Directing Aircraft from Surface Vessel Operations Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply standard communication procedures to direct aircraft during launch and recovery operations from a surface vessel.
• Analyze environmental conditions and vessel dynamics to determine safe operating parameters for aircraft movements.
• Evaluate emergency scenarios and implement appropriate response actions to mitigate risks during aircraft operations.
• Demonstrate correct use of visual and electronic signaling equipment for aircraft control on deck.
• Coordinate with bridge and flight deck teams to ensure seamless integration of aircraft and vessel operations.
• Comply with relevant South African and international regulations governing surface vessel aircraft operations.

Target Audience

This course is designed for deck officers, aviation operations personnel, and maritime safety supervisors responsible for directing aircraft from surface vessels such as naval ships or offshore platforms.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

The practicals provide hands-on experience in a simulated vessel flight deck environment. Learners practice marshalling signals, deck preparation, communication, and emergency response under realistic conditions to ensure they can safely direct aircraft from surface vessels.

Practical Activities

• Practical 1: Marshalling Signals and Deck Communication — Learners practice standard marshalling signals for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, both day and night, using hand signals and wands. They also practice radiotelephony and intercom communication. (8h)
• Practical 2: Deck Preparation and Aircraft Handling — Learners prepare the flight deck for landing and takeoff, including securing loose items, deploying firefighting equipment, and positioning chocks and tie-downs. They then guide an aircraft (simulated) through landing, shutdown, and departure. (12h)
• Practical 3: Emergency Response Drills — Learners participate in simulated emergencies including deck fire, fuel spill, and helicopter ditching. They operate fire extinguishers, conduct evacuation, and coordinate with the bridge. (12h)
• Practical 4: Integrated Flight Deck Operations — Learners conduct full-cycle flight operations with multiple aircraft, including night operations and low visibility. They manage communication, deck flow, and unforeseen events under instructor observation. (16h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.