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Sources:
Bill Gross, 785-826-2970, bgross@sal.k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Jennifer Newberry, 785-532-6415
Wednesday,
July 20, 2005
K-STATE
AT SALINA PROFESSOR WORKS TO HELP INTEGRATE TECHNICALLY ADVANCED
AIRCRAFT INTO FLIGHT TRAINING
SALINA
-- Bill Gross, professor of aviation at Kansas State University
at Salina, is working with the Federal Aviation Administration on
a national flight program to improve flight training.
The
program is called FITS -- FAA/Industry Training Standards. The mission
statement is to ensure pilots learn to safely, competently and efficiently
operate a technically advanced airplane or light jet aircraft in
the modern National Airspace System.
"The
training will create and teach real-life scenarios," Gross
said. "The student will be flying flights that have a purpose
rather than just going to the practice area to build time with maneuvers."
The
FAA developed the FITS program in 2002 in response to the emergence
of a new class of technically advanced general aviation aircraft.
The FAA's goal, outlined in their 2004-2008 Flight Plan, is to reduce
the amount of general aviation accidents -- 75 percent of which
are due to pilot error.
Gross
said he became involved with the FITS program after K-State at Salina
purchased five new Cessna 172 airplanes with Garmin G-1000 navigational
suite. The FAA's Wichita branch contacted Gross and asked him to
get K-State at Salina involved.
After
being trained in FITS scenario flying, Gross is now training K-State's
flight instructors under the FITS curriculum. Training of students
will begin this fall. Gross will compare the results of FITS training
with traditional training.
Most
lessons will involve a cross-country flight, Gross said. The departure
trip will be conducted under visual flight rules and the return
trip will be conducted under instrumental flight rules.
Currently
in the early stages of the program, Gross is learning program details,
preparing a FITS syllabus and training flight instructors. He has
submitted a private pilot/instrument rating syllabus for approval,
but has not received feedback from the FAA yet.
Once
the syllabus is approved, Gross said the future plan is to get more
students involved and increase the total number of students in K-State's
aviation program.
"We
hope we will be able to improve the overall quality of our students
and bring more flight training to Kansas State University and Kansas,"
he said.
The
FITS program will give K-State at Salina better-trained students,
Gross said. Students will be prepared with less flight time, which
will save them considerable money, and they will be more prepared
to fly the new generations of business jets and airliners.
Although
the university has not committed any money to the program, K-State
at Salina is contributing through research and participation.
Others
involved in the FITS program include Middle Tennessee State University,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, North Dakota State University,
Cessna Aircraft Co., ADAMS/Aircraft, Mooney Airplane Co., The New
Piper Aircraft Inc. and Cirrus Aircraft.
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