"I'd be interested in hearing your ideas on how to
familiarise crews with their (individual) cognitive
thresholds."
Jan, I can speak for one airline that we do not address this issue with
our flight crews, but it is a topic that warrants exploration. Jan's
question has an interesting challenge for all of us that work with
flight crews. It is part of a bigger question, "What is the future of
human factors training in the airline industry?" I get this question
often -- just yesterday from my Managing Director. There seems to be a
general consensus among line pilots that CRM has worn out it's welcome;
that pilots are tired of hearing this CRM stuff. I'm one who is willing
to admit that there may be some truth to that. It isn't that pilots
don't need CRM anymore; it's that they feel that they have gotten the
"undergraduate" CRM course. Maybe they are ready for advanced training.
Perhaps "individual cognitive thresholds" is one subject that should be
considered for advanced human factors training. Of course, "individual
cognitive thresholds" might work in our vocabulary, but it must be
packaged differently to be palatable to the line pilot.
My question for the group is, "What are some of the other topics that
should be included in "Advanced Human Factors" training? A second
question is, "If we perceive a need to 'return to the basics,' how do we
package the basics so they are different, interesting, and accepted?"
-- Guy M. Smith Manager, Human Factors Practices Northwest Airlines N7205 5101 Northwest Dr. St. Paul, MN 55111-3034 Phone 612-727-4255