2. Program Overview

  1. INITIAL TRAINING – The contents of Parts One to Six reflect minimum criteria and are intended to ensure that each trainee is provided with the knowledge necessary to fulfill the responsibilities and duties assigned in the interest of safety. This will primarily be accomplished through instruction. The contents of Part Seven, Drills, reflect minimum criteria for equipment, performance and evaluation and are intended to provide the trainee with the skills necessary to perform their responsibilities and duties.
     
  2. ANNUAL TRAINING – Designed to focus more upon the verification of the crew member’s knowledge and skills than upon instruction and has been developed with three objectives:
     
    1. Verification of knowledge;
       
    2. Instruction relating to new safety/emergency equipment and procedures, and air operator accident/incident review (Part Five);
       
    3. Verification of skills (Part Seven).

      Parts One through Six, with the exception of Part Five, contain the training objectives, which define the scope of knowledge that shall be verified either by examination, or by other approved equivalent means. Part Five does not require a verification of knowledge. Part Seven specifies the drills that shall be conducted and identifies the minimum criteria for equipment, performance and evaluation associated with the skills that shall be verified.

      As Annual Training focuses upon the verification of knowledge and skills, an examination or drill failure indicates a lack of knowledge or skill that will need to be reinforced through instruction before a crew member re writes an examination or repeats a drill.
       
  3. REQUALIFICATION TRAINING – Designed to ensure that the trainee, who is returning to work following an absence during which qualifications lapsed, receives sufficient instruction to enable qualifications to be regained by successful completion of annual training. This will encompass:
     
    • Verification of, and/or review or instruction and practice (where necessary) of those subjects which are required requalification training program content and which will not be included in the annual training;
       
    • Update on company’s operating policy and procedures, company operations manual, flight attendant manual, and pre-flight safety responsibilities; and
       
    • Equipment and procedures training for any equipment or operational procedures introduced by he air operator during the term of absence.

    The required subject content for requalification training is based upon initial training subject matter content; however, the air operator has some flexibility regarding the scope of the material covered. Using the initial training subject matter content as a base level, the onus is on the air operator to ensure that the trainee has sufficient knowledge and skills levels to enable the regaining of qualifications through successful completion of annual training.

    Nota 1: This process may require the air operator to consult with the trainee with respect to the trainee’s specific training needs.

    Nota 2: Requalification training is never given in isolation. It is always followed by attendance at the annual training.

  4. STRUCTURE OF STANDARD

    Following each training objective is a list of subject areas (or scope of knowledge) with associated information points which constitutes the minimum core content of information that shall be incorporated into the respective program, where applicable to the air operator's operation, in order to attain the prescribed objective.

    During Initial Training, the air operator shall verify the trainee’s/flight attendant’s knowledge or skill based upon at least this minimum core content.

    During each subsequent Annual Training, the air operator is expected to verify knowledge in each of the subject areas, not necessarily each of the information points. Knowledge verification by written exam or other approved equivalent means, in each of the subject areas, shall vary from year to year.
     

    An operator may verify knowledge aspects during the conduct of a Line Check.

    Details of any portion of knowledge verification, which is completed during a Line Check, shall be reflected on an individual’s record of training. Details of any drill performed by an individual prior to an operational flight, shall be reflected on an individual’s record of training.

    Verification of Knowledge – The intent of Initial Training is to ensure that each trainee is provided with the knowledge necessary to fulfill his or her responsibilities. Thus, verification that the knowledge has been assimilated is an integral component of Initial Training.

    During Initial Training, knowledge may be verified on an on-going basis by means of tests, oral quizzes, instructor questioning, as well as the formal examinations. Numerous teaching points may be verified through the trainee’s performance during drills, through instructor questions, and from trainee’s questions. Many lesson plans include a review of the subject matter at the end of a presentation. Provided the training program incorporates such a mechanism to verify each information point during the conduct of the training, the formal examination need only verify each subject area.

    While the purpose of verification during Initial Training is to ensure that the trainee has assimilated the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their responsibilities, the purpose of verification during Annual Training is to ensure that the flight attendant has retained the knowledge and skills since their last training session. The means by which the knowledge and skills are verified may therefore need to be different. The verification means during Annual Training must be auditable.


     
  5. DEVELOPMENT
     

    Training program instruction may be developed and delivered using teaching methods such as: demonstrations, classroom lectures, computer based training (CBT); audio-visual presentations, or other methods devised by the air operator provided that the method(s) used ensures that each trainee or crew member is adequately trained in accordance with the standard. Training programs may be organized in a different order than that presented in this standard and drills may be combined (e.g. life preserver drill, life raft drill and ditching drill).

    Documents such as the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), Commercial and Business Aviation Advisory Circulars (CBAACs), Aeronautical Information Publications (AIPs), Minimum Equipment List (MELs), etc, may be referenced to assist in gathering information for the development of training programs.


     
  6. SAFETY

    Training that involves safety and emergency drills shall be as realistic as possible; however, there are potential dangers associated with these aspects of training. Air operators shall take into account the potential for injury during training and apply appropriate safeguards to minimize this risk.
     
  7. REGULATORY APPROVAL

    Air operator crew member training programs require regulatory approval by the Minister of Transport in accordance with Canadian Aviation Regulation (CAR) 705.124. To obtain regulatory approval of an Initial, Annual, Aircraft Type, or Requalification Flight Attendant Training program, or a revision to an approved program, an air operator shall submit the program to the Minister.

    Air operator crew member training programs require regulatory approval by the Minister of Transport in accordance with Canadian Aviation Regulation (CAR) 705.124. To obtain regulatory approval of an Initial, Annual, Aircraft Type, or Requalification Flight Attendant Training program, or a revision to an approved program, an air operator shall submit the program to the Minister.