An Evaluation into Pilot Proficiency Assessment and the Current State of Training in the Industry

Pilot proficiency assessment has been a debated topic, especially in recent years. Determining effective ways to assess proficiency has been the focus of many industries, including similar high-risk industries such as health care and nuclear power industries. For the purposes of this paper, a comprehensive investigation into the current state of pilot training was conducted to analyze and compare curriculum components, proficiency levels, assessment methods and overall safety outcomes of each instructional program. This analysis includes pilot training programs from the United States, Australia and the European Union, as they relate to pilot licensing. As flight training technology and hour requirements increase, alternate methods of instruction have become more prominent in the industry worldwide. Evaluating the mechanisms that comprise the various international instructional programs, such as the training devices and hours accrued in these devices, is important in understanding how they affect and influence proficiency levels and safety

Pilot Perceptions on Impact of Crew Rest Regulations on Safety and Fatigue

The risk of fatigue on pilot performance and safety is well recognized in aviation. In response to increased safety concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration addressed fatigue risk for passenger airline pilots in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 117, which included accommodations to address fatigue related risk-factors such as circadian rhythm and the phenomenon commonly described as jet-lag. The rule became effective in January 2014. A survey was conducted in March and April of 2014 to better understand pilot perceptions of the new Part 117 rule. This study analyzed survey responses from 92 self-identified pilots to determine the effect of these new regulations on pilot perception of safety and level of fatigue. The analysis of survey responses to 5-point Likert-scale questions suggested that 43% of pilots felt a positive impact on overall safety, contrasted to 30% of pilots who felt a negative impact on overall safety. Twenty-seven percent of pilots indicated that Part 117 did not have an impact on safety. For perceived level of fatigue, 35% of participants felt a positive impact of Part 117, whereas 33% of participants indicated a negative impact on their fatigue level. Thirty-three percent of participants felt no impact of Part 117 on their overall fatigue level. When asked if cargo operations should be included in the new regulations, 79% of respondents agreed. A qualitative analysis of open-ended comments provided by pilots revealed that negative perceptions of the new regulations were most frequently mentioned

The effect of supplemental video instruction on aviation student performance

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of supplemental video instruction on total completion time and overall project quality of a practical project created by aviation students. The project investigated was an 8-ply carbon fiber pre-preg lay-up that is typically accomplished in an aviation composites course. Twenty eight students, from a 58 student sample, were randomly assigned into a treatment group. The treatment group was given a six minute video covering the procedures on the written instructions. The remaining 30 students were assigned to the control group which was given written instructions currently being used in the composites course. A Mann-Whitney test was then used to analyze the results. The analysis of these results determined that there was no significant decrease on completion time using video instruction but there was a significant increase in project quality of the projects

Public Perception of UAS Privacy Concerns: A Gender Comparison

While much research has examined engineering and practical uses of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), there have been very few studies that have examined privacy concerns that the public may have towards UASs. Even less research has been conducted on how gender and type of UAS mission may affect privacy concerns. This paper examines gender differences in privacy concerns across a wide array of UAS mission types. We also examine potential mediators that explain why females and males differ in their privacy concerns. A total of 1067 participants were presented with various hypothetical UAS missions across four studies. They were asked to provide privacy concerns scores and related information. The results of all four studies conclude that there are distinct gender differences in UAS privacy concerns. These differences are mediated by various factors. The researchers conclude that future UAS operation should take into consideration the public’s privacy concerns and that these concerns are different for females and males.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author