Pilot Performance

"Situational Awareness"

Pilot Performance - "Situational Awareness" was originally featured in The CEO Refresher and is reprinted with permission.

Piloting an aircraft