I bring you a weekly bite-sized chunk of the science behind helicopter human factors and CRM in practice, simplifying the complex and distilling a helicopter related study into a summary of less than 500 words.
TITLE:
Pilot see, pilot do: Examining the predictors of pilots’ risk management behaviour.
WHAT?
This study explored how factors such as attitudes, risk perception, flight experience, and demographic characteristics predict how pilots make risk-related decisions. Specifically, it examined why some pilots take unnecessary risks while others act conservatively when facing uncertain situations.
WHERE?
University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, involving aviation students and trainee pilots.
WHEN?
Conducted 2010.
WHY?
To identify whether commonly used markers of pilot competence (e.g. age, total flight hours, recency, and attitude towards safety) are effective in predicting actual risk-taking behaviour. The study also assessed whether a person’s risk perception can be used to predict real-world decisions.
HOW?
56 pilots participated in a flight simulation requiring them to decide whether to start a search for a missing parachutist with limited fuel. Pilots could choose to turn down (“No-Go”) or proceed with the task (“Go”). Prior to the scenario, researchers measured participants’ risk perception, attitudes toward safety, and demographic variables (age, total flight hours, and recency of flight experience). Post scenario these metrics were compared with the in-flight behaviour of the pilots who chose to carry out the task, including decisions like how long they continued the search and how low they opted to fly.
FINDINGS:
- Decision patterns: 20 pilots refused the task, prioritising safety, while 36 opted to carry out the risky flight.
- Risk perception: No-Go pilots scored significantly higher on prior measures of risk perception, suggesting risk perception does influence decision-making behaviours.
- Traditional competence indicators such as age, total flying hours, and recent flight experience showed no correlation with safer behaviour or reduced risk-taking.
- Behavioural differences : Among the ‘Go’ pilots, older participants flew at lower altitudes (an indicator of higher risk appetite), but those who reported greater self-confidence spent significantly less time airborne searching (reducing risk exposure).
SO WHAT?
The study challenges assumptions about what impacts competent decision-making in uncertain high-risk scenarios. Traditional indicators of pilot competence such as age, flight experience, and recency were poor predictors of actual risk-taking behaviour.
In contrast, an individual’s risk perception, especially regarding immediate high-risk situations, proved to be the most meaningful predictor of real-world decision-making.
This suggests that experience alone does not guarantee sound judgement, and instructors should aim to develop hazard recognition and calibrated risk perception in pilots through greater use of scenario-based training and expert feedback.
REFERENCE:
Drinkwater, J. L., & Molesworth, B. R. C. (2010). Pilot see, pilot do: Examining the predictors of pilots’ risk management behaviour. Safety Science, 48(10), 1445–1451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2010.07.001
*For a fuller discussion of this study see the Competent Aviators article “Experience ≠ Judgement” at the link: https://competentaviators.com/2025/11/08/experience-≠-judgement/
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