Shifting to Online Learning During the Pandemic
It’s an understatement to say that 2020 has been a difficult year. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken life, damaged health, halted the economy and crippled many air carrier operations.
And margins for many air carriers were already thin before the pandemic.
It’s tough to look for silver linings in times like these, but finding one can be cathartic. As the great Andy Dufresne once said, “Hope is a good thing, maybe even the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” (From The Shawshank Redemption.)
Back in happier times in 2017, we created and shared our 10-year vision:
It’s our vision to have every operator in the U.S. using online training within the next 10 years – by 2027.
We didn’t expect a pandemic to occur during this 10-year period, but it might ultimately be what causes the vision to be realized.
As we grapple with furloughs, working from home, our kids learning online from the kitchen table, and Zoom happy hours with our friends and family, online learning is becoming a permanent part of our work and learning. And our society.
We created TrainingBoom back in 2008 to show air carriers the benefits of online learning for FAR Part 135 online training (and Part 121), but many still trudged forward with classroom training.
We’ve appreciated the surge in interest in our platform since the pandemic started, and we are working to ensure the successful onboarding of each and every new client.
If you’re just starting your FAR Part 135 and 121 online learning platform research, we wanted to share the below from a post back in 2017. We hope this helps. And we’re always here to talk to you. Stay healthy and safe!
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FAR Part 135 Training Providers
The good news is that the FAA encourages operators to contract with approved training providers to develop, deliver and maintain the curriculum and pilot training.
There are two types of training providers:
- Standard classroom training providers
- Online learning training providers
As online training has become mainstream throughout many industries, many air carriers have or are considering switching from classroom training to an online learning provider for their FAR Part 135 Initial and Recurrent training. Online learning providers can deliver the same quality experience at a lower cost. (Babson Survey Research Group estimates that the percentage of academic leaders rating the learning outcomes in online education as the same or superior to those in face‐to‐face instruction is now at 71.4%.)
Online Training Providers for FAR Part 135 Initial and Recurrent Training
There are three categories of online training providers for FAR part 135 training:
High-end software, complete customization
Providers that deliver software with the most features and provide complete content customization. These are the most expensive providers, which are often much more expensive than standard classroom training.
Mid-range software, complete customization
Providers that deliver standard e-learning software with complete content customization and support. These have a price point between the high-end and low-end, with the support and content customization of the high-end providers.
Low-end software, limited customization
Providers that deliver basic, no-frills e-learning software with limited content customization and limited support. These are typically the least expensive, but may force you to handle some of the support and content development burdens.
TrainingBoom has been an online learning provider for Part 135 training since 2008. This enables pilots to complete their FAA-required training from any mobile device or computer without having to travel to a classroom, which saves them time and saves their operator money.
TrainingBoom handles the complete customization of content for aircraft operators, handles pilot onboarding and provides pilot support throughout the year, falling into the mid-range category with the support and customization of the high-end providers.
The FAA has been encouraging operators to review online learning options. TrainingBoom is seeing operators request to shift from low-end providers (who captured market-share in the early days of the online learning shift) to mid-range or high-end providers to ease their burden and reduce their pilot complaints.
To learn more, review the TrainingBoom experience, view our content training library or reach out to us to schedule a demo.