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:
Non-technical skills in the civil aviation sector.
WHAT?
Study aiming to identify and propose a single integrative framework of non-technical skills (NTS) for different groups across the civil aviation sector. It reviews academic literature, regulatory documents, and sector-specific models to clarify which behavioural, cognitive, and interpersonal skills are most critical for aviation safety and performance.
WHERE?
Lusófona University, Portugal.
WHEN?
Published 2024 in the International Journal of Professional Business Review.
WHY?
Human performance is critical to safety and operational success. However, there is fragmentation in how non-technical skills are defined, trained and applied across different aviation professions and roles. The study aims to create a unified framework that can guide recruitment, training, assessment, and human resource development.
HOW?
The study uses a structured literature review based on international literature and regulatory sources, including ICAO, EASA, Skybrary, and industry publications. It first analyses definitions of competence, distinguishing between technical and non-technical skills. Then it compares existing soft skills models across different industries and aviation-specific NTS frameworks for pilots, air traffic controllers, maintenance personnel, and cabin crew. From this comparison, the authors extract the skills most frequently identified by multiple sources and regulatory bodies, creating an integrative model applicable across civil aviation roles.
FINDINGS:
Across roles and regulatory models, certain non-technical skills consistently emerged as central.
The final model integrates 15 core non-technical skills for civil aviation: assertiveness, leadership, verbal communication, critical thinking, trust, interpersonal relationships, situational awareness, problem-solving ability, flexibility/adaptability, responsibility, time management, decision-making, workload management, teamwork, and stress management/resilience.
The study emphasises that these skills complement technical competence and are essential for safe, efficient aviation operations across all roles, not just pilots (for whom non-technical skills training has received the most attention to date).
SO WHAT?
This paper provides a practical framework for training departments, safety leaders, and HR managers to structure competency assessment, training programs, and recruitment.
For CRM practitioners, the findings reinforce that core CRM skills such as communication, teamwork, decision-making, situational awareness, and leadership, are central across all aviation professions and roles.
The study also highlighted the challenge of keeping NTS models updated as technology, automation, and operational environments evolve rapidly. Measuring the impact of NTS training on safety performance remains a key future challenge.
REFERENCE:
Rouco, J. C. D., & Sousa, D. F. R. de. (2024). Non-technical skills in the civil aviation sector. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 9(4), e04576. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2024.v9i4.4576
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