Basic Concepts — Page 10, Lesson 14

I want to start by talking about why human performance matters so much in aviation. There's a famous saying I want you to remember: aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous, but like the sea, it is inordinately unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect. That sets the tone for everything we're about to study. Human Performance — sometimes called Human Factors — is relevant wherever and whenever a human being is involved in aviation. It plays a fundamental and vital role in promoting efficiency and, above all else, safety in every facet of the aviation industry. Let me break down what it promotes. It promotes safety and efficiency, health fitness and well-being, operating skills, awareness of the common areas of human error, judgement and decision making, leadership qualities, and crew coordination. It also promotes efficient design of aircraft, cockpit instrument and control layouts, operating procedures, checklists, charts, training procedures, efficient and comfortable working environments, efficient personnel selection, and efficient communications. All of these can be summarised into two main goals: the safety and efficiency of the operation, and the well-being of the individual. Now, why is this a mandatory part of your training? Since the inclusion of Amendment 159 of Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention, which came into force on 16th November 1989, ICAO — the International Civil Aviation Organization — has made the study of Human Factors a mandatory part of obtaining a professional pilot's licence. So this isn't optional; it's a legal requirement for your licence. Let's move into the pilot and pilot training section. The introduction makes a crucial point: the most flexible but the most error-prone component within aviation is the aircrew. That's us. So selection, training, maintenance of morale, and monitoring of aircrews make the largest contribution to flight safety. When we assess the competency of a pilot, we look for a number of qualities. Among the qualities that go towards making a safe, effective and competent pilot are: a high sense of responsibility, ability — both academic and flight handling — motivation, being a good communicator, flexibility, physical fitness, reliability, a balanced personality, being a team player, calmness under stress, an eye for detail, competency in risk assessment, and competency in the skills of stress and crew managements. There is a myriad of pilot training methods and techniques available. These include flight simulator training, Crew Resource Management — which we abbreviate as CRM — Line Oriented Flying Training or LOFT, self-development, leadership training, flight safety training, survival courses, and correspondence courses. To ensure the future competency of pilots, courses should be designed to be relevant, regular, clear and concise, time-efficient, participational, and they should include course reading and revision material. Finally, let's talk about self-training. Self-training is a process aimed at developing specific skills, knowledge or attitudes. As pilots, throughout your careers you will be subject to continuous and regular training. But it is of fundamental importance that you do not rely solely on formal training to maintain your aviation expertise. Every opportunity should be taken to increase your competency, knowledge and professionalism. Always self-debrief after every flight. Read, research, discuss and discover as much as you can.