AICC

legacy

Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee

1988

aicc_overview.md

The Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee (AICC) was founded in 1988 as a task force to develop guidelines for the aviation industry's use of computer-based training (CBT). It was the first organization to establish interoperability standards for eLearning content, laying the groundwork for everything that followed.

AICC introduced the concept of separating content from the delivery system — the fundamental principle that would drive all future eLearning standards. Their HTTP-based communication protocol (HACP) allowed content to communicate with a Learning Management System (LMS) across different servers, a capability that SCORM would not match until years later.

The committee officially disbanded in 2014, but its influence lives on in every modern eLearning standard.

key_features.txt

Key Features

[+]HTTP-based communication (HACP) — content and LMS could be on different servers
[+]Course Structure Format (CSF) for defining course organization
[+]Separation of content from delivery system
[+]Completion and score tracking
[+]Cross-domain communication support

known_limitations.txt

Limitations

[-]Aviation-specific origins made adoption complex for other industries
[-]Limited data model compared to later standards
[-]No content packaging specification
[-]Complex implementation requirements
[-]Minimal sequencing capabilities

technical_spec.json

Technical Details

data Model:

CMI data model with basic fields (lesson_status, score, etc.)

communication:

HTTP HACP (HTTP-based AICC Communication Protocol) — server-side

packaging:

Course Structure Format (CSF) — text-based file

tracking:

Completion status, score, time, and basic objectives

key_people.txt

Key People

Bill McDonaldAICC Chair / cmi5 Architect Claude OstynLearning Standards Strategist / SCORM Cookbook Author

related_organizations.txt

Related Organizations

AICCAviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee Rustici SoftwareRustici Software

historical_notes.md

Historical Context

In the late 1980s, the aviation industry was spending millions on computer-based training for pilots, mechanics, and other personnel. Each CBT vendor used proprietary formats, making it impossible to reuse content across different systems. The AICC was formed to solve this problem, and their work would eventually inspire ADL to create SCORM.