SIAP Norway aviation, psychology, pilot, pilot selection, flying, training, consultants, psykologer, flypsykologi, flygere, flyskoler, konsulenter, personalutvelgelse, personlighetsvurdering, menneske-maskin

Models for selection to Flying Training Schools

Is selection of candidates important?
Yes, if the school prefers candidates who are able to:

· Acquire good airmanship and attitudes

· Develop good pilot skills

· Stay motivated

· Adapt well in the demanding airline industry

· Be preferred by the major airlines

· Be ambassadors of their Flying Training School

Almost everyone can learn how to fly if given enough training and time. As pilot training also is a business, every school needs student pilots to stay in business. One option is accept the candidates who are interested, another option is to make entrance dependant on a thorough assessment of pilot potentials. The candidate will then have an opportunity to consider her or his pilot ambitions realistically, before the investment is done.

To ensure a high level of pilot potentials among the students is for the school both a way to contribute to future safe flight operations, to reduce costs in the training, and finally the best way of marketing their school.

Ab-Initio Selection is a search for potentials. We look for basic skills, the ability to acquire knowledge and the potential to utilize it all within a cockpit-setting. Apart from aptitudes, the personality has to support a stable functioning and a sound further development as both life and work experience increase. They have to be motivated to work hard, and then to develop the real kind of pilot motivation based on a joy of mastering the aircraft, the technology, and the teamwork on a modern flightdeck.

Different models
One day with the Written Test Battery and one or two Individual Examinations is the main model. Screening may be implemented at various stages, and at different requirement-levels.

When the aim is to ensure only a minimum level of basic skills, some schools and student pilot candidates prefer to use the Written Test Battery only, without Individual Examination. This is a low cost option, suitable for "negative selection"; that is to identify candidates with modest or small chances of succeeding as pilots. (In late 2004 we also introduced a new short version Pilot test, - see below for more information!)

The school itself may be our client, or the candidate. The important thing is that we report to our client only. If it is the candidate who pays for the assessment, we report to her or him. It is then up to the candidate to forward results to the school, and it is up to the school to decide what students they accept.

When reporting to the student pilot candidate, there are also different options. One is to use our Ab-Initio Certificate, where the results are given by scores from 1 to 9 on a set of variables.

These variables are:

· General Reasoning

Is it a realistic goal?

· Numerical Reasoning

· Technical Mechanical Understanding

· Spatial Orientation

· Speed of Perception

· Short Term Memory Functioning

· Mathematical Knowledge

· Competence in English

· Simultaneous Capacity

· Psychomotoric Skills

· Communication Skills

· Teamwork Potential

· Leadership Potential

· Total Evaluation of Pilot Potentials

We also include a Personal Report where assets and shortcomings regarding a future pilot career are discussed and concluded with recommendations. This is intended for the candidate only, while the Ab-Initio Certificate may serve as attachment when applying to a flying training school.

A procedure with the Written Test Battery, one Individual Examination, Ab-Initio Certificate and Personal Report, is also what we offer individuals who want personal counselling before they make a decision regarding a future pilot career.

NEWS! – A brief and efficient screening test

Flying training schools who wants a brief and efficient tool for basic screening of applicants, may now administer our new Pilot Test themselves. It is a written test battery on General Reasoning, Technical Mechanical Comprehension, Spatial Orientation, Speed of Perception, Numerical Estimation and Simultaneous Capacity. The test takes about 2 hours, and answer sheets are e-mailed or sent to us for scoring and evaluation. Results are returned by e-mail to the candidate and training school.

This new Pilot Test is intended as a counselling tool for the candidate and the school, applied together with other information on suitability, motivation and pilot career goals. Test results so far indicate high correlation to more extensive written tests used in pilot selection.

This Pilot Test is presently only in Norwegian paper-and-pencil format. A CD-ROM version is on the way, and English version may be developed upon request. This is a low cost test option; the flying training purchases a licence and start-kit, and pays per tested candidate.

For further information – contact us on siap@siap.no

Models for selection to Flying Training Schools

Is selection of candidates important? Yes, if the school prefers candidates who are able to:

Is selection of candidates important?
Yes, if the school prefers candidates who are able to: