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I believe many pilots feel recurrent training is a waste of time and money because they never get anything new out of it. But if you design your own recurrent training and actually learn something, not only will you be a bet- ter pilot for doing so, you may even want to train more frequently because you perceive that recurrent training is valuable. Many piston-twin and most turbine pilots are required to receive some type of specialized flight or simulator instruction every year. Usually, we go to a training provider or a “personal trainer” type of f light instructor and f ly the same mix of normal, IFR, abnormal and emergency procedures every time we train. Some training programs have FAA-approved syllabi that must be fol- lowed. Even with Part 142 operators, however, there is normally still some f lexibility to target your training to your specific needs in the context of the approved scenarios. But it’s up to you to request the specific topics or tasks when you schedule your training. So, how can you target your training to remove any deficiencies in your skills? Self-Analysis The best way to identify your weak areas is to take a few moments after every f light to debrief your perfor- mance. No one knows better than you what goes on when you are alone in the cockpit. Was there anything you did particularly well? Was there any- thing you missed like a radio call or a checklist step? Did you find yourself fumbling with the avionics, or have a hard time dividing your attention between programming the boxes and f lying the airplane (including moni- toring the autopilot)? Did you ever ask yourself, “What’s it doing now?” when f lying with the autopilot coupled? Did you make any blatant mistakes? If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll probably identify a few tasks you could have done better every time you debrief a flight. If you find any serious gap in your skills – such as the inability to easily do something that was part of your instrument rating Practical Test or your most recent type rating or check ride – it is a clear indication you need to hone those skills. Have you installed some new avionics or equipment that alters the way you fly (or monitor) the airplane? Do you detect a trend in the type of mistakes or oversights you make on successive flights? These are indications you need some task-targeted flight (or simulator) training. When the time comes to schedule your next training event, talk to your instructor about the syllabus before- hand. Then, ask to include the practice of any tasks you’ve identified from your debriefings as needing work. Without a plan you’ll likely end up with a stan- dard, abbreviated repeat of the same maneuvers and procedures you covered last time you trained. That’s good to an extent – the industry has a pretty good idea of what most pilots need, at least in general. But you have the opportunity to significantly enhance your training experience by targeting your training to your demonstrated need. Hillaero Modification Center 10 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2019 CD Management 1/3 Square