Ability Requirements for Next Generation Aviation Professionals

Abstract

Comparing today's control rooms or cockpits to those of about 30 years ago clearly shows huge differences in hard- and software, making changes in psychological requirements more than reasonable. To identify changes in ability requirements for operators in future aviation is of some concern when learning about solutions envisaged with large scale programs like NextGen or SESAR. This presentation reports what more than 300 air traffic controllers and pilots described as perceived changes in ability requirements when comparing today's aircraft or system with the one they have been trained for initially. Results were showing different pictures for the professions compared; however operational monitoring, information ordering, selective attention, time sharing and vigilance were always among the requirements with the highest perceived changes since initial training. Results will help to increase the understanding of past changes in ability requirements as perceived by job incumbents.