| General aviation aircraft accident rates between 2007 and 2009 included 186 commercial accidents as compared with 3,860 general aviation accidents. Crew Resource Management (CRM) is defined as a set of instructional strategies designed to improve teamwork in the cockpit by applying well-tested tools and appropriate training methods (e.g., simulators, lectures, videos) targeted at specific content (i.e., teamwork, knowledge, skills and attitudes). The NOTECHS (non-technical skills) are comprised of cognitive, social, and personal resource skills and these are used to complement traditional technical skills. The general aviation community has not succeeded in incorporating mandatory NOTECHS training into the FAA Private Pilot Certification Program. A specific gap in the literature on training student pilots in flight schools is studies on the perceptions of flight instructors (Mavin, Roth & Decker, 2012). There is minimal research to date on flight instructors' perceptions of student preparedness for flying and training challenges as well as on ways to modify and improve flight school curricula to strengthen a safety culture in general aviation. The specific problem is that although the student single pilot operation in general aviation encompasses the most challenging and dangerous of aviation tasks, perceptions of flight instructors remain undocumented on ways to modify and improve flight school training programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore flight instructors' perceptions on the need to require NOTECHS skills training in the FAA Private Pilot Certification Program and on how such training may prevent general aviation accidents. A multiple-case study research design was used to satisfy the goal of this exploratory research, and data will be collected through multiple sources, including in-depth individual interviews, archived documents, and subject matter expert (SME) review and reflection of the data collected. The researcher will conduct 8 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with flight instructors employed by four flight schools in the state of Florida to include: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Sun State Aviation, Trax Air and Epic Flight Academy. Results and recommendations of this study include using commercial and military aviation operational strategies in the implementation of NOTECHS assessment of student pilots in the FAA Certification Training Program. |
