CFIs’ Safety Behaviors at Flight Training Schools: Understanding the Effects of Personality Traits, Self-Efficacy, Risk Perception, and Safety Climate

According to Aircraft Owners Pilot Association [2], approximately 63% of the accidents involving certified flight instructors (CFIs) occurred during advanced training, which involves low altitude operations, critical decision-making skills, and accurate judgement. Research in the past has demonstrated that pilots’ safety behaviors also predict their involvement in an accident or incident [6]. Many studies across various work domains have examined how factors such as personality traits, perceived risk, safety climate, and self-efficacy influence safety behaviors [1][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Studies have found that personality traits such as Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Openness, and Agreeableness were positively related to safety behaviors [3][7][11], whereas Neuroticism was negatively related to safety behaviors [3]. Past research has also shown that factors such as Self-efficacy, risk perception, and safety climate were positively related to safety behaviors [1][4][5][6]. Some studies have found that factors such as risk perception and self-efficacy either mediated or moderated the relationship between personality traits and safety behaviors [10][13]. Other studies have found that safety climate moderated the relationship between personality traits and safety behaviors [9][12]. This presentation will put forth a hypothetical model of how these factors influence safety behaviors, including the direct and indirect relationships between personality traits, self-efficacy, risk perception, safety climate, and safety behaviors of CFIs. Their implications for flight schools will also be discussed

Effects of Verbal vs Graphical Weather Information on a Pilot’s Decision Making During Preflight

Advancements in technology has made obtaining a graphical/textual preflight weather briefing easier than a traditional verbal briefing. This study compared weather briefings delivered in a verbal format (i.e., written narrative) to those delivered in a graphical format (i,e., radar map plus textual data) in a within-subjects study that altered the order in which participants received each format. Thirty-six pilot participants read and responded to weather briefings for two flight scenarios that when put together, created a simulated multi-leg flight. Each pilot’s decision making and confidence in their decision was captured via Likert-scale and open-ended questions following each scenario. Decision making response was measured based on whether participants made a “go” or “no-go” decision, along with ratings of decision confidence. This paper will present the study methods and results, as well as a discussion on weather briefing design and delivery

Recommended Training Practices to Prepare Pilots to Cope With Information Conflicts

As the next generation of flight deck information systems are being utilized on the flight deck, pilots now have greater amounts of information at their fingertips. Although redundant sources of information allow pilots to crosscheck, they also introduce the potential for information conflicts. There is a need to ensure pilots are trained to effectively evaluate, integrate and make decisions based on information from redundant, and potentially conflicting information. Based on findings from a literature, we present several best practice guidelines for preparing pilots to effectively respond to conflicting information. Based on data collected during a questionnaire study administered to a large sample of pilots, and a simulation-based study with B737 pilots, we transformed these guidelines into training recommendations for the pilot training community and provide use case examples of how these recommendations could be implemented

Pilot Selection Research Gaps: What We Do and Don\u27t Know About The Right Stuff

Ever since the commencement of high-powered flight, pilot selection has been a crucial process within military, general, and commercial aviation. Through effective pilot selection, individuals with the necessary aptitudes, or the right stuff to get through a training program and successfully perform the job, can be chosen. There is a range of different aptitudes that have been shown through research to correlate with effective pilot performance. However, there is currently not a comprehensive understanding of the aptitudes, including both cognitive abilities and psychological attributes, necessary not only for effective pilot performance but also for a successful career as an aviator. This paper provides an overview of the history of pilot selection and reviews pilot selection research that has examined cognitive abilities, personality traits, and other skills as predictors of pilot performance. Further, we discuss the reliability and predictive validities of pilot selection batteries aimed at measuring these traits. Finally, we identify gaps in the research and provide a roadmap for future research designed to identify the right stuff, and how we can both select for, and where possible, train individuals for a successful career as an aviator

Empirical Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Eye Tracking-based Search Performance Diagnosis And Feedback Methods

In today\u27s complex combat environments, troops are often faced with increasingly challenging tasks different from those experienced in the past. Warfighters must be trained in adaptive perceptual skill sets, such as search strategies that enable them to detect threats across any number of environmental, cultural, and situational conditions. The goal of the present study was to explore how advanced technology, specifically eye tracking, can be used to increase understanding of perceptual processes such as search and detection and provide tools that can be used to train search skills. Experiment 1 examined a method of diagnosing perceptual performance in order to be able to identify the perceptual root cause of target detection deficiencies and how these impact overall target detection performance. Findings indicate the method can be used to pinpoint where in the perceptual process a target miss originated, whether due to ineffective search strategy, inability to detect the subtle cues of the threat or inability to recognize these cues as indicative of a threat. Experiment 2 examined the training effectiveness of providing trainees with process level tailored feedback which incorporates elements of expert and trainee scan patterns. Findings indicate that providing trainees with elements of either expert or trainee scan patterns has the ability to significantly improve the search strategy being employed by the trainee. This work provides strong support for the use of eye tracking based perceptual performance diagnosis methods and training strategies in improving trainee search performance for complex target detection tasks

