ABSTRACT
Following the work of Endsley (1995), we used a microcomputer and the freeze technique to assess pilots’ flight knowledge indicative of situation awareness. Pilots answered partially overlapping sets of questions about their current position and altitude, the latest instructions from air traffic control, aspects of the weather, and so forth. Pilots’ answers were compared to the actual conditions to yield scores. Scores from individuals within flight crews were added together to yield team scores for situation awareness. The scores were evaluated for evidence of reliability and validity. Results showed that, scores were reliable across scorers, items and segments of flight. The scores also predicted independent evaluations by flight instructors of the same pilots’ handling of a different set of events in a foil motion simulator, thus showing evidence of validity. The approach appears useful and widely applicable.
