New human factor courses available at FAASafety.gov : Flight Training Central

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The term “human factors” refers to the wide range of issues affecting how people perform tasks in their work and leisure environments. Human factors study applies knowledge of the human body and mind to better understand human capabilities and limitations which allows stakeholders to better design tasks and technology in order to optimize the relationship between human operators and the environments within which they work.

To help better understand how pilots conduct and support flight operations, nine new Human Factors courses are available on the FAASTeam’s website at https://bit.ly/HFcourses. The course modules focus on safety culture, human performance, communication, teamwork, situational awareness, decision making, threat and error management, human information processing, and design and automation and are eligible for credit in the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program. The courses include:

Safety Culture—Culture very much drives, “the way we do things around here”. And yet many general aviation pilots feel that, because they don’t fly for an aviation organization, they’re not subject to cultural influences.

Human Performance—Human Factors knowledge has shown us how to excel in dealing with the physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges of flight.

Communication—Misunderstandings and communication failures at best cost time and money, and at worst, compromise safety.

Teamwork—There is a huge network of individuals and services available to every pilot and working with these assets as a team, we can fly to more places, more efficiently, and more safely than we can on our own.

Situational Awareness—Becoming situationally aware begins well before we take flight. In many cases before we arrive at the airport.

Decision Making—This module teaches us how to make good decisions, even in tough situations.

Threat and Error Management—This module gives us knowledge and tools to manage threats, errors, and undesired aircraft states.

Human Information Processing—An overview of how our information processing system works and how a process intended to lead to success can occasionally contribute to failure.

Design and Automation—Technology and automation have eased pilot workload in some areas but increased it in others.

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