A Comparison of College Background, Pipeline Assignment, and Performance in Aviation Training for Black Student Naval Flight Officers and White Student Naval Flight Officers.

Abstract

Abstract : This is the fourth and final report in a series of reports analyzing minority officer accessions and attritions in the Naval Air Training Program. Previous reports compared black civilian procured applicants and white civilian procured applicants in terms of aviation selection test performance. In addition, black students in pilot training were compared with a matched sample of white students on training performance variables and college background factors. This report examines for differences in selection test scores, training grades, complete/attrite data, and college background factors between black students and a matched sample of white students in naval flight officer training. This report shows that black student naval flight officers (SNFO) performed significantly poorer on most training variables than a matched sample of white student naval flight officers. The overall attrition rate for the total group of black SNFOs was significantly higher than the overall attrition rate for the total group of matched white SNFOs. The category of attrition entitled 'Drop on Request' was the predominant category of attrition for both the black student naval flight officers and the white student naval flight officers. Significantly more black students than white students attrited for academic reasons, while significantly more white students than black attrited for reasons of physical disqualification and not aeronautically adapted. Statistically significant differences between pipeline assignments of the black SNFOs and pipeline assignments of the white SNFOs were found.