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| Pilot Skill Evaluation (The Right Stuff) |
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What turns a good fighter pilot into a top gun?
Ask airmen and they’ll probably tell you “you’ve either got it
or you haven’t.” But are they right?
Professional pilots’ skills and dedication to the job are second to none,
but recent research at the ATC suggests that new approaches to training can
bring out ‘the right stuff’ in every capable pilot. By first defining
the sometimes abstract concept of airmanship as a combination of skills,
experience and drive for self-improvement, the ATC have been able to recommend
new approaches to training. These approaches hold the notion of airmanship as a
central theme around which all specific skills are developed. This way,
aircrews are encouraged to create a mental picture of what it takes to be an
outstanding airman against which they can constantly judge their
performance.
Airmanship is a term that has relevance throughout aviation from commercial and
general aviation through to the military domain. It applies equally to pilots
and non-pilots (e.g. navigators) and is as relevant on the ground as it is in
the air. It is regarded as the key to modern aviation and yet it is a concept
that causes considerable confusion particularly when attempting to define it.
Airmanship is something that all aircrew seem to understand but are unable to
put into words other than “I know what it is when I see it.” To some,
airmanship simply means developing expert “stick and rudder skills”;
to others, it means effective decision-making and good judgement. Some even
regard airmanship as simply a professional attitude or a code of conduct.
From our research, the ATC has concluded that true airmanship is the
‘total package’ requiring both physical and cognitive skills and an
appropriate attitude. These three essential ingredients can be labelled as
judgement, control and discipline. Airmen need a balance of these to excel at
their job. “Airmanship is more than having the requisite skills and
knowledge; it is about having an appropriate attitude and a desire to perform
optimally at all times.“ says Louise Ebbage, psychologist in the Human
Factors Department at ATC. To be outstanding, aircrew must adopt a
self-improvement mind-set. “This centres on their desire to perform to the
best of their ability in every flight and to seek continuous improvement in
every aspect of performance. The text-book approach to aviation will not
produce top flight airmen.” says Louise.
Despite a widely held view that airmanship cannot be taught, this work at the
ATC proposes that air-crews can be shown how to create an internalised model of
the skill. This helps them to build appropriate expertise and place experiences
into a meaningful context.
A new approach to training includes less emphasis on behavioural learning which
focuses on conditioning students. In its place ‘constructivist’
teaching is recommended in which students take more responsibility for their
own learning and play a more active role in the learning process. This will be
achieved by placing airmanship at the heart of a training system rather than as
an add-on. |
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