Multi-Crew Operations
Terms specific to multi-pilot operations — PF/PM role split, CRM, TEM, sterile cockpit, stabilized approach, and the discipline that distinguishes multi-crew from single-pilot flying.
Operational(10)
Flight Duty Time
Flight duty time is the maximum number of hours a pilot or instructor can remain on duty, including flight time and ground duties, before a mandatory rest period is required.
Pilot Flying / Pilot Monitoring (PF/PM)
Pilot Flying (PF) and Pilot Monitoring (PM) are the two operational roles in a multi-crew cockpit — the PF physically flies the aircraft while the PM runs checklists, communicates with ATC, monitors aircraft state, and cross-checks the PF's actions.
Pilot in Command (PIC)
The Pilot in Command (PIC) is the pilot designated as having final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight, regardless of who is physically manipulating the controls.
SID and STAR (Standard Instrument Departure / Standard Terminal Arrival)
SIDs (Standard Instrument Departures) and STARs (Standard Terminal Arrivals) are pre-published IFR routings — defined under ICAO Doc 8168 (PANS-OPS), 14 CFR Part 97, and EASA Part-CAT.OP.MPA — that connect an airport to the en-route airway structure and back, simplifying ATC clearances and standardizing terminal-area operations.
Stabilized Approach Criteria
Stabilized approach criteria are the operator-defined performance gates an aircraft must satisfy by a specified altitude (typically 1,000 ft AAL in IMC, 500 ft AAL in VMC) — codified in ICAO Doc 9870 (Manual on the Prevention of Runway Excursions), FAA AC 120-71 / 91-79, and EASA AMC1 ORO.GEN.110 — below which the approach must be discontinued via a missed approach if any criterion is unmet.
Sterile Cockpit Rule
The Sterile Cockpit Rule — codified in 14 CFR §121.542 and §135.100 (FAA) and EASA AMC1 CAT.GEN.MPA.110 — prohibits non-essential conversation and activity in the cockpit during critical phases of flight (typically below 10,000 ft, plus all ground operations and all takeoff/landing operations) to reduce distraction-induced errors.
TAWS and GPWS (Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems)
GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System) is a reactive system that warns of hazardous proximity to terrain using flight parameter sensors.
TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System)
TCAS is an airborne collision avoidance system that operates independently of ground-based ATC to detect nearby transponder-equipped aircraft and, in its most capable version (TCAS II), issue coordinated Resolution Advisories directing each pilot to climb or descend to maintain safe separation.
Total Flight Time (Total Time)
Total flight time — colloquially "total time" on a pilot CV — is the aggregate of all flight time across all aircraft categories, all roles (PIC, SIC, dual, solo), and the entire career, defined under 14 CFR §1.1 (FAA) as pilot time commencing when the aircraft first moves under its own power for flight and ending when it comes to rest after landing, and under EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 with substantially equivalent language.
V-Speeds (Aircraft Operating Speeds)
V-speeds are standardized aircraft operating speeds defined during certification under EASA CS-23 / CS-25 / CS-27 / CS-29 and 14 CFR Parts 23/25/27/29, used for takeoff, climb, cruise, approach, landing, and emergency procedures, and color-coded on every airspeed indicator.
Regulatory(10)
Airman Certification Standards (ACS)
The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) are FAA documents that define the knowledge, risk management, and skill standards an applicant must demonstrate to earn each pilot certificate or rating.
Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)
An Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) is a physician designated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 183 §183.21 to examine applicants for FAA medical certificates and to issue First, Second, and Third-Class medical certificates on behalf of the FAA.
Class 1 Medical Certificate
A Class 1 medical certificate is the highest medical standard in both the FAA (14 CFR Part 67 Subpart B) and EASA (Part-MED) systems, required to exercise the privileges of an Airline Transport Pilot Licence and a Commercial Pilot Licence in many jurisdictions.
FAR Part 121 — Scheduled Airline Operations
14 CFR Part 121 is the FAA regulation governing U.S. scheduled passenger and all-cargo air carrier operations, including domestic, flag, and supplemental operators such as American, Delta, United, FedEx, and UPS. It prescribes operating certificates, crewmember training programs (§121.401), flight/duty time limits (§§121.470–121.471), and mandatory Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Programs (§121.367).
FAR Part 135 — Commuter and On-Demand Operations
14 CFR Part 135 is the FAA regulation governing U.S. commuter and on-demand air carrier operations — including air taxis, fractional ownership programs (NetJets, Wheels Up), helicopter EMS (HEMS), and regional commuters operating aircraft with 9 or fewer passenger seats.
FAR Part 142 — Training Centers
14 CFR Part 142 is the FAA regulation governing certificated training centers — organizations such as FlightSafety International, CAE Simuflite, Boeing Training & Professional Services, and Airbus Training that deliver type rating, recurrent, and Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) training primarily in full-flight simulators (FFS) and flight training devices (FTDs).
FOQA and FDM (Flight Operational Quality Assurance / Flight Data Monitoring)
FOQA (Flight Operational Quality Assurance — FAA term) and FDM (Flight Data Monitoring — EASA / ICAO term) are the systematic programs — codified in FAA AC 120-82, EASA AMC1 ORO.AOC.130, and ICAO Annex 6 — for collecting, analyzing, and using digital flight data from line operations to identify safety hazards and improve operational performance.
LOSA (Line Operations Safety Audit)
LOSA is a structured, non-punitive cockpit-observation methodology — codified in ICAO Doc 9803 — in which trained observers ride as jumpsuit passengers on normal revenue flights to record threats, crew errors, and undesired aircraft states, producing de-identified fleet-level safety data.
NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)
The NTSB is an independent U.S. federal agency established by the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 (49 USC Chapter 11) that investigates civil aviation accidents and issues safety recommendations to reduce future risk, with no regulatory or enforcement authority of its own.
Safety Performance Indicator (SPI)
A Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) is a measurable parameter — defined under ICAO Annex 19 and codified in EASA SMS rules and FAA SMS guidance — that an organization uses to monitor and assess its safety performance against agreed Safety Performance Targets (SPTs).
Training(19)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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-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.
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).
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.
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.
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT)
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) is the specialized flight training mandated under EASA Part-FCL FCL.745.A and codified in ICAO Doc 10011 that prepares pilots to recognize, prevent, and recover from aeroplane upsets — large deviations in pitch, bank, or speed that can lead to Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I), the leading cause of fatal accidents in commercial aviation.
Business(2)
Aviation Insurance
Aviation insurance covers the physical-damage and liability exposures unique to aircraft ownership and operation, underwritten through a specialty international syndicate market because general-purpose insurers lack the actuarial data and technical underwriting capacity to price aviation risk.
Cadet Program and Bonded Training
A cadet program is an airline-sponsored ab-initio pilot training pipeline that recruits zero-time candidates and trains them to First Officer standard; bonded training is any arrangement in which the training cost is sponsored by an employer against a contractual service commitment, with liquidated damages provisions if the pilot leaves before the bond period expires.