Exacting Standards

Many of our customers know that pilots and flight attendants go through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)–approved training program that ensures a safe, secure travel experience for passengers. In this rigorous program, pilots and flight attendants are required to successfully complete classroom, simulator, and on-the-job training ­— known as initial operating experience — when they begin their career with an airline.

What many people might not realize is that training is a continual process for crewmembers: Pilots and flight attendants are required to go through recurrent training each year. This training consists of both hands-on and classroom time that is supplemented with computer-based instruction. At US Airways, our 4,100 pilots and 6,300 flight attendants train at one of our state-of-the-art flight-training centers in Phoenix or Charlotte, which are also two of our three hub cities. (Our third hub is in Philadelphia, and we have a focus city in Washington, D.C., at Reagan National Airport).

The primary responsibility of a flight attendant is keeping passengers and fellow crewmembers safe — and their training emphasizes this. Flight attendants spend many weeks in training for their initial certification. After that, they spend a minimum of one day each year training in first aid, CPR, and defibrillation, as well as emergency evacuation procedures and security. Part of the training includes working emergency scenarios with pilots to improve coordination and communication for the entire crew. In addition to flight attendants’ safety responsibilities, they are charged with providing our passengers a high level of customer service during the flight, so our training program also focuses on providing our customers with consistent and attentive inflight service.

US Airways pilots spend three days each year in recurrent training, which consists of one day of ground school, or classroom time, with an instructor and two days in the flight simulator with a check airman (a pilot who is qualified to train in a simulator and also perform “check rides” on actual aircraft). All pilots are also subject to regular and random checks by both company check airmen and FAA inspectors who are qualified pilots.

What’s particularly notable about US Airways’ pilot training program, coordinated with and approved by the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is that it provides our pilots and our airline with a chance for continual safety improvement by incorporating data from our pilots, instructors, check airmen, flight simulators, and aircraft. These data are continually evaluated for improvement, which assists us in running an even safer, smoother operation for you, our customer.

As you fly with US today, keep in mind that you’re in the capable hands of some of the most highly trained professionals in the airline industry. On behalf of all our employees , thank you for choosing US for your travels. We hope to see you on a flight with US again soon.