KARA KUVVETLERİ HAVACILIĞINDA UÇUŞ EĞİTİM PERFORMANSI BELİRLEYİCİLERİNİN ANALİZİ

Selection of candidates for aviation training plays a critical role because of the special nature of pilot training and the critical tasks of pilots. Compared to other routine tasks, the success of flight training programs largely depends on the greater use of attention, ability, and other cognitive processes. Hence, effective selection systems must be employed considering the cost effectiveness of the programs and specific characteristics of flight training. Past research on the predictors of flight training performance has demonstrated that general cognitive and psychomotor abilities are the fundamental predictors of pilot performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive power of the Turkish Army Academy graduation grades and English level in addition to psychomotor abilities in the selection of pilots in the class of Turkish Army Aviation. In conclusion, psychomotor abilities, Turkish Army Academy graduation grades, and English level were found to significantly and independently contribute to the prediction of flight training performance. However, considering the critical limitations of the study, such as range restriction on the variables and lack of data from the candidates who dropped out of the training program, a comprehensive selection model for pilot candidates was not proposed.