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:
Solving the brittleness problem: Redefining airmanship in the age of increasing complexity.
WHAT?
Conceptual paper arguing that aviation’s safety record has been built on automation, standardisation and procedural compliance, but that these strengths have also created brittleness. The author proposes a revised model of pilot performance he calls Airmanship 2.0, designed to improve cognitive flexibility, adaptability, and resilience in complex, ambiguous or unexpected situations.
WHERE?
Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands.
WHEN?
Published 2026.
WHY?
Modern aircraft are highly reliable and increasingly automated, reducing opportunities for pilots to practise adaptive problem-solving. Future AI-enabled systems are expected to increase system complexity further, making it even more important for crews to understand unfamiliar situations rather than simply follow procedures. Developing the cognitive flexibility to adapt to this will be key to managing the increasing complexity.
HOW?
The author synthesises accident investigations, human factors research and resilience. Seven major airline accidents are reviewed to identify common patterns of crew performance in complex, opaque situations.
The proposed Airmanship 2.0 model builds on Tony Kern’s Airmanship Model, which describes effective airmanship as sound judgement and situational awareness supported by knowledge, flying proficiency, skill and discipline.
The author argues this remains highly effective for routine operations but should be expanded with three additional capabilities: openness to uncertainty, cognitive self-regulation (maintaining thinking under stress), and adaptable mental models that allow pilots to question assumptions and make sense of unfamiliar situations.
FINDINGS:
The paper concludes that aviation’s current safety model is approaching its limits because procedural compliance, while essential, can gradually erode adaptability. Airmanship 2.0 integrates procedural discipline with sensemaking (actively building an understanding of ambiguous situations before deciding how to respond).
It also highlights cognitive recovery from startle, emotional regulation and continual reassessment as core pilot competencies. The author argues that future automation should actively support pilot understanding rather than simply replacing pilot tasks.
SO WHAT?
This paper provides a conceptual frameworks for adapting human factors to the era of AI and Human–Automation Teaming. Rather than replacing CRM, TEM or EBT, it suggests they should be extended by making future pilots equally proficient at procedural compliance and adaptive thinking.
The paper highlights the value of scenario-based training that develops sensemaking, cognitive flexibility, startle recovery and decision-making in novel situations.
As AI becomes a genuine teammate rather than simply another automation tool, these capabilities are likely to become defining attributes of professional airmanship.
REFERENCE:
Mohrmann, F. (2026). Solving the brittleness problem: Redefining airmanship in the age of increasing complexity (Preprint). EngrXiv. https://engrxiv.org/preprint/view/7310
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