The aviation industry is currently recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and is forecast to continue to grow after returning to pre-pandemic levels of activity. As a result of retirements and growth, airlines are experiencing a large demand for qualified pilots. Collegiate aviation programs serve as a major source of training and recruitment, but…

This study explores potential disparities between flight instructor evaluations and pilot self-assessments in the context of full flight simulator training. Evaluated performance was based on the Competency-based Training and Assessment framework, a recent development of competency-based education within aviation. Self-assessed performance is…

Scope and method of study: The purpose of this national research study was to examine the effects that COVID-19 had on primary flight training at the collegiate level. This study was to determine how pilot production was affected by the pandemic and its associated lockdowns and mitigation measures to help see the ripple effects it caused and…

Three studies in this dissertation examined a topic centered around delayed flight progress in aviation pilot training. Study one explored the impact of nonconcurrent flight laboratory training on the academic outcomes of collegiate aviation students, while studies two and three explored virtual reality and artificial intelligence as potential…

Flight training is a lengthy and resource-intensive process with additional learning, and teaching techniques are often overlooked. One technique is observational learning, or backseating in aviation training, which can accelerate pilot training. This study aimed to analyze the factors that facilitate and hinder the implementation of backseating…

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that all pilots hold a medical certificate granted by an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), or an equivalent exemption standard. Over the years, these aeromedical examinations have grown to include aspects related to mental health, as well as a number of other factors. There are several mental…

This study has determined that a significant difference exists in the performance of collegiate and non-collegiate trained private pilots during initial commercial pilot training. The findings reinforce prior research which indicated that noncollegiate trained private pilot's (NCTPs) require a large amount of additional ground training during…

Affect influences learning and training through various cognitive, psychomotor and motivational processes. This research aims to examine the role of affect in aviation training. Participants' (N = 19) affect and performance were examined in simulated aviation training while they performed ten tasks. Affective states were inferred from…

This paper investigates how flight instructors view the utility of competency-based education/training (CBE/T) during the training of new pilots. A total of ten flight instructors were interviewed and analysed through an interpretive paradigm of grounded theory. The findings indicate flight instructors of all experience levels have difficulty…

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drone applications have experienced tremendous growth over the past several years. Their capabilities and technology have penetrated many aspects of the modern world. They are being used for everything from emergency response and agricultural research, to entrepreneur businesses and package deliveries. Experienced…

In an authentic flight simulator, the instructor is traditionally located behind the learner and is thus unable to observe the pilot's visual attention (i.e. gaze behaviour). The focus of this article is visual attention in relation to pilots' professional learning in an Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator. For this purpose, we measured and analysed…

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate flight students' perceptions of a reward-based gamification intervention for their motivation to study outside the classroom while attending the Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) flight school in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has an ever-increasing population with a diverse number of…

Minorities are underrepresented in the aviation industry. More than 90% of professional pilots identify as White males. While research has identified this phenomenon, little qualitative research exists to understand low retention's driving factors. This phenomenological study sought the experiences of minority graduates of collegiate aviation…

Standard-setting is an essential component of test development, supporting the meaningfulness and appropriate interpretation of test scores. However, in the high-stakes testing environment of aviation, standard-setting studies are underexplored. To address this gap, we document two stages in the standard-setting procedures for the Overseas Flight…

Virtual reality (VR) is the latest type of technology being developed and rapidly integrated into training environments. This study investigated students' intentions to use VR for training. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was expanded to include two factors that are relevant to using VR in a dynamic learning environment. A survey of 310…