The validation of the selection battery for pilots of the South African Air Force

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The recent procurement of modern fourth-generation fighter aircraft by the SouthAfrican Air Force (SAAF), severe budget constraints, as well as demographictransformation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) impactedheavily on the selection and training of SAAF pilots. Against this backdrop, thispredictive criterion-related validation study attempted to find an optimal battery topredict various aspects of pilot training performance, using all SAAF qualifiedpilots from 1997 to 2002 as the sample (N=107). Multiple regression analyseswere performed to construct a model which can be used to predict the success oftrainee pilots in three phases of pilot training, namely officers' formative training,ground school training and practical flight training. Stepwise regression analyseswith training grade achieved as criterion were performed on the data for each ofthe phases of training. Multiple correlations of 0,34 (p<0,001), 0,21 (p>0,05) and0,22 (p<0,05) were obtained for flight, ground school and formative training resultsrespectively. Various recommendations regarding the present composition of thebattery are made

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University