Demystifying Phased Recurrent Training and CORe: A Customer-Centric Application of CBTA By Peter Baker, Training Manager, CAE.

Peter Baker, Training Manager at CAE, covers the evolution of recurrent training within the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and how it is creating new opportunities to align training with operational risk and real-world performance.

As the aviation industry continues to evolve, so too must the way we design and deliver recurrent training. Within the EASA environment in particular, the introduction of Phased Recurrent Training and CORe (Continually Optimized Recurrent Training) represent a significant shift towards a more adaptive, data-driven approach grounded in Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBTA).

However, with that shift comes complexity. Regulatory language, new methodologies, and varying levels of familiarity across operators can make these concepts difficult to translate into something tangible and operationally meaningful.

At CAE, our focus has been on bridging that gap and ensuring that CBTA is not only understood, but also effectively applied in a way that delivers measurable value to our customers.

At its core, CBTA expands on the traditional prescriptive training model by aligning training with real-world operational risks. Using evidence-based data, it allows operators to focus on the nine pilot competencies, targeting areas of vulnerability and reinforcing strengths. This ensures that training is compliant, relevant, and impactful.

This philosophy underpins our Phased Recurrent Training programs within EASA. By distributing training across multiple phases, we create opportunities to revisit and reinforce key competencies over time, rather than relying on isolated, event-based interventions. The result is a more continuous and effective learning experience for flight crews.

In practice, expanding from event-based training to competency-based training equips pilots to respond effectively to any situation, while continuing to reinforce preparedness for specific events or failures. For example, CBTA helps pilots by strengthening their problem-solving and decision making, while also enhancing leadership and teamwork. By equipping them with skills that apply to any situation, pilots are better prepared for a variety of situations, whether it’s a system failure or an issue with passengers. The use of observable behaviours further breaks down the detail of each competency to give the pilots a tangible takeaway they can work on.

A key differentiator in our approach has been the integration of customer-specific operational safety data into program design. Through the use of optional training scenarios, operators can select content that reflects their unique risk profile and incorporate it directly into their approved training manuals. This creates a clear and auditable link between safety data, training design, and operational outcomes, which regulators increasingly expect.

CORe further strengthens this model by embedding continuous optimization into recurrent training. While already established in other regions, its adoption within EASA marks another step towards truly dynamic training programs that evolve in response to changing operational contexts and emerging risks. For operators, this means training that remains aligned with their reality, that can be tailored to their specific operational needs and current safety priorities. All our operators can suggest areas of focus based on their safety management data. They also have a continually updated list of selectable exercises that can be chosen for a particular crew or applied across the whole fleet.

The real added value of this CORe training philosophy comes from the instructor, who has the flexibility of selecting CORe options based on what they have seen in the first part of the simulator training session.

Transitioning to CBTA requires more than a few structural changes to training programs – it demands a shift in how training is delivered. Significant emphasis has therefore been placed on developing our Instructor Pilots to operate effectively within this framework. This includes enhancing their ability to assess competencies holistically, conduct evidence-based debriefings, and applying consistent grading standards to support instructor concordance.

For customers, the impact is clear. Crews benefit from training that is directly relevant to their operational environment, while training departments gain confidence that their programs are both compliant and aligned with their safety objectives. This results in better training that contributes to improved flight safety.

Supporting the rollout of these concepts has also required innovation in how we communicate them to our customers. To ensure consistency and accessibility, we have leveraged AI-generated video content to explain Phase Training and CORe topics in a clear and structured way. This has enabled both instructors and customers to engage with the material on demand, reinforcing understanding without reliance on traditional delivery methods.

While technology plays a useful role, it is ultimately an enabler. The real value lies in the combination of data-driven design, instructor capability, and a customer-centric approach to training.

As CBTA continues to mature within the EASA framework, the opportunity is clear: to move beyond compliance-driven training and towards a model that is fully aligned with operational risk, instructor expertise, and continuous improvement. Data capture is the key to continuing moving pilot training forward. As we capture grading data on these 9 Core Competencies and Observable Behaviours, we will be able to guide operators to focus on areas that need improvement specific to their operation based on both company trends and industry-wide data.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 3rd September 2026 | Issue #856