Human factor issues related to flight deck automation require thorough knowledge of airline pilots’ perceptions of advanced automated aircraft. This understanding is important in designing effective training programmes and developing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of an airline that are needed to fly these aircraft safely. The purpose of this study was to identify the core components of advanced flight deck automation and to construct a valid and reliable instrument to measure the perceptions of airline pilots with regard to automated flight deck systems on modern commercial jet aircraft. An Automation Attitude Questionnaire, the AAQ, was constructed and distributed to all the pilots employed at a major South African carrier. The subsequent data, received from 262 respondents, was interpreted and then analysed using the SPSS and StatsPac statistical software packages. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that five distinct factors were responsible for a significant portion of the variability in pilots’ perceptions of advanced flight deck automation systems and training on those systems. After analysis, these factors were labelled ‘comprehension’, ‘training’, ‘trust’, ‘workload’ and ‘design’. The results indicated that those pilots who operated mainly Airbus-manufactured aircraft types had a statistically significantly more positive perception of the design of the automation system than those of their counterparts who flew mainly Boeing-manufactured aeroplanes. Co-pilots who operated primarily on the company’s long-range aircraft expressed significantly more positive perceptions of advanced flight deck automation training than the line captains dedicated to long-range flying. It was found that captains flying the company’s short-range aircraft also held a more positive perception of automation training than captains operating long-range aircraft. The biographical variables of age, years of flying experience and total flying hours, appeared to be negatively related to both the comprehension and training dimensions of advanced flight deck automation. However, the mere opportunity to fly these advanced automated aircraft seemed to affect pilots’ perceptions of these systems more positively than negatively. Finally, the overall responses of the majority of participants in this study were very positive with regard to the five core factors related to perceptions of advanced flight deck automation. It is suggested that future studies of this nature should incorporate a larger sample consisting of cross-cultural carriers in the global industry. This will confirm the external validity of the present study and support the transfer of findings to other airline pilot populations. / Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

Orientador: Amilton Jose Moretto / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T02:04:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Garcia_AltairdaSilva_M.pdf: 2118469 bytes, checksum: 6afb07925172ef7682ea713004bf050a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Esta dissertação analisa as transformações ocorridas no transporte aéreo regular no Brasil entre os anos 1990 e 2006 e os principais impactos nas relações de trabalho no setor. Para dar conta dessas alterações procuramos, num primeiro momento, analisar o setor aéreo desde a criação das primeiras empresas, da constituição do seu marco regulatório, como também através dos movimentos de expansão e retração do setor. No período mais recente, buscamos traçar um paralelo entre os determinantes macroeconômicos, regulatórios, bem como das estratégias de gestão adotadas pela empresas aéreas. Com efeito, num segundo momento estabelecemos uma breve caracterização do emprego no setor, com ênfase na categoria aeronauta. Analisamos também a representação de classe da categoria e as negociações coletivas ocorridas nas entre 1990 e 2006. Foi possível constatar que tais mudanças afetaram o setor de forma decisiva. O desempenho, inferido pelo tráfego aéreo indicou taxas de crescimento superiores ao crescimento do PIB. Esse bom resultado foi puxado pela demanda no mercado doméstico (ass-km utilizados), que cresceu 174% no período. Essa expansão garantiu ao segmento doméstico maior participação em relação ao segmento internacional. Por outro lado, grandes empresas aéreas que atuavam no mercado doméstico na década de 1990, como Transbrasil, Vasp e Varig desapareceram. A Varig, após uma longa agonia, acabou sendo absorvida pelo Grupo GOL. Contudo, essa mudança radical não afetou a forte concentração do setor, que continuou com pelo menos duas grandes empresas aéreas, abocanhando aproximadamente 90% do mercado doméstico. Porém, é preciso destacar que esse período trouxe à baila uma profunda mudança, caracterizada pela redução generalizada de custos nas aéreas, lançamentos de novos produtos/serviços, segmentação de clientes, incrementos tecnológicos e aumento expressivo da produtividade. Os ajustes descritos acima atingiram os trabalhadores, precarizando as relações de trabalho. Nesse sentido foi possível verificar uma contração dos rendimentos reais, além da intensificação do trabalho e da alteração do perfil dos aeronautas, sobretudo na redução dos vínculos de trabalho de longa duração. Observamos que dentre os aeronautas, os comissários de bordo absorveram os maiores impactos, tanto pela elevação da rotatividade, como pela contração dos rendimentos reais e pelo aumento dos vínculos de trabalho de curta duração. Diante desse cenário, de forte instabilidade e de pesada ofensiva das empresas aéreas, buscando flexibilizar as relações de trabalho e reduzir custos, os trabalhadores conseguiram resistir, o Sindicato dos Aeronautas-SNA conseguiu preservar a regulamentação da categoria, bem como o padrão das negociações coletivas, ainda que esse período tenha-se notabilizado pela fragilidade sindical (baixa sindicalização e descolamento da base) e pela fragmentação da representação dos trabalhadores do setor. / Abstract: In this thesis we analyze the changes in the air transport sector in Brazil between 1990 and 2006 as well as the main impacts on labor relations in the sector. To understand these changes, we initially analyze the airline industry since the creation of the first companies, the formation of its regulatory framework, until the period of intense movements of expansion and contraction of the sector. In a more recent period, we seek to draw a parallel among three aspects: macroeconomic, regulatory, and those associated to management strategies adopted by airlines. Considering this scenario, we established a brief description of employment in the sector, with emphasis on the category (Flight Deck Crew and Cabin Crew member), analyzing also the representation of the class and collective bargaining occurred in between 1990 and 2006. It was possible to observe that these changes had affected the air traffic sector in a decisive way. The business performance, as inferred by air traffic, had presented higher growth rates than the GDPgrowth. This good result was driven by demand in the domestic market (ass-km used), which grew 174% in the period. This expansion assured the domestic segment greater participation in relation to the international segment. Nevertheless major airline companies that have operated in the domestic market in the 1990s, as Transbrasil, Varig and Vasp, have disappeared. Varig, after a long agony, was finally absorbed by the group GOL. This radical change did not affect the strong concentration of the sector, which continued with at least two major airlines, snapping up about 90% of the domestic market. We must emphasize also that this period brought to fore a profound change, characterized by the general reduction of total operating costs, launching of new products/services, customer segmentation, technological advances and significant increase in productivity. Never the less the adjustments described above affected workers, causing a precarization of work relations. In this sense, it could be seen a contraction in real incomes, besides na intensification of the working journey. Changes on the employees profile were experienced, especially because of the reduction of working ties of long duration. We noticed that among the category, flight attendants category absorbed the greatest impact, by the increase in turnover, by the contraction in real incomes and also by the increase of short-term employment bonds. Facing this scenario, of strong instability and of heavy offensive by the airlines companies, seeking more flexible employment relationships and reduced costs, the workers were able to resist. The union of category (Flight Deck Crew and Cabin Crew member) -SNA has managed to preserve the rules of the class, as well as the pattern of collective negotiations, although this period has became notorious by a weak union (low unionization and detachment of the base), the fragmentation of worker representation in the sector. / Mestrado / Economia Social e do Trabalho / Mestre em Desenvolvimento Econômico

