An Assessment of General Aviation Pilot Performance During Simulated Flight

This study was designed to create a dataset that captured the performance of general aviation pilots during a simulated flight from Wagga Wagga to Bankstown, NSW. A total of 34 pilots were tested, ranging in experience from 25 hours of total flying experience to 8500 hours of total flying experience. Each pilot was provided with a meteorological briefing, maps, and all the equipment necessary to conduct the flight as it would occur within the operational environment. The performance of pilots was assessed at three levels of analysis, the broadest of which involved pilots’ self-reports of their performance in general, and their performance during the flight. At a more detailed level, the performance of pilots was rated by an observer across each of the five legs of the flight. A number of dimensions of performance were assessed, including the accuracy with which the aircraft was controlled, the accuracy of track-keeping, the accuracy in maintaining the prescribed altitude, and the level of fatigue management. The final level of analysis involved objective data that were recorded throughout the flight by the flight simulator. Although the primary aim of the study was the collection of a dataset that captured performance, some comparative analyses were conducted, primarily to establish the basis for the differences in performance that were evident amongst pilots. Overall, the data indicated that performance during the flight was due less to pilots’ qualifications and recent experience and more to the stage of flight during which the assessment took place. Specifically, the final leg of the flight was associated with the greatest variability in performance and was associated with relatively poorer performance than the preceding stages of the flight. The results are discussed in terms of the impact of the nature of the task, and the impact of fatigue.