In the past, pilot training has not always been responsive to the needs of the individual pilot. All pilots received the same training, at the same rate, whether they needed it or not. Acutely aware of the deficiencies inherent in this "lock-step" training concept, the Eastern Airlines flight training staff has developed a totally new method called "TRIM" - short for Task Related Instructional Methodology. The "TRIM" concept recognizes that individual differences are wide and real, and that these differences are magnified by individual learning rates, experience levels, motivation, and inherent aptitudes and abilities. In the "TRIM" ground school program, only relevant subject matter is presented in a realistic cockpit mockup that is the ultimate learning carrel for this type of individualized instruction. Here, the student is exposed to all of the operational procedures for each phase of flight, and he must respond to frequent test situations by making decisions and executing the actions required to handle cockpit tasks in a particular phase of flight. This "learning-by-doing" method has given Eastern Airlines a training program that is 100% oriented to the job requirements of the pilot and is responsive to individual differences, making it possible for every pilot to attain a maximum level of competence in a shorter period of time.