#3 - Why CBTA Still Confuses Everyone: Myths and Misconceptions

Despite growing industry momentum around CBTA, skepticism persists among many heads of training, line pilots, and veteran instructors. It’s too soft. It’s too subjective. I don’t need therapy.

In this episode, Bryan and Cédric address and dismantle the most common myths and misconceptions surrounding CBTA. They explore why it remains confusing for so many and explain how to turn it into an operational reality.

In this third episode, we unpack: 

👉 Why CBTA still faces pushback, and where skepticism really comes from

👉 Why CBTA is not personality grading, therapy, or “soft skills training”

👉 How CBTA keeps technical flying skills at the core

👉 Why competence means performing in the unknown, not just repeating past experience

👉 How instructor standardization works in practice and assessment stays consistent across fleets

👉 Why implementation is a journey, not a cliff edge

Timestamps: 

00:00 |  Why CBTA still gets pushback, soft, subjective, paperwork?

00:39 | "I just want to fly the plane" Addressing the therapy myth

02:12 | CBTA's real goal: predicting performance in unexpected situations

05:41 | Competencies vs stick-and-rudder: finding the right balance

09:22 | Workload, delegation & safety outcomes in abnormal scenarios

14:51 | Overconfidence in the sim: using CBTA to expose and fix it

18:34 | Experience vs competence: meta-skills for the unknown

20:07 | Instructor grading consistency: standardization & ICAP recalibration

26:28 | Standardizing across fleets: one assessment method, different aircraft

29:36 | Airline implementation: step-by-step CBTA/EBT maturity and regulations

32:14 | How Simaero supports the transition and final takeaways

Coming Next: CBTA from the crew and instructor perspective

We’ll step into the sim to show what CBTA looks like on a typical training day — from instructor support and session design to coaching-style debriefs and check ride preparation. A practical look at how CBTA works in action for the flight crews.

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Got more questions about CBTA, EBT, or your own transition journey? Drop them in the comments, we're always listening.

The Training Standard is a special podcast produced by Simaero. For inquiries about CBTA implementation, pilot training, or partnership opportunities, visit www.sim.aero.