On May 18-20, 2010, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted an en banc public forum entitled “Professionalism in Aviation: Ensuring Excellence in Pilot and Air Traffic Controller Performance.” The three-day forum was attended by approximately 300 people in Washington and many others viewed it by live webcast. It provided an opportunity for the NTSB to continue to advocate for its open recommendations related to improving pilot professionalism.
“The forum was an open discussion between the NTSB and the 47 panelists from industry, labor, academia, and government,” said Evan Byrne, a member of the forum’s technical panel. “It resulted from recent investigations by the Safety Board, where pilot and controller professionalism was a safety issue.”
The forum included a discussion on international initiatives in flight training and included a representative from EASA on one of the panels. This exchange helped to expand the reach of the forum to an European audience by providing a focused discussion on the importance of professionalism and the steps being taken in the United States to address the issue.
And, the discussion continues. Recently, Roger Cox, a member of the forum team, presented a paper highlighting key points of discussion at the 63rd annual International Air safety Seminar in Milan, Italy.