Your discussion regarding check-ride-itis and the WOMBAT is quite timely.
Currently, I am planning a trip to Montreal to visit with Aero Innovation
and view the WOMBAT. Hopefully the power will be on! Now that's what you
call "heavy icing!" For those that missed it, parts of Ontario and Quebec
were battered by a severe ice storm on Jan 8th. Some areas will be without
power for at least another week. A thanks goes out to our southern
neighbors, for helping in the clean up.
Back to the WOMBAT's, where the aim of my visit is to determine its
suitability for advanced training / testing of ab initio pilots and
possibly, initial screening of our candidates. I have been reading what is
available, Doug's paper and a Cabin Safety article linked at Aero, in an
effort to understand if it is practical for our use. It sounds like the
jury is still out on this one. However, your experiences and further
comments regarding the WOMBAT effectiveness would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers!!!
Jeff Morris
Aviation Consultant
Captain (Ret'd)
Canada
jmorris_at_supercity.ns.ca
PS Still looking for suitable ab initio LOFT scenarios.
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Edwards <dougwds_at_b022.aone.net.au>
To: crm-devel_at_db.erau.edu <crm-devel_at_db.erau.edu>
Date: Thursday, January 15, 1998 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: Checkrides
>
>Don
>
>Good questions. Thanks for the chance to try to clarify some issues.
>
>I usually say 'WOMBAT (or equivalent) test'. That's because, though I
>have seen mostly unequivocal, convincing, results, there are still
>some experiences with it that remain uncertain (or unexplained). I
>guess I'll be fully sure in about twenty years.
>
>The basis for what doubts I do have is cultural. EG, one objective of
>WOMBAT testing is to ascertain an individual's potential to maintain
>high levels of situational awareness under stress. Yet some folk are
>wholly unfazed by things that are very distressing for others. What
>arouses an emotional response in me might leave you completely
>relaxed. However, I bet I could find some (& quite legal) exercises
>for the 'cool dudes' that will achieve the aim. (My personal regime
>involves hard physical exercise, occasional abseilling, jungle
>navigation, parachuting, disorientation and sight deprivation. But
>then I don't recommend my drinking habits, either.)
>
>I am an advocate of self-appraisal (and training) as it does permit
>elimination of uncertainty. We are all capable of knowing our
>reactions to emotional stress - and of assayng our ability to perform
>complex manipulative and crew-coordination functions while under
>intense pressure. Rigorous honesty with oneself is required, along
>with some assistance in selecting personally-appropriate benchmarks.
>(It also helps to be willing to experience serious discomfort in the
>pursuit of real professionalism.)
>
>Game? Sure it is. That's one of the things I like about the WOMBAT. It
>is wholly unlike anything associated with flying. When assessing an
>equivalent test (or set of exercises), my preference remains to choose
>something unfamiliar to participants. (Gaining familiarity with the
>WOMBAT will improve scores, but not to the extent that it loses effect
>as a measure. Ability to ride a horse was once used as a predictor of
>pilot ability and I'm not at all sure it still wouldn't work.) But I'm
>expressing my preference. Another approach might work better for
>others. The bottom line is that the individuals will know what is of
>value to them, what is working to strengthen their cognitive fitness.
>
>You are right, the issue is to predict how people will react under
>real, life-threatening, pressure. Indeed, in my view, this is the key
>to breaking the '80% barrier'.
>
>Better yet, the issue is for people to know without doubt that they
>will cope with maximum stress with absolute confidence. Everyone can
>improve upon their innate competence to do that, through regular,
>experiential learning and exercise. What they do may vary from
>individual to individual, culture to culture. But we all have to do
>something.
>
>Cheers
>
>Doug
>
>PS It stands for the Wondrously Original Method of Basic Aptitude
>Testing, and no, I'm not selling the damn thing, just a believer.
>