Use of Weather Information by General Aviation Pilots. Part 2. Qualitative: Exploring Factors Involved in Weather-Related Decision Making

Abstract

Interview data obtained from 221 general aviation (GA) pilots are qualitatively scored for factors which influence weather-related decision making. Factors finding relatively strong support are (a) the specific type of weather to be faced (storms, ice, visibility, and cloud ceiling are of greatest concern to GA pilots), (b) type of flight (IFR vs. VFR), (c) pilot physiological state (primarily disorientation), and (d) the inherent uncertainty of weather and the resultant cognitive difficulty of understanding this uncertainty. Factors finding more modest support are (a) social and/or economic pressures, and (b) impulsive behavior. Additionally, relatively strong support is found in previously unpublished data for the influence of mission goals. Research directions, remediations, and the value of qualitative analysis are discussed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA481119

Entities

People

  • William R. Knecht

Organizations

  • Federal Aviation Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Aircrafts
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Data Analysis
  • False Alarms
  • Flight Training
  • Human Behavior
  • Information Exchange
  • Internet
  • New York
  • Psychology
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Storms
  • Students
  • Task Performance And Analysis
  • Turbulence
  • United States

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Aviation Science / Aeronautics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design