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The Importance of Training
Our Academy will launch in a few days. It’s important to clarify the goals and methods that guide this new initiative in the national aviation landscape.

The objective behind our efforts is to provide excellence in training, which is the only acceptable standard of preparation in a high-risk system like aviation. None of us would agree to be treated by a doctor who doesn’t remember where the spleen is, be defended by a lawyer who only partially knows the law, or go on a cruise with a captain unfamiliar with the sea. A professional is held to a higher standard of diligence than is expected from other workers. It is expected that they master their subject, with deep, accurate, and conscientious knowledge of their field.

However, what we’ve observed in recent years in global civil aviation is a noticeable decline in airmanship—that ability to master the elements, maintain appropriate situational awareness, and make sound decisions based on intense study, dedication, discipline, and passion for one’s profession.

If we analyze recent accidents, we notice a paradox. While human error is unavoidable, there are many ways to anticipate, recognize, and mitigate it—through the continuous refinement of one’s professional skills, incorporating daily experiences into the body of knowledge developed during training.

It is worth taking a deeper look at the word “training.” It comes from the idea of “shaping” or “forming”—preparing the mind to absorb future experiences. The Romans even spoke of a “forma mentis.”

Training is the foundation, the base structure of individual knowledge. It's the rough frame that, when completed with the bricks of accumulated experience, becomes the building we rely on. Without this framework—a structured system into which future experiences are placed—we cannot truly speak of knowledge. It would be like throwing bricks into a sack: a useless, cumbersome heap of disconnected information lacking a coherent context.

This is why it’s essential to adopt the right methodological approach, to understand how to study, how to face operational environments by referencing books, manuals, teachings, and lived situations.

Let’s use a musical analogy. Take the guitar—an instrument that’s easy to learn poorly. Many people pick up the guitar and can play something within a few months. The classic “C chord progression” gives the beginner the illusion of mastery. But without proper instruction, that same C progression will remain with them for fifty years—unchanged. They'll never improve. They'll always be an amateur who, when things get tough, has to put the instrument down and watch real musicians take over.

Anyone choosing to undergo the selection process for our Academy must understand that they are not here to find a job. We are not an aviation employment agency. Surely, a job will come—as a byproduct of the kind of training received here. The Academy’s main goal is to instill the core concepts that will turn a pilot into a co-captain without experience.

This must be understood clearly—because once on board, risks and responsibilities are shared with the Captain. Emergencies and critical situations don’t show up on the monthly duty roster. They come when they come, and we must always be ready to respond in a professional and competent way.

A recent incident involving an airline pilot in Belgrade (thankfully with no consequences for the passengers) is emblematic. The pilot had completed line training after transitioning to a new aircraft. The Captain aligned the aircraft on the wrong portion of the runway. Despite being warned by the tower controller—more than once—that the alignment didn’t appear correct given the remaining runway length, he chose to apply full thrust and take off.

It was the first flight as designated pilot for the first officer. An accident occurred.

The legal, criminal, civil, professional, and corporate consequences won’t fall solely on the Captain—they’ll also fall on the co-pilot, even though it was his first flight as a second in command.

There is nothing more to add.