CRM Train the Trainer Seminar

CRM Train-the-Trainer Seminar

CRM Train the Trainer Seminar: Surpass yourself – become a certified CRM trainer

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Why this seminar will make a difference for your

If you are responsible for training, safety, and personnel development in an aviation company, you know that good CRM trainers (Crew Resource Management Instructor) are crucial for a sustainable safety culture, effective team communication, and mental resilience in the cockpit. But they are rare.

Our CRM Train the Trainer seminar will help you close this gap—efficiently, practically, and in a way that's tailored to your needs.


Schedule for our CRM Train the Trainer course: CRMI – Crew Resource Management Instructor (MentalAviators®)

The Crew Resource Management Train the Trainer Seminar from MentalAviators® specifically prepares experienced aviation professionals for their role as CRM instructors. Our course meets the requirements of EASA AMC1 ORO.FC.115 and offers comprehensive qualification for anyone who wants to conduct CRM training in aviation companies competently and in compliance with regulations.

With our modular concept, we combine the latest knowledge about human factors with state-of-the-art teaching methods. Participants acquire the teaching qualification for CRM training in accordance with European aviation regulations – for cockpit, cabin, and ground personnel. The aim is to plan, conduct, and further develop CRM training at the highest level.

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Course objective CRM Train the Trainer

The course teaches the technical content and pedagogical skills needed to independently implement CRM initial and recurrent training courses in a practical manner. You will learn:

• confidently interpret the regulatory basis of CRM training (EASA ORO.FC.115, ICAO, IATA)
• Preparing crew resource management content in a didactically effective manner,
• use practical teaching methods,
• Design CRM training courses that are interactive, target group-oriented, and evidence-based.

After successful completion and optional supervision at an approved aviation company, you will be able to independently lead CRM courses and issue qualified certificates of participation to participants.

Structure & schedule CRM Train the Trainer Seminar

Day 1 – CRM Foundations

• Self-study (approx. 4 hours)
• 1.5-hour live Zoom session covering introduction, basics, EASA requirements

Day 2 – Advanced CRM & Human Factors

• Self-study (approx. 4 hours)
• 1.5 hours of live Zoom with discussions, case studies, and scenarios

Day 3 – Classroom training: Didactics & Methodology

• Teaching techniques, adult education, security systems
• CRM program structure, development of own teaching sequences

Day 4 – Face-to-face training: Practical lessons & feedback

• Each participant leads their own short teaching unit.
• Peer feedback & professional trainer evaluation

Requirements for participation

• Human Factors & Human Performance
• Communication, leadership, and decision-making
• Workload Management & Situational Awareness
• Safety culture, SMS, and corporate integration
• Case studies, lesson planning, methodology training
• Evaluation, feedback, and trainer competence

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Supervision & Licensing

Following the course, we offer optional supervision at an aviation company. You will teach under real conditions, accompanied by an experienced CRM trainer (Crew Resource Management Instructor). This supervision forms the basis for your subsequent licensing as an independent CRM instructor in accordance with EASA requirements.

Course language

German or English – depending on the group and preference.

Your specific advantages as a company or an individual

Cost efficiency

• Only two days absence from flight operations
• Cheaper than many providers with longer attendance phases
→ Lower costs. Same quality.

Accurate fit

• Content tailored to the specific requirements of your company / your everyday working life
• Maximum practical relevance instead of off-the-shelf standards
• Lots of knowledge transfer for adult education
→ Tailor-made content for maximum relevance.

Health and well-being of your crews

• Focus on psychological safety, resilience, communication & stress management
→ Long-term resilient crews - mentally fit and conflict-resistant.

Reputation enhancement

• Qualified, certified trainers not only improve the training, but also the internal and external image
→ Show that we are investing in our people and our safety culture.

Efficient use of time

• Hybrid model: 2 days self-study, 2 days classroom training
• Evening webinars, local implementation possible
→ Maximum effect in minimum time.

Further information on Crew Resource Management (CRM – Crew Ressource Management) in aviation

Crew Resource Management (CRM) – originally known as Cockpit Resource Management – is a training concept in aviation that trains flight crews in non-technical skills. The aim of CRM is to minimize human error as a cause of accidents by optimizing teamwork. This includes, above all, effective communication in the cockpit and between the cockpit and cabin crew, clear role allocation, leadership behavior, situational awareness, and sound decision-making in everyday flight operations. This concept is closely linked to the field of human factors training and raises awareness that, in addition to excellent flying skills, teamwork and error management are also crucial for flight safety.
CRM was developed in the wake of several serious aviation accidents in the 1970s. Accident investigations – particularly after the serious collision between two Boeing 747s in Tenerife in 1977 – showed that it was not technical defects but communication problems and poor crew coordination that were often decisive factors in disasters. Hierarchical barriers in the cockpit and a lack of teamwork led to warnings from lower-ranking crew members being ignored or problems being overlooked collectively. In response, NASA organized a workshop in 1979 on improving crew interaction. As a result, aviation psychologists coined the term “cockpit resource management.” In 1981, United Airlines became the first airline to introduce a comprehensive CRM training program. In the years that followed, other airlines followed suit, including in Europe. The concept was soon renamed “crew resource management” to make it clear that the entire team (including flight attendants) was involved. Since the 1990s, CRM training has become established as the global standard and has revolutionized the training of aircraft crews. Modern CRM courses teach pilots and cabin crew in a practical way how they can make better decisions as a team, recognize dangers early on, and avoid stress-related errors together.

