Project Abstract:

Airline Pilot Training Survey

• Industry: Aviation
• Business Need: Team Training
• Client: Federal Aviation Administration

In the early 1990s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) introduced the Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) as a voluntary alternative to traditional pilot training. Since its introduction, AQP has been widely implemented at several air carriers. The primary goal of this project was to collect information regarding airline pilots’ experiences in and perceptions of their professional training. A secondary goal was to compare and contrast the perceptions of AQP and non-AQP trained pilots.

The project was conducted in three phases. During Phase I, we developed a detailed research plan. This plan specified the population to be studied, key subgroups that comprise the population, strategies for sampling the population, and important variables that are related to pilot experiences in and perceptions of AQP training. The plan was developed based on a review of AQP documentation, site visits at several airlines, and a meeting of experts in the field of airline pilot training.

During Phase II, we developed the survey instrument and administered it via US mail to a stratified random sample of over 30,000 airline pilots from the 24 largest air carriers. We developed survey items to address issues that were identified during the literature review, site visits, and focus groups with airline pilots. Prior to its implementation, the survey was endorsed by a cadre of technical experts from the federal government, the airline industry, and the three major pilot unions. We took several steps to increase response rate, such as pilot testing the survey, pre-notifying the participants, and using follow-up reminders.

During Phase III, we cleaned and analyzed the survey responses. An analysis of the 11,000 usable respondents indicated that the respondents did in fact represent a valid cross-section of the US pilot population. As a result, the survey results did not need to be weighted. We then assessed pilots’ affective reactions, utility reactions, and training-related opinions. We then compared AQP vs. non-AQP trained pilots, as well as pilots enrolled in initial vs. continuing qualification training programs. The results suggest that pilots like their training and perceive their training as useful. Mean differences between the different training programs and training types were small. One notable finding is that training programs which integrate Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles throughout the entire curriculum are rated more favorably than training programs which teach stand-alone CRM courses.