles This
Aviatize's training management module supports MCC and APS-MCC courses with the appropriate competency framework — the same nine ICAO core competencies and observable behaviors used in the rest of the CBTA-aligned curriculum, structured into the scenario-based lessons MCC and APS-MCC require. Each lesson grades the student against the relevant competencies (Communication, Leadership and Teamwork, Workload Management, the two Flight Path Management competencies) at the OB level, producing the competency profile airline customers and downstream type-rating providers want to see.
For schools running both MCC and APS-MCC courses, Aviatize keeps the two course frameworks distinct while sharing the underlying competency catalogue, so an ATO can transition cadets between courses without rebuilding records. The completion certificates and theoretical-knowledge records produced are formatted to the EASA AMC1 ORA.ATO.150 standard for course completion documentation.