Which of the following is a disadvantage of SBT that instructors should consider?

• A. More preparation, effort and imagination needed on the part of the instructor; More flight time per lesson; The risk that a customer's decisions can place the instructor in difficult and unanticipated situations
• B. It doesn't teach the customer physical flying skills
• C. It reduces flight time per lesson
• D. It eliminates the need for preparation

Answer: (A)

Scenario-Based Training emphasizes teaching pilots to make sound decisions in realistic situations. The main drawback for instructors is the heavy lift in planning: it requires substantial preparation and imaginative scenario design to feel authentic and safe. Along with the setup, instructors often need more flight time per lesson to explore the scenario, allow for student choices, and conduct thorough debriefs that reinforce learning. The open-ended nature of student decisions can also lead the session into unexpected or difficult situations, which the instructor must manage, increasing complexity and potential risk. Taken together, these factors—more prep, more flight time per lesson, and the possibility of unanticipated, challenging outcomes—are the practical disadvantages of SBT. Other choices aren’t aligned with how SBT works: it does teach decision-making alongside flying skills, it doesn’t inherently reduce flight time, and it certainly doesn’t eliminate the need for preparation.