Pilot Professionalism and Attitude Management: A New CRM Generation?

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

Crew Resource Management (CRM) is the professional training program provided by air carriers to assist pilots in their use of all resources (human, hardware, and software). Effective CRM practices are predicated on following checklists, using SOPs, conducting appropriate preflight actions, and engaging in proper planning. However, the establishment of CRM programs does not always guarantee the absence of unsafe pilot behaviors (Cook, 2002). Recent research detected the presence of many pilot behavioral traps in airline accidents between 1991-2013 (Velazquez, 2016). Common behavioral traps include the pressure to complete a flight as planned, the desire to please passengers or to meet schedules, and the determination to get the job done (FAA, 2009). As a result, on 7 October 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a rule to improve the professional development of U.S. airline pilots to make certain that they adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and prevent behavior which could lead to pilot errors. With the recent FAA proposal, could we be on the brink of a new CRM generation, one focused on pilot professionalism or even attitude management? This presentation will achieve the following objectives: (1) briefly define the new FAA’s Pilot Professional Development rule, (2) make a case for a new CRM generation – based on Attitude Management – using published research, and (3) propose a method to conduct Attitude Management training for pilots.

Author

• Velázquez, Jonathan, Ph.D. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• Pilot Professionalism
• Attitude Management
• Crew Resource Management
• Training