An Analysis of Aviation Test Scores to Characterize Student Naval Aviator Disqualification.
Abstract
The U.S. Navy uses the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTh) to identify those Student Naval Aviator (SNA) applicants most likely to succeed in flight training. Using classification and regression trees, this thesis concludes that individual answers to an ASTh subtest, the Biographical Inventory, are not good predictors of SNA primary flight grades. It also concludes that those SNA who score less than a 6 on the Pilot Biographical Inventory have a significantly higher disqualification rate in primary flight training than those SNA who score a 6 or higher. Those SNA who repeat the taking of the ASTh are more likely to disqualify from primary flight training than those SNA who pass it on the first attempt. Incidentally, significant differences exist in SNA performance and disqualification rates in Aviation Preflight Indoctrination among different racial groups. However, neither race nor gender is a significant factor in primary flight-training disqualification. Recommendations are provided to reduce the number of SNA entering the flight-training pipeline, if necessary, while significantly reducing the disqualification rate. Additionally, a method is given to identify those SNA most at risk of disqualifying from primary flight training.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA345971
Entities
People
- Erich J. Wahl
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School