ABSTRACT
General aviation (GA) pilots in the United States represent a large and varied population, with a wide range of skill levels, experience, and training. In addition, they fly a correspondingly wide variety of aircraft, ranging from simple fixed-gear, single-engine aeroplanes to high-performance, twin-engine aeroplanes, along with helicopters, seaplanes, and gliders. Historically, one of the major means of providing GA pilots with training after they acquire their certificates has been the safety seminars conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). One part of the research program has focused on understanding the nature of pilot expertise as a means of identifying the characteristics of skilled pilots that might be amenable to training in novice and relatively inexperienced pilots. The research programs that have examined pilot expertise, decision-making, and behaviour have led to the development of products that may be used as interventions to improve GA pilot performance.
