Competency-based assessment of pilots’ manual flight performance during instrument flight training

Abstract A pilot's control behavior has a direct impact on aviation safety. To adapt to new flight training reforms, a competency-based assessment method is proposed in this paper. First, assessment scenarios, key competencies and observable behaviours were determined. Then, observable behavior assessment indexes were developed based on standard operating procedures and practical examination standards. Flight training data were analyzed based on curve similarity theory and a time series fast retrieval algorithm, and the assessment indexes were scored. The competency assessment method was established by quantifying “HOW MANY” and “HOW OFTEN” observable behaviors according to the assessment indexes score results. Finally, the fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm was used to classify the assessment values, and assessment results were obtained. A teardrop pattern procedure was used to test the reliability of the assessment method. The results indicate that the correlation coefficient between the model evaluation and the expert evaluation is 0.947 with a significance level of 0.01, reliably and objectively quantifying manual flight performance and improving the scientific nature of manual flight performance assessment methods. Flight training institutions can use this method to establish diverse assessment scenarios and formulate corresponding assessment indexes based on the characteristics of each pilot to reasonably evaluate the manual flight performance of pilot. Targeted training methods can then be adopted for pilot with different performance levels to improve their competency.