Total and Recent Flight Experience as Predictors of Pilot Instrument Performance

Objective The present research sought to investigate the impact of total flight time and recent flight time on instrument flight performance.Background Studies that examined the impact of total flight time and recent flight time on pilot proficiency and have reported mixed results for both total time and recent flight time. The present study examined the impact of total and recent flight time along with vocabulary and mental rotation on instrument flight performance.Method Thirty-nine instrument pilots were recruited from the aviation program at a midwestern university. All had successfully completed FAA approved instrument flight training. Each participant was required to conduct an instrument flight using an ELITE Personal Computer Aircraft Training Device (PCATD) to simulate instrument flight. The impact of total and recent flight time, total and recent instrument time (both actual and simulated), and recent instrument approaches along with vocabulary ability and mental rotation on instrument flight proficiency was examined using multiple regression procedures.Results The results revealed no significant effect of any of the predictor variables on specific deviations from a perfect flight profile using several navigation measures. Pilot adherence to proper flight procedures was primarily predicted by mental rotation ability, vocabulary ability but not flight time. Mental rotation ability also predicted major flight errors.Conclusion These results indicate that individual differences in instrument flight proficiency were predicted by vocabulary and mental rotation ability, while flight time (total or recent) had minimal impact on flight performance.