The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is pressing for renewed emphasis on manual flying skills and comprehensive pilot training as aircraft automation increases across the industry. ALPA’s first vice president, Capt. Wendy Morse, made the call in an on-stage interview at the Skift Aviation Forum, saying pilots must “go back to our roots” and preserve hands-on flying proficiency.
Morse said safety data and union analysis suggest pilots’ hands-on skills have eroded in some sectors, and she warned against one-pilot airline operations while urging that technology, including AI, should support, not replace, pilot decision-making. ALPA’s position highlights a broader, ongoing industry debate about the right mix of automation, training and crew staffing to keep flight operations resilient.
Why ALPA is pushing “back to basics” (manual flying skills)
- Hands-on practice: Morse said she routinely hand-flies to cruise and encourages pilots to maintain stick-and-rudder skills throughout their careers. The union points to safety data and operational experience indicating less frequent manual handling opportunity on highly automated flights.
- Crew resilience: ALPA reiterated its “Safety Starts With Two” stance opposing single-pilot airline operations, arguing that two qualified crew remain essential for safe operations and to cover situations when a pilot must leave the flight deck.
- Technology as aid, not replacement: Morse acknowledged benefits of terrain-avoidance and real-time turbulence tools but cautioned that AI-driven data must be validated to avoid “bad data” introducing new hazards.
What the research says about manual flying skill erosion
Industry research over the past decade has repeatedly warned about the potential erosion of manual-flight proficiency where crews mainly supervise automation. The IATA manual-flying report (2020) and peer-reviewed studies document that reduced manual flying opportunities can degrade fine-motor and scan skills, particularly for long-haul crews and operators with highly prescriptive SOPs. Flight Safety Foundation and regulatory bodies similarly call for targeted training to preserve manual competence.
Key findings in the literature:
- Automation increases overall safety and reduces workload, but it can reduce pilots’ practical handling time.
- Studies show measurable differences in manual landing or upset recovery performance when crews have less recent manual practice.
Industry implications: training, regulation and airline policy
- Training design: Airlines and regulators are updating curricula to include more manual handling exercises, upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) and scenario-based simulator sessions that force hands-on flying under varied conditions. These measures are intended to keep “stick-and-rudder” skills fresh.
- Regulatory focus: EASA and FAA materials and safety promotion programs have highlighted skill decay as a safety issue and encouraged operators to monitor and manage it through training and operational policy.
- Fleet & operational design: As manufacturers and operators explore steps to streamline crew or add AI aids, unions and pilots emphasise that crew composition and human oversight must be central design inputs to avoid hollowing out practical skills. ALPA’s opposition to one-pilot models underscores the political and safety friction around crew-reduction proposals.
What passengers and operators should know
- Passengers: This debate is about safety margin and how best to combine automation with human skills. For travellers, it means regulators and airlines are actively reviewing and strengthening training and oversight.
- Operators: Practical steps include more hand-flying in line operations where safe to do so, structured manual-flying practice in simulators, and validated AI tools that improve rather than replace human judgement.
What’s next?
- Regulatory guidance updates: Expect further FAA/EASA safety promotion and potential rule guidance on training syllabi and UPRT expectations.
- Airlines’ training revisions: Monitor operator SOP updates and simulator syllabi for explicit manual-flying hours and upset-recovery modules.
- Technology audits: Watch for industry pilots/regulators evaluating AI and data tools in operational trials to ensure output validity before full operational reliance.
Sources
- Flying, Union Urges ‘Back-to-Basics’ Approach to Pilot Skills, Ryan Ewing, 6 Dec 2025.
- ALPA, Wendy Morse bio and union positions (Safety Starts With Two).
- IATA, Aircraft handling and manual flying skills report (2020).
- Flight Safety Foundation, coverage and analysis on manual skills concerns.
- Peer-reviewed / academic studies on manual-skill retention and automation effects.
