Integrated Training Program
You may have heard about the Integrated Training Program (ITP) and have been wondering what is it, why are we doing this, what’s this got to do with you and your club.
The combined Operations and Soaring Development team is finalising changes to the training up to GPC standard.
There has been a GPC syllabus since 2009 with no detail behind the soaring and cross country elements for many years. To resolve this gap, over 18 months ago the soaring and cross country competency units, Flying Further course, and Silver coach training were developed. The completed soaring units with more detailed training materials and standards were placed on the GA website to support trainers and students who were participating in trialing the Silver coach courses, and conducting soaring and cross country training (there are now 65 Silver coaches trained and Silver coach training is continuing).
They have been trialed and refined, and now provide an excellent program training soaring and cross-country consistently and effectively. This information has been updated and incorporated into the overall updated training system that the Integrated Training Panel has been working on for over a year.
The rollout of the complete updated training system is being planned now, and the soaring units are part of that rollout, alongside the updated instructing units. To avoid confusion on the rollout of the updated training system the soaring training materials were temporarily removed from the GA website. They have been reinstated in a revised training document area of the website (marked Draft) to enable soaring training to continue.
It is a very exciting change in the way Gliding Australia does training and we thought we’d cover off some common questions on the program below.
Why are we changing?
Member surveys in the last 6 years have asked for modernised training. The ITP will do that. New pilots will have a clear pathway to gain their GPC. Until now the GPC pathway was not supported with training material in particular post solo and the 44 unit steps weren’t closely linked. The ITP will provide clear links between units.
A clear highway that develops pilots’ flying skills will prevent them from becoming disinterested and will keep gliding for years.
Do Instructors and coaches have to re-train?
The updated training program is an improvement on the current system because it gives trainers and students more structured and detailed information to guide them with training and learning respectively. To help familiarise trainers how to best use the new information, we will deliver transition briefings for instructors within the first year of the rollout.
Some of us have been instructing for 20 years or more. Surely we know what we’re doing?
We do not doubt your instructing ability. The ITP will assist you to link all the steps you have been using for many years but in an orderly structured way. Structured theory modules will also be in place to assist you in ensuring students have a good theoretical knowledge of all gliding.
What does this mean for the instructors at my club?
Your instructors will be required to attend a short ground briefing of the program. We hope this will be about 3-4 hours. This is to ensure they are fully aware of the structured nature of the full Training program for the future.
The actual Instructing will not change.
What are the changes with instructors, silver coaches, and how the training is delivered?
All pre-solo competencies can be trained by instructors, so there is no change here. For post solo training, there will be a requirement for trainers to be trained, competent, and current in the units that they present. Silver coach courses may be required.
What resources will be available to help us?
The ITP will provide a full suite of support documentation for both Trainers and Students. The Ops and Soaring Development Panel will provide personnel to assist Instructors and Coaches transition to the co-ordinated program. This will include powerpoints, instructor and student handbooks, and other resources.
What does this mean for students who are part way through the current structure?
Students who are part way into the GPC pathway will be required to have a GPC Pilots Log book. This will enable them to have units they have completed under the current system signed off. It will not delay their progress. It will simply ensure they are competent in all GPC Units.
Where can I learn more about the changes?
Watch this space. Over coming months there will be a series of webinars for everyone directly involved. Instructors and Coaches at all levels, Club Training Panels, Club Committees. There will also be opportunities to ask online questions for every GFA member.
If you’d like to know more keep an eye out for webinars and more information being rolled out in the coming months or have a read of our FAQ.
We can only think of limited questions you may ask so we want you to ask us questions. Please send your questions to:
Lindsay Mitchell vp@glidingaustralia.org
Keep an eye out for webinars and more information being rolled out in the coming months and read our FAQ’s blogs.