In order to perform their duties, airline pilots must have no clinical diagnosis of mental illness or any substance use disorder. However, provisions have been in place since the 1970s that provide for a return to work for airline pilots with alcohol problems. To date, over 5,000 airline pilots have undergone rehabilitation for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and successfully returned to work. An important gap in the literature remains with regard to what extent improvements in cognitive performance may be experienced by airline pilots who complete treatment and to what extent age influences the amount of change. This study examined the archival data of 95 male Caucasian pilots who were assessed for cognitive performance shortly after entry to 30-day inpatient treatment and approximately 5 months later during the return to work evaluation. A nonexperimental within subjects design compared pre- and post-treatment scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV) full scale and 4 index scores as well as differences for age groups (25 to 44, 45 to 54, and 55 to 64). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that there were significant gains on all WAIS-IV measures pre-post treatment for AUD. MANOVA results indicated no differences between age groups. These findings support current Federal Aviation Administration program practices with regard to returning airline pilots to work following rehabilitation and a sufficient period of abstinence. The potential of this study to promote the agenda of social change may be substantive for raising awareness of the cognitive deficits associated with AUD and how these may impact the safety of flight operations.

The recent emergence and growth of the regional airlines in the United States has placed a strain on the supply of pilots that are needed for staffing scheduled flights. This present pilot shortage is presenting challenges for 2-year colleges and 4-year universities with aviation programs to produce more pilot graduates in less time to meet the staffing demands made by the regional airlines. With this shortage, the pressing issues of how to train and hire qualified pilots to fly technologically advanced regional airline jet aircraft have forced the industry to demand more aviation skills from a shrinking market of aviation pilot candidates. Colleges and universities with aviation programs have been forced to compete with outside private aviation schools on a larger scale in the training of collegiate students for airline employment opportunities. The primary purpose of this study was to expose any inadequacies in the higher-education aviation curricula and to propose changes needed to better qualify aviation students in the hiring process at regional air carriers. This study concentrated on the principle that higher education is necessary for advancing a pilot's aptitudes and abilities to perform the highly technical tasks of a professional pilot in a regional airline environment. The avenues of obtaining aviation experience along with flight certificates and ratings in an academic environment from 2-year colleges and 4-year universities with aviation programs is examined, along with qualifying these schools with the criteria regional airlines expects from new pilots hired. A survey was used to poll the pilots from two regional airlines that were based in Texas. By analyzing the responses from the returned surveys, the quality of training that existed in higher education aviation programs was revealed. The study confirmed the value of advising a path of higher education for students embarking on an aviation career as a pilot for a regional airline. The study concluded that 2-year colleges and 4-year universities with aviation programs are meeting the present demands made by the regional airlines.

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