A cue-based processing approach to differentiating levels of safety performance in remotely piloted aircraft operations

This research was designed to examine the contribution of domain-specific cue utilization and self-reported experience to safety performance within the context of small Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operations. The capacity to utilize and integrate domain-specific cues is potentially advantageous in operating aircraft where the range of sensory cues available is constrained. However, the impact of domain-specific cue utilization on safety performance has yet to be investigated in the context of RPA operations. Data were obtained from 48 remote pilots with a range of operational experience. The participants completed the VLOS RPA edition of EXPERTise 2.0, which provided an assessment of cue utilization. The participants also completed a survey of their experience of adverse RPA safety events. The results indicated that small VLOS RPA pilots with relatively higher levels of domain-specific cue utilization were less likely to be involved in adverse RPA safety events, independent of conventional and remote aviation flying experience. While higher levels of recent remote flying activity were advantageous for all remote pilots regardless of their level of cue utilization, higher levels of recency were associated with a disproportionate improvement in the safety performance of individuals with relatively lower levels of cue utilization. The outcomes have implications for both training and the assessment of pilot performance in RPA operations.