Since 1984 the Military Airlift Command (MAC) has moved to improve aircrew training through the use of Aircrew Training Systems (ATS). ATS's represent a radical departure from MAC's traditional training approach because of the autonomy given the ATS contractor in creating and operating these training programs-an autonomy given the contractor in exchange for a qualitative guarantee of ATS graduates. Reliance on this guarantee, however, has limited utility in defining the relationship between the using command and the contractor during ATS development. ATS success requires an acknowledgement by the using command, the acquisition command, and the contractor that ATS development, and operation, is an integrated, 1ong-term venture. That acknowledgement must occur from the outset of the ATS program. A cooperative managerial approach dedicated to fostering a sense of mutual ownership among all participants is paramount. The ATS concept necessitates modification of traditional management functions, modifications derived from "lessons learned" and a modicum of intuitive insight.