Evey Cormican
Founder-CEO, Visionary Training Resources
Evey Cormican has been an airline pilot and Captain with United Airlines since 1997. Over the years Evey has been selected for many high profile and key assignments including helping with the integration of Continental
and United Airlines. She served as Vice Chairman of Training for the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) and as a flight simulator instructor for United Airlines in Houston. She was also selected to consult with Hughes Aerospace Corporation on RNAV procedure design and GPS GPAS implementation at Newark International Airport and Zurich International Airport. Ms. Cormican is a recognized expert on developing airline safety
programs and improving operational processes.
Ms. Cormican may be best known for her dynamic TEDx talk, “Come Fly With Me” – www.youtube.com/watch?v=am1B4akG_So in which she tells the compelling story of how she, the daughter of Greek immigrants
developed a passion for flying and became a pilot with the unwavering support of her family. She is featured and collaborated with Pourquoi Princess, a children’s book that brings the love of aviation to young girls. Ms. Cormican is passionate about encouraging children to develop a love of flying and embark upon careers in aviation.
Ms. Cormican is particularly proud of her role in the integration of Continental Airlines and United Airlines. She was selected by United’s senior leaders to identify industry best practices in safety and flight procedures and to utilize her strong relationships among pilots to encourage adoption. As a result of her efforts, the thirteen phases of changes mandated by the FAA were seamlessly implemented over a period of three years.
Ms. Cormican was selected to serve as Assistant Chief Pilot in 2012 while flying international routes from Houston to South America. She oversaw 2,000 pilot schedules and ensured that planes were maintained and that
aviation safety was of primary importance. She was selected for a key high profile project as Maintenance Liaison for the 767 aircraft with the goal of increasing dispatch reliability and reducing the number of flight cancelations. She also served as the liaison between pilots and maintenance crews at a time when the maintenance crews did not have a union contract. She used her dynamic personality and ability to build relationships to create win-win situations for all parties and improve maintenance times for aircraft.
A graduate of Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Ms. Cormican also holds a B.S. in Airway Science and Airway Systems Management from University of North Dakota Center for Aerospace studies, a program that she completed in less than three years. She is a Certified Flight Instructor, an Airline Transport Pilot, and Instrument Instructor and Multi-Engine Instrument Instructor and is licensed to fly Boeing 767, 757, and 737 aircraft.
When she isn’t flying she enjoys running and, for eight years, served as the Captain of an ultra running team of 12 runners who ran 200 miles in 2 days. She is the Founder & CEO of Visionary Training Resources and is a member of Women in Aviation International. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Breast Cancer Hub (BCH) and is a volunteer for Young Eagles, an organization that introduces children to aviation.
A Cockpit in the Kitchen
We need to change the way we think about pilot training. The other day I was making my welcome aboard PA from the first-class galley. When I told the passengers, we were in an unmanned aircraft a look of panic and confusion dominated their faces. The relief came fast as I told them the reason is because we have 2 female pilots up front. The need for pilots is so strong we must ensure the quality keeps up with the quantity. One way is to leverage VR and AR technology for immersive content and spatial training repetition that will build muscle memory as well as mental recall. Data analytics that will provide closed-loop feedback improving training systems and trainee outcomes over time.
Rather than shoehorning the pilot into a training footprint, it will be dynamic training based on the individual pilot need. Through VR the pilot will have unbiased feedback that will allow them to redo a procedure, flow, or maneuver as many times as they wish. Therefore, still using the Train To Proficiency (TTP) model.
While VR/AR is not at a place to replace simulator training, it is there to augment it in a way which brings you a consistent New-hire product which will have an easier time throughout the training due to environmental familiarity. Pilots will be able to familiarize themselves with the new aircraft inside and out prior to coming to the simulator facility.