While I wait for Keith Hendy to give you, in answer to your query, a
heads up on his papers on IP/PCT theory and the consequent
Time/Knowledge/Attention control thesis, here are a couple of thoughts.
I am going to differ with Keith on how to train people, in accordance
with his IP/PCT model, on the basis of skill-development methodology,
but that's a minor issue. As well, the fact that Keith's papers aim at
crew operations does not at all diminish its relevance to single-pilot
ops. This is critical learning for pilots.
In a recent Ag accident out here, the pilot had checked out the area he
was to spray, and noted the presence of a power line. He planned to fly
tracks parallel to the wire. Aloft, the wind effect was such he changed
his plan, turning the tracks through 90 degrees. On the run where he hit
the wire, it would have been plainly visible. Learning to understand
power of denial (yep, as I wrote in my book) to cause an image,
projected onto the retina, not to be consciously processed, is an
essential accompaniment to learning from Keith's outline of theory. (An
equivalent example from Keith's writing is the pilot who found more
interest in what was in his nav bag than what was happening outside.)
Macho attitudes amongst our Ag pilots are particularly bad. For example,
they routinely take off and land downwind, even in high wind speeds.
(And their accident rate is twice that of the US Ag community. Big
challenges here.)
Testing control of attention? The WOMBAT test assesses a person's
ability to control a complex system under pressure. In other words, it
is a test of ability to control attention allocation under time-stress.
(You score by performing a number of tasks, scoring highest when you
best allocate time evenly to all.) It is relevant to flight and
piloting. I will send a report on some testing we did on Ag pilots here,
but directly, as they should remain confidential.
Cheers
Doug