A Comparative Study of Cognitive Abilities of Generation Y and Generation Z Pilot Candidates

Objective Training aviation specialists is a complex and rigorous process. According to statistics, 75% of incidents negatively impacting flight safety have been caused by human error. This article analyzes the admission process to aircraft piloting studies, which has remained unchanged over the last decade.Background Various research results show variability between different generations’ abilities and achievements. It is unclear what differences emerge during the selection process to aircraft piloting studies.Methods The admission process to aircraft piloting studies involves selecting the most capable young people between 18 and 20 years of age who have completed their secondary education and demonstrate that they possess the required abilities for such studies.Results The tasks of the selection process are divided into four factors with the help of exploratory factor analysis – Initial information processing, 3D perception, 2D perception, and Level of analysis. The period analyzed includes representatives of Generation Y and Generation Z. The study results revealed statistically significant differences in the performance of the two generations. The results indicate that technology has a significant influence on the abilities of the candidates.Conclusions Generation Y representatives excel in concentration and logical thinking, making fewer errors in such tasks. However, they demonstrate weaker performance in spatial thinking tasks. Conversely, Generation Z representatives outperform the former in spatial thinking and sequence arrangement tasks. However, they are prone to making more errors in tasks that demand high concentration and attention.