Presenter Email
scottt2017@my.fit.edu
Location
Mori Hosseini Student Union Events Center (Bldg #610) – Rooms 165 E/F
Start Date
3-3-2020 2:15 PM
End Date
3-3-2020 3:30 PM
Submission Type
Presentation
Other Topic Area
Pilot Selection
Keywords
pilot selection, aptitude, personality, psychological assessments, pilot training, human factors, safety.
Abstract
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.
Presenter Biography
Tomas C. Scott is an undergraduate research assistant at Florida Institute of Technology and is expected to graduate with a B.S in Human Factors in Fall of 2019. Tomas is a FAA certificated private pilot, ground instructor, and remote pilot. He is currently training for his commercial pilot certificate. During his junior year, he worked as a flight operations and safety intern at Embraer Executive Jets. He intends to pursue a PhD in Aviation Human Factors and become a professional pilot. Tomas spent his formative years in both Spain and the United States and is bilingual. His research interests include ab-initio pilot selection and training.
Pilot Selection Research Gaps: What We Do and Don't Know About "The Right Stuff"
Mori Hosseini Student Union Events Center (Bldg #610) – Rooms 165 E/F
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.
Comments
Presented during Concurrent Session 8B: Pilot Supply