We examined the potential vulnerabilities of pilots flying a mixed fleet of two differentaircraft types. A "worst case" scenario was evaluated in which a pilot, flying one typeexclusively, would need to fly the different type, after 6 months without any recurrencytraining on the latter. These circumstances invite negative transfer of habits in the "old"aircraft, to performance in the "new" aircraft". Documents of both aircraft were evaluatedto establish those aspects of design and procedures differences that invite such negativetransfer; a list of 36 such "vulnerabilities" were identified. Then 40 active commercialairline pilots from a US carrier participated in an evaluation of such negative transferbetween two different types within the fleet. The sample was divided into 2 groups eachof which normally flew one of the types and not the other. After training on the "new"type, each pilot returned to either 3 or 6 months of flying exclusively with their "old"type, and then returned for simulator evaluations on the "new" type that were targeted toreveal the 36 vulnerabilities. Even with power-sensitive statistical analyses, only slightevidence for negative transfer was found. Those areas where such transfer did emergewere targeted for recommendations of either procedural harmonization or minor designchanges.
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