People Keep Coming Back to WATS

Whether it is the quality of speakers, the latest technology on display in the exhibition hall or the opportunity to network, people keep coming back to the World Aviation Training Summit.

If you didn't make it to the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort this year, have a read over the testimonials from the WATS class of 2022 and make sure we see you in 2023!

Vin Parker, FRAeS, Director, Learning & Development

Republic Airways

"I’ve been coming to WATS since 2010, every year, and it remains one of the most important events in the aviation training calendar. Like all conventions, the biggest challenge lies beyond the low hanging fruit, but the continual turnover of training management and improving the training our managers are receiving so we can train forwards to the instructors. The goal for me is to meet other colleagues, plus interacting with the vendors, with the benefit of having a centralised location, which is critical. Convincing leadership that the people that need to be here are the instructors can be challenging, management absorb and translate the information but we need to ensure that WATS is accessible to those that deliver the hands-on training, which will be a huge benefit to the community."

Jerry Howell, Instructor

Pratt & Whitney

"As a previous exhibitor, we’ve been coming as a delegate to the WATS symposium since 2018 looking at pilot training and new technologies, specifically VR and remote learning. Over the last few years our training centres have been offering world leading training but we need to bridge the gap to offer the same leading training for VR/AR and the various platforms this can be delivered on. WATS always offers great conversations with vendors, in one hour I achieved my goal for the event in a comprehensive conversation with one organisation. I’m looking forward to disseminating this information to our customers, ensuring we continue to deliver the best ROI."

Scott Murray, Ray Bell, Stan King, CEO

Bell Murray Aerospace Inc

"We do both civilian and military contracts, this is my sixth time at WATS, I come to benefit from the networking, you can meet people in real life which is totally irreplaceable vs just phone conversations. We came here this year with specific goals and are pleased to have achieved them. The human factors element is really interesting to us.

As previous Delta Pilots we started out 7 years ago and coming to WATS helped us formulate our business model, we also hooked up with a company here, and we are now partners with Southwest, where we train existing and new pilots. We’ve worked between the military, Delta and BMA, pre-Covid there was little new technology and this year has been fascinating looking at the impact of VR and future technologies. It’s a small world when you’re here."

Dave Retnam, Flight Ops Chief Pilot

Southwest Airlines

"We have three separate teams here, cabin crew, flight operations training and me, running Southwest Destination 225. Our program involves building relationships with organisations outside Southwest in order for us to offer our unique training programme to pilots to get them qualified to Southwest certification. Being in the WATS environment and participating in the discussions with regards to the evolution of training, training elements eg CBT and tech advances that makes their way into our environment, puts me in a position where I can be well informed as to what those developments look like."

Mel Harmsworth, Student Trainee

Bolverk

"I joined Bolverk a couple of months ago, as trainee and this is my first WATS. I’m here working on our stand and its been amazing to meet people from such a variety of backgrounds, engineers, pilots, instructors, management. As a student I thought it would be quite intimidating, but everyone is so welcoming and friendly and genuinely interested in our products. I’m going to leave WATS feeling more confident, knowledgeable and better connected. The networking is really interesting and the latest technologies incorporated into such complex packages is fascinating."