CBTA

CBTA is a training philosophy that focuses on what aviation personnel can actually do safely and effectively in real operations, not just what they know or how many hours they have flown

Why CBTA Was Introduced

Traditional aviation training relied heavily on:

• Flight hours

• Checklist compliance

• Pass/fail maneuver standards

• Knowledge-based exams

However, accident and incident investigations showed that:

• Many crews had sufficient hours and licenses

• But failed in decision-making, communication, workload management, or threat handling

So ICAO and regulators concluded:

Safety problems are usually competency failures, not knowledge failures

CBTA was introduced to close that gap

CBTA is driven by ICAO through:

• ICAO Doc 9868 – PANS-TRG

• ICAO Doc 9995 – Evidence-Based Training (EBT)

• Integrated with Safety Management Systems (SMS)

CBTA aligns training with:

• Real operational risks

• Accident/incident data

• Human factors

CBTA answers four key questions:

1. What competencies are required for safe operations?

2. How can those competencies be developed?

3. How can they be observed and measured?

4. How can training be continuously improved based on evidence?

What Is a “Competency” in Aviation?

A competency is a combination of:

• Knowledge

• Skills

• Attitudes

• Behaviors

Example:

“Situation Awareness” is not just knowing procedures, but:

• Perceiving relevant information

• Understanding its meaning

• Anticipating future states

• Acting appropriately

ICAO Core Pilot Competencies (Example)

ICAO defines 9 core pilot competencies (used as a global reference):

1. Application of Procedures

2. Communication

3. Aircraft Flight Path Management – Manual Control

4. Aircraft Flight Path Management – Automation

5. Leadership and Teamwork

6. Problem Solving and Decision Making

7. Situation Awareness

8. Workload Management

9. Threat and Error Management (TEM)

These apply across:

• Training

• Line operations

• Assessment

How CBTA Changes Training

Traditional Training

• “Fly X hours”

• “Pass maneuver Y”

• “One failure = retrain”

• Instructor-centered

CBTA Training

• Scenario-based

• Risk-based

• Performance observed over time

• Learner-centered

• Continuous feedback

CBTA in Practice (Example: Pilot Training)

Instead of:

“Demonstrate engine failure at V1 within standards”

CBTA asks:

• How does the pilot:

• Manage startle effect?

• Communicate with ATC?

• Prioritize tasks?

• Use SOPs under pressure?

• Maintain situational awareness?

The maneuver becomes a tool, not the objective.

CBTA and Assessment

Assessment under CBTA:

• Is evidence-based

• Uses observable behaviors

• Is continuous, not one-off

• Uses grading scales linked to competencies

Assessors are trained to:

• Observe

• Collect evidence

• Provide structured feedback

• Avoid subjective bias