Flight School Research Articles

The Transfer of Skill from a Computer Game Trainer to Actual Flight

A study was conducted at the flight school of the Israeli Airforce to test the transfer of skills from a complex computer game to flight. The context relevance of the game to flight was argued on the basis of a skill oriented task analysis, anchored in contemporary models of the human processing system. The influence of two embeded training strategies was compared, one focusing on the specific skills involved in performing the game, the other designed to improve the general ability of trainees to cope with the high attention load of the flight task. Flight scores of two groups of cadets who received 10 hours of training in the computer game were compared with those of a matched group of cadets without game experience. Both game groups performed significantly better than the no game group in the subsequent test flights. They also had higher final percentage of graduation from the flight training program. The game has now been incorporated in the regular training program of the airforce.

Organization and Management Techniques for Collegiate Flight Training Programs -- A Foundation for Improved Human Resources Management

Whether an organization has one employee or 1,001, the effective and efficient use of time and effort is an on going challenge for management. The collegiate flight school is no different from any other business enterprise and IS fertile ground for the implementation of many techniques of human resource management which have existed for sometime in the educational and business administration fields. Through an examination of several historically significant models and concepts that have been utilized to improve the productivity and health of the organization. it is the intent of this paper to equip the flight school manager with some effective tools with which to develop and sustain a happier and more viable unit.

Schooling and Shelter Seeking Tendencies in Fingerling Channel Catfish

Schooling and shelter seeking tendencies in fingerling channel catfish were investigated from 1966 to 1968 by observing fish stocked in plastic pools. The catfish formed aggregations near the bottom of the pools during daylight hours when shelters were absent. On disturbance, flight schools were formed. When shelters were present the fish took shelter during the day; the schools tended to enter the shelter as a whole rather than breaking up. At night fish were out of the shelters, were dispersed, and did not form flight schools when disturbed. When temperatures were below 4 C the fish remained in shelters and aggregations both day and night. Fish with barbels removed did not deviate from the behavior described above. Blinded fish associated with each other and with normal fish in resting aggregations but could not keep up with flight schools. Fish kept in constant darkness remained dispersed.