In Germany, CRM training has been an integral part of aviation training for decades. Even before Europe-wide regulations came into force, German airlines had recognized the importance of CRM: airlines such as Lufthansa integrated special team and leadership seminars for cockpit crews as early as the 1980s. With the introduction of common European regulations (JAR-OPS and later EU-OPS), CRM training was then also enshrined in law. The Federal Aviation Authority (LBA) stipulated that every airline operating in Germany must offer its pilots regular CRM training. This made CRM training mandatory in civil aviation. Military aviation (e.g., the German Armed Forces) also adopted CRM principles for the training of aircraft crews in order to increase safety in the cockpit and during crew operations.
The legal basis for CRM in Germany today stems primarily from European regulations that have been transposed into national law. Commercial airlines are required to provide a training program approved by the LBA that includes not only technical training content but also human factors training and crew resource management. In practice, German airlines usually conduct a CRM course once a year as part of recurrent training to keep crews' awareness of teamwork, communication, and error culture up to date. However, according to the authorities' specifications, a complete CRM refresher course is mandatory at least every three years. These training courses cover topics such as communication standards in the cockpit, effective crew briefings, mutual monitoring within the team, dealing with stress and workload, and decision-making in critical situations. These regular training courses ensure that pilots and flight attendants in Germany remain up to date with the latest crew resource management methodology and that incidents due to human factors are reduced.

At the European level, CRM requirements have been harmonized by the EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency). EASA prescribes uniform rules for all member states, making CRM training mandatory for flight crews throughout Europe. The EASA aviation regulations (in particular Regulation (EU) 965/2012, known as Air OPS) stipulate that airlines must maintain a comprehensive training and continuing education program for crews. Part of this program is training in human performance and crew management. All crew members – both pilots and cabin crew – must therefore be trained in CRM during their initial training and through recurrent training. EASA also requires specific CRM training when crew members take on new roles (for example, when a first officer is promoted to captain) to prepare them for their changed leadership responsibilities.
European regulations also define the content and quality standards of CRM training courses. The Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Guidance Material on the rules set out detailed requirements regarding the topics that a CRM course must cover. These include communication techniques, situational awareness, teamwork, division of labor, error culture, and decision-making, as well as specific aspects such as stress management, conflict resolution, and dealing with automated systems in the cockpit. EASA emphasizes that CRM should not be taught in isolation, but must be an integral part of the overall training (e.g., in conjunction with simulator exercises).
Another important aspect of the EASA requirements is the qualification of trainers. Crew Resource Management instructors must be specially trained and recognized by the authority. Prospective CRM trainers often undergo their own training courses, known as CRM Train the Trainer courses. In this CRM trainer training, experienced pilots or flight attendants acquire pedagogical skills and in-depth knowledge of human factors in order to be able to conduct effective CRM training. EASA also requires airlines to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their CRM training. This can be done through line flight observation, participant feedback, or checks. The Europe-wide harmonization of these requirements by EASA ensures that a high and comparable standard of CRM instruction is provided in all member states – a significant gain for aviation safety in Europe.

Crew Resource Management is now firmly established globally. The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) incorporated CRM principles into its international standards decades ago. ICAO Annex 6 (Operation of Aircraft) requires every airline to establish a training program that includes training in “human performance” – which explicitly includes CRM training. This ICAO requirement applies to all member states worldwide. In practice, this means that countries ensure in their national regulations that airlines offer their crews regular human factors and CRM training. ICAO published a human factors training manual as early as 1989, emphasizing the importance of CRM as a safety factor. These international guidelines laid the foundation for the introduction of CRM programs around the globe.
In the US, the development of CRM was closely linked to the investigation of aviation accidents. Following the crash of United Airlines Flight 173 in 1978, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) strongly recommended improving cockpit management. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed guidelines for CRM training. As early as the beginning of the 1980s, US airlines began offering voluntary CRM seminars for their crews. The FAA supported this with advisory circulars (e.g., AC 120-51) describing how an airline should set up an effective CRM program. By the 1990s at the latest, CRM training had become mandatory for all major US airlines. The US regulations for flight operations (Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR Part 121) stipulate that airlines must conduct regular CRM training. The FAA monitors implementation as part of airline certifications and audits. Today, CRM is an integral part of all pilot training and continuing education in the US – from commercial airlines to business aviation.
Thanks to ICAO guidelines and the efforts of authorities such as the FAA, CRM has become established worldwide. Almost all civil aviation authorities now require airlines to provide crew resource management training. Many countries base their standards on those of ICAO, EASA, or the FAA. The result: whether in Europe, America, Asia, or Africa, flight crews receive training in team communication, leadership, and human factors. This global commitment to CRM is paying off in safety statistics. Studies and practical experience show that effective crew resource management reduces the error rate and can save lives in an emergency. For this reason, CRM training remains a key element of modern aviation training and a central pillar for the continuous improvement of flight safety worldwide.

Further information available for download


Why MentalAviators® is the right partner for you

We are an interdisciplinary team of aviation psychologists, mental health experts, and educators with aviation experience. We know what CRM (Crew Resource Management) must achieve today—and what it takes to do so.

Our trainings are:

  • Modern, scientifically sound and regulatory up-to-date
  • Psychologically profound and methodologically clear
  • Personal support and professional implementation

We train CRM trainers who really make a difference - in the cabin, in the cockpit and in the corporate culture.

Ready for the next step?

If you are interested in the training as a CRM trainer (Crew Resource Management Instructor) or the certification as a Human Factors Instructor our CRMI course is the ideal starting point. We accompany you from the first day of training to full operational readiness—competently, practically, and with a high level of regulatory depth.

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