After three solid days of immersive flight training in military jets with a “Top Gun” instructor and a former astronaut, it’s difficult not to open with a mishmash of tired fighter pilot clichés. It is much easier to share that upset prevention and recovery training programs are eye-opening experiences, will make you a better pilot, and will ultimately save lives.

Flight Research International offers a comprehensive Fundamental Jet UPRT course; I have a fresh graduation certificate, and I learned a lot. The goal of the training is to equip each student with the skills and confidence necessary to overcome and mitigate the number one killer in aviation—a loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) event.

The three-day course includes solid academics and three training sorties in real aircraft; there are no simulators at Flight Research International. This is intentional because, according to the company, “simulators simply can’t take you to the edge of the envelope or fully replicate the emotions of the actual experience.”

Unique to Flight Research International’s Fundamental Jet UPRT program is an initial training flight in a Rockwell Sabreliner aircraft. The Sabreliner, according to the company, is used because it shares aerodynamics with several large business jets and airliners and has similar stall characteristics. For any professional pilot, this is an amazing opportunity to fly a swept-wing transport category jet aircraft to the edge of its certified flight envelope, including full aerodynamic stalls.