PILOT DECISION MAKING - AN ALTERNATIVE TO JUDGEMENT TRAINING

Abstract

In many gliding clubs pilot training is concerned mostly with skills training, and we are generally pretty good at this. Pilots are taught how to handle the glider adequately, and to assess heights and distances, for example how to make good approaches to the runway for a smooth landing. We do this in spite of student pilots being of all ages. People also fit into a huge range of personalities, though we tend to group them into a few categories only. Do we adjust our training for these variations? Do we achieve a good, all-round pilot who is able to handle abnormal situations? Not in all cases. As is widely known pilot error is blamed for a high percentage of aviation accidents. We can and should address this fact by looking at the training we give, as it is during training that we have the best chance of influencing the future actions of the new pilot. This paper tries to assess the implications of pilot training on accident proneness, and what we as instructors can and should do to train pilots to acquire good decision making abilities.