Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities Underlying Success in USAF Pilot Training
Abstract
The USAF uses two standardized tests, the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) and the Basic Attributes Test (BAT), as a means of identifying candidates with potential to succeed in pilot training. These instruments have been demonstrated to be predictors of success in the single-track Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) program in place since the 1960s. In 1993, the USAF initiated Specialized UPT (SUPT) and introduced a glass cockpit training aircraft to the training program for airlift and tanker pilots. SUPT will change with acquisition of a glass cockpit primary trainer and retrofit of the current bomber/fighter trainer with new avionics and instrumentation. Success in this new training environment may depend on attributes not assessed by the BAT or AFOQT. This research was conducted to identify skills, knowledge, and abilities underlying success in current and future SUPT to guide the content of follow-on selection instruments. Task lists for each program and training aircraft were developed, and student and instructor pilots were surveyed on the importance, difficulty, and abilities underlying performance of each task. Results indicated there were no significant differences in ability requirements between the programs and airframes examined.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA394443
Entities
People
- Jefferson M. Koonce
- Johnny J. Weissmuller
- P. Nance
- Walter E. Driskill