Recommended Training Practices to Prepare Pilots to Cope with Information Conflicts

As the next generation of flight deck information systems are being utilized on the flight deck, pilots now have greater amounts of information at their fingertips. Information that was typically available only from certified information sources in aircraft panels, is now being provided by a range of sources, both within the panel and on Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs). Although redundant sources of information provide pilots a means by which to crosscheck and hone in on ground truth, they also introduce the potential for pilots encountering conflicting information. As conflicting information can have negative effects on decision making, there is a need to ensure pilots are trained to effectively evaluate, integrate and make decisions based on information from redundant, and potentially conflicting information. Based on findings from the literature, we present several best practice guidelines for preparing pilots to effectively respond to situations in which they will be faced with redundant and potentially conflicting information. Based on data collected during a questionnaire study administered to a large sample of airline, corporate and general aviation pilots, and a simulation-based study with B737 airline pilots, we operationalize these guidelines into specific training recommendations for the pilot training community and provide use case examples of how these recommendations would be implemented in both commercial and general aviation contexts

Examining Pilot Response to Cybersecurity Events on the Flight Deck

Cybersecurity is a growing concern in the aviation industry. In general, cybersecurity research has typically focused on providing technical solutions such as hardening networks and improving computer systems, with little focus on the human operator. Human operators, such as pilots, are often the last line of defense; however, it is currently unclear whether pilots can recognize cybersecurity vulnerabilities, detect when a system is being compromised, and respond appropriately to a cybersecurity event. A review of literature revealed three key stages in cybersecurity response decision process (susceptibility, detection, and response) that are influenced by eight separate factors (perceived susceptibility, perceived safeguard cost/ effectiveness, system trust, system reliability, system knowledge, cybersecurity knowledge/ experience, saliency of cybersecurity event, and system transparency). This framework was examined within the aviation domain by administering a questionnaire to a large sample of airline, corporate and general aviation pilots and conducting a simulator study with a medium size sample of B737 airline pilots. This presentation will describe the methods and findings associated with these two efforts, along with implications and guidance for the aviation industry

Examination of the Impact of Various Training Approaches on Different UAS Operator Populations

In recent years, the UAS industry has extended beyond military and recreational use and is now positioned to become a major portion of the aviation industry. As we move toward UAS integration into the national airspace system, UAS operators need effective training to ensure safe operation. Training UAS operators in an engaging way is important to ensure the best performance and transfer of training. Training methods that elicit high levels of learner engagement have been shown to improve knowledge gains, performance, and therefore such training techniques provide an opportunity for improving UAS training effectiveness and transfer. The growth of the UAS industry across various domains such as first responders and industrial inspectors has resulted in a broad demographic of end users. Given this, training may need to be tailored based on the population to ensure an engaging experience. To examine this topic, a study was conducted in which UAS pilots from the student population and first responder population participated in UAS training to test the effect of different training approaches on learner engagement of different end user populations. Participants engaged in instructional videos, simulation challenges, and live obstacle courses and were measured on their engagement levels and performance. This presentation will describe the methods and findings associated with the study along with implications for the aviation industry

The different use of an urban and rural habitat by wintering and resident song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) : a case study from western North Carolina

Differences in environments have the potential to affect the behaviors of animals within these areas. In comparison to rural environments, urban environments provide a warmer microhabitat, different predation risk levels, more anthropogenic food opportunities, and artificial light sources. Non-migratory song birds within urban environments have been shown to have a higher local survival rate, earlier gonad development, and better mating success. For this research, weekly point count surveys were conducted at an urban and a rural site in western North Carolina from October 2009 to April 2010 to count and identify banded and non-banded individuals in order to determine if a difference existed between the proportions of migrating individuals. Each site contained a partial migratory population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), that have already been shown to differ in their average levels of aggression and boldness. Results showed that significantly more males remained as yearlong residents in the urban population than in the rural population (p = 0.024), while all females from each population migrated over the winter. Nearly ten times as many migrating song sparrows on average were observed on the rural site than on the urban site during the survey months of November 2009 to January 2010 than within the urban site (p < 0.001). These results, in conjunction with the higher abundance of summer territories in the urban site, may mean that song sparrows have different criteria for evaluating what is considered a good summer territory versus a good wintering area. The higher number of yearlong resident males at the urban site may be due to these individuals occupying their summer territory areas so that these prime sites are not taken by other males during the course of the migration period

Examining Pilot Decision Making in Information-Rich Cockpits

Pilots are faced with making decisions based on a range of different information sources. One challenge pilots often face is the presentation of conflicting information between sources. This effort examined pilot decision making with conflicting information by conducting structured interviews with 13 pilots, including seven airline, three corporate, and three GA pilots. Pilots were asked questions regarding their experience with conflicting sources of weather, traffic, and navigation information on the flight deck or cockpit. Further, they were asked to describe how they responded to the information conflict, including which source they trusted, which source they ultimately acted on, and why they acted on that source. This paper describes the methods, results and implications for commercial and military aviation