Validity Study of a Selection Procedure for Student Airline Pilots

摘要

Predictive validities of an aptitude test battery for student airline pilots were determined, on the basis of the two criteria: training success (pass/fail) and pilot instructor's rating. Of 4207 applicants tested, 399 persons were accepted for training ab initio, 349 of them (88 percent) were successful. Multivariate data analyses resulted in acceptable validity coefficients. Whereas tests of psychomotor coordination and multiple task performance prove to be significant predictors for training success, such characteristics as mathematical reasoning, mental concentration, perceptual speed, and spatial orientation are more related to the instructor's ratings. A cost analysis demonstrates the high utility of the selection procedure.