MCC (Multi Crew Coordination) should employ an element of CRM, but generally it introduces single crew pilots to multi crew operations. When it was first introduced in the UK the CAA's attitude was that ex military pilot's such as a Tornado pilot were not experienced in multi crew operations, even though they work as a highly coordinated crew with their navigator.
In fact I recall a RAF pilot who flew Tornados and the BBMF Lancaster, was told by the CAA he would need to undertake MCC upon leaving the RAF. Eventually the CAA backed down as part of his conversion onto a the Lancaster included flying a DC3, a multi pilot aircraft, unlike the Lancaster.
Personally I never saw the point of MCC particularly often on out of date aircraft types, simulaters with generic SOPs, but simply integrate the MCC into the initial type rating along with the company SOPs. MCC is a little like JOC (Jet Orientation Course), a bit pointless.
As for CRM in the early days, it mainly concerned the two or three crew members, with little reference to cabin crew, dispatchers, engineers, ATC and even passengers. In the early days there was a battle in the UK over whether to call it CRM (I believe a North American term) or FDM (Flight Deck Management) I think FDM came from Dan Air, personally I always preferred the term Human Factors Awareness Course (HFA).
As for attending a five day CRM instructors course, and being able to teach (facilitate) it the next week, it is not always the best way forward. The first and probably best CRM course I ever attended, which was not in the UK was developed in house by four line pilots, one who was a graduate in psychology and another a highly regarded international speaker on Human Factors.
I can think of a couple of other airlines who developed in house CRM programmes, without the need for a five day CRM trainers course, however they were developed under the 'supervision' of a competent person and the CRM trainers had additional training in facilitating training courses, in one case from someone who had previously worked at the Manchester Business School.
The real downside of CRM instructors course in the UK is there is little choice in training providers, the danger is few providers that it starts to homogenise CRM training. The whole point of CRM training is for the trainers to think out of the box and continually develop their own material which is relevant to the companies culture and operation. Like a shark, if it stops moving forward it dies. The other downside to CRM instructors course is that in some cases it is a 'see one, do one, teach one' approach and does not develop creativity in the trainers. For those not familiar with that term it was used in medicine for junior doctors, for example you would see a medical procedure once, do it once and they teach it!
Finally, I need to mention the authorities who in the UK approve CRM courses and CRM instructors, the CRM police. In the early days the FOI approved the course, despite knowing little or nothing about human factors. I remember an in house 'home grown' CRM instructor developed a training module based on a non aviation accident, to demonstrate the error chain, the FOI did not initially approve, as he only wanted aviation accidents to be included on the course! The odd thing is and to the instructors credit, people never forgot it. Finally, I have to address CRM instructor examiners, I never understand why someone can examine CRM instructors with little or no experience of facilitating CRM.
Last edited by Homsap; 16th Feb 2017 at 22:43.