12.7 Operations Training Department Structure

The organisational structure chart for the Operations Training Department is maintained in the approved operations manuals (typically Operations Manual Part A, organisation and responsibilities). Use the chart and role titles your organisation actually publishes; the functions below are the ones the instructor duties in 12.1 Standards through 12.20 Identifies and Recommends Areas for Improvement depend on.

Functions named throughout the duties

12.1 Standards through 12.20 Identifies and Recommends Areas for Improvement cite a small set of functions, not fixed airline job titles. Map each function to whoever holds it in your organisation. A worked role and tool map lives in Ex.1 How to adapt this manual.

Function Where the function appears in the duties
Postholder / head of training (or equivalent) Authorises additional persons in the simulator or cockpit; recipient of the inappropriate-interference report; review-panel chair for instructor discipline; approval authority for Training Memos and for retraction of submitted assessments
Head of flight training Co-recipient of escalation under the communications chain; review-panel member; approval authority for Training Memos dealing solely with pilot training
Fleet training manager First point of contact for clarification, abnormalities, concerns, and external communication routing; maintainer of the Simulator Differences Manual; participant in the disciplinary review panel
Flight operations leadership Advisory voice during the disciplinary review panel (together with the chief pilot or fleet lead, as applicable)
Chief pilot (or fleet lead) Advisory voice during the disciplinary review panel
Nominated postholder for operations training Co-recipient of follow-up on external communication referrals routed via the fleet training manager (where that postholder is separate from the head of training)
Training duty manager Out-of-hours role for resolving training and checking issues

The escalation chain

The escalation chain that runs through the duties is:

  • Day-to-day clarification or routine matter: Instructor → fleet training manager (or other supervising manager).
  • Abnormality, concern, or in-session event: Instructor → fleet training manager → (where necessary) head of flight training and / or postholder / head of training.
  • External communication (other departments or organisations): Instructor → fleet training manager → head of flight training and / or nominated postholder for operations training.
  • Inappropriate interference: Instructor → postholder / head of training (or deputy) directly, with a full written report.
  • Out-of-hours operational issue: Instructor → training duty manager.

The communications principle running through the chain is that lateral communication (instructor to instructor, or instructor direct to flight operations on a training matter) bypasses the structure and undermines its quality-management function.

Connections