An analysis of pilot flying performance in terms of component abilities

Abstract

"Measures of flying proficiency in 24 separate maneuvers were obtained on a sample of student pilots. The intercorrelations among these maneuver performances were subjected to factor analytic study. The interrelationships were best interpreted in terms of ability factors, most of which had been identified previously in laboratory studies of experimental perceptual-motor tasks. The factors were identified as Control Precision, Spatial Orientation, Multilimb Coordination, Response Orientation, Rate Control, and Kinesthetic Discrimination. The results seem to indicate the usefulness of such ability categories in describing complex skills. Similar analyses of the interrelationships among component performance measures of other complex jobs may provide one way of defining the ability requirements underlying proficiency in those jobs." (33 ref.) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)