Human Performance in General Aviation

This is the first available edited collection of chapters on human performance in general aviation. Each chapter has been written by someone with knowledge of both the research literature and the operational background of general aviation. Chapters are designed to survey the current state of knowledge in areas critical to general aviation and to spell out both the operational implications of this knowledge and the directions needed for future research. Topics covered include strategies for flight instruction; the development of computer-based training; stress and decision making; skill development; the involvement of general aviation pilots in incidents and accidents; human factors implications of GPS use and the future of aircraft design and development in general aviation. The book provides an authoritative outline of currently applicable human factors knowledge for general aviation and a valuable guide to future developments. It features a foreword by Dr Stan Roscoe.

Contents: Foreword: Captain Dr Gordon Vette. Introduction: Introduction to human performance in general aviation, David O’Hare; Forgotten lessons in aviation human factors, Stanley N. Roscoe. The General Aviation Pilot:The general aviation pilot: variety is the spice of flight, David R. Hunter; Grace under fire: the nature of stress and coping in general aviation, Alan Stokes and Kirsten Kite. Instruction and Training: Integrating human factors education in general aviation: issues and teaching strategies, Irene Henley, Prue Anderson and Mark Wiggins; Flying light aircraft: the aircraft control problem and psychomotor skill development, Don Harris. Computer-Based Training in General Aviation: The development of computer-assisted learning (CAL) systems for general aviation, Mark Wiggins; A pilot for all seasons: beyond simulation, David O’Hare and Richard Batt. New Technology and General Aviation: Lost in space: warning, warning, satellite navigation, Ruth M. Heron and Michael D. Nendick; Innovative trends in general aviation technology: promises and problems, Dennis Beringer. Safety and Accident Investigation: Safety is more than accident prevention: risk factors for crashes and injuries in general aviation, David O’Hare; The role of ccident investigation in general aviation, Dmitri Zotov; Index.

Dr David O’Hare is senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. He graduated from the University of Exeter in 1978 and lectured at the University of Lancaster until 1982. He moved to his present position at Otago in 1982. With Stanley Roscoe he is co-author of Flightdeck Performance: The Human Factor (Iowa State University Press).