How a Higher Education Aviation Faculty Perceived the Challenges of an Online Emergency Transition during the Covid-19 Pandemic and Identifies Recommendations for Future Emergency Online Transitions

The purpose of this case study is to discover the perceived challenges and identify future recommendations for emergency online learning transition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at a major aeronautical higher education institution in the southeast region of the United States. For this study, emergency online learning transition is defined as the period in which higher education faculty members were required to pivot to an online methodology in response to a global pandemic in the spring and fall academic semesters of 2020. The theories guiding this study are the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by Icek Ajzen and the theory of equivalency by Michael Simonson as it describes how individuals are influenced to modify their behavior and how to make online learning activities equivalent to traditional face-to-face. To enhance the description and understanding of the phenomena at hand, this study used three different data collection methods: individual interviews, focus groups, and document analysis. Using a maximum variation and purposeful sampling technique, the study collected data from 12 aviation higher education faculty participants from the Aviation Department of a major aeronautical university in the southeast region of the United States. Using three data analysis strategies, triangulation, coding, and thematic analysis, three themes emerged from the data. Those are faculty challenges, recommendations, and essential elements

Assessing Unstabilized Approaches: A Phenomenology Study of the Risk Perceptions and Decision-Making Thought Process of General Aviation Pilots.

The Federal Aviation Administration emphasized the need to focus on and develop human factors training as early as 1993 in official Human Factors Policy Order 9550.8. The purpose of this study was to conduct a detailed qualitative phenomenological analysis of the risk perceptions and decision-making model of collegiate aviation pilots for unstabilized approaches. The study focused on understanding how collegiate aviation pilots perceive unstable approaches, the risk associated with unstable approaches, and the factors that trigger pilots to execute a go-around. The International Air Transportation Association warns that continuing an unstabilized approach can lead to runway excursions, hard landings causing damage to aircraft, or even controlled flight into terrain. The theoretical framework guiding this study was the risk compensation theory. The researchers recruited 15 participants through purposeful sampling for a phenomenological analysis using semi-structured interviews and a short questionnaire. A phenomenological methodology enabled the researchers to bring forth into consciousness preconceived ideas about unstabilized approaches and then set them aside. To address the research questions, information collected from individual interviews was analyzed and triangulated using a qualitative questionnaire. Three major themes emerged from the data: (a) effect of internal perceptions, (b) external pressures, and (c) unique worldviews. The findings validated the risk compensation theory’s principles by exposing the influence of mental and environmental factors impairing participants’ judgment of an unstabilized approach. Further research is required for developing standardized and objective stabilization criteria that the general aviation community can accept

Effectiveness of a Flight Simulation Training Visual Aid for Normal and Crosswind Approach and Landing

Flight simulators have a significant contribution to effective and efficient flight training across the globe. Significant literature has suggested the effectiveness of simulation tools in training pilots in different scenarios and is an area for continued development and research. To continue those efforts, this study assessed the effectiveness of visual aid to be used as an instructional aid for flight instruction for crosswind landings. The need for further training in crosswind landing is substantiated due to the significantly high number of accidents for General Aviation aircraft in the approach and landing phase of flights. The study utilized an experimental research design and consisted of pre-survey, post-survey, and performance assessments. Along with the descriptive data collected from the surveys, the 5-point competency-based performance assessment was used to grade the landing performance in seven aspects of crosswind landings which was used for the hypothesis testing. The post-results survey highlighted that most participants found that the visual aid assisted with identifying visual cues and perceptions that aided the participants during the crosswind landings in the FTD. Additionally, almost all participants found the visual aid relatively simple to understand and utilize, with all the corresponding lines and marks being easily understood. The statistical analysis of the null hypotheses identified that the visual aid allowed the participants to successfully maintain the required airspeed, vertical speed, and height above the runway threshold on the traffic pattern\u27s final leg. The conclusion of the study highlights the need for such visual aids, further potential improvements in such a visual aid, and scope of utilizing visual aids for improving flight education. While the post-survey and performance assessment highlighted the deficiency in the visual aid in fulfilling some of the objectives of the development of the aid, the results should be used as a foundation for further development of visual aids for flight education

Usability Analysis of a Landing Visual Aid as an Instructional Aid for General Aviation Pilots

Un-stabilized approaches pose a major risk for the safety of flight. As of October 2020, there were over 220,000 active general aviation aircraft in the United States, and there were 3,257 general aviation accidents in the landing phase of flight from 2009 to 2019. Enhanced pilot training and the use of simulation techniques have been recognized as effective risk mitigation techniques by accident investigation agencies globally. This study will be targeted towards the further development and testing of a training aid (Crosswinds Training Aid) for General Aviation pilots with special emphasis on collegiate aviation flight students. •A crosswind landing visual aid was conceptualized and developed by the researchers and technicians at the Advanced Flight Simulation Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus. •The researchers aim to test the usability and validity of the training aid through simulations with up to 70 flight students of the university. •The data collected will include quantitative data. •The findings of the study will be used to further enhance the training aid that will benefit the Embry-Riddle student community

Assessing Unstabilized Approaches: A Phenomenology Study of the Risk Perceptions and Decision-Making Thought Process of Collegiate Aviation Pilots

The Federal Aviation Administration emphasized the need to focus on and develop human factors training as early as 1993 in official Human Factors Policy Order 9550.8. The purpose of this study was to conduct a detailed qualitative phenomenological analysis of the risk perceptions and decision-making model of collegiate aviation pilots for unstabilized approaches. The study focused on understanding how collegiate aviation pilots perceive unstable approaches, the risk associated with unstable approaches, and the factors that trigger pilots to execute a go-around. The International Air Transportation Association warns that continuing an unstabilized approach can lead to runway excursions, hard landings causing damage to aircraft, or even controlled flight into terrain. The theoretical framework guiding this study was the risk compensation theory. The researchers recruited 15 participants through purposeful sampling for a phenomenological analysis using semi-structured interviews and a short questionnaire. A phenomenological methodology enabled the researchers to bring forth into consciousness preconceived ideas about unstabilized approaches and then set them aside. To address the research questions, information collected from individual interviews was analyzed and triangulated using a qualitative questionnaire. Three major themes emerged from the data: (a) effect of internal perceptions, (b) external pressures, and (c) unique worldviews. The findings validated the risk compensation theory’s principles by exposing the influence of mental and environmental factors impairing participants’ judgment of an unstabilized approach. Further research is required for developing standardized and objective stabilization criteria that the general aviation community can accept

Integration of Advanced Qualification Program into Aviation Education

The Federal Aviation Administration places aviation safety as a top priority, continuously striving to improve safety standards within the National Airspace System. In 2004, the Federal Aviation Administration introduced the Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) as an alternative methodology for pilot training and evaluation. This study explores the impact of AQP-centered aviation education on student performance, particularly in the context of learning advanced jet transport systems. The AQP model, based on aligning training with operational aviation requirements, emphasizes cognitive skill training and evaluation. Theoretical foundations underpinning this study include Karp’s integrated aviation learning model, which seamlessly integrates various instructional approaches, fostering comprehensive knowledge and proficiency. The research employs one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare student performance in AQP-centered, traditional classroom, and blended aviation education. Results reveal that AQP-centered education consistently produces the highest student performance. The study’s findings emphasize the potential benefits of integrating the AQP into aviation higher education programs. Future research should expand these investigations to encompass diverse aviation degree programs and student perceptions, fostering the continuous enhancement of aviation education and safety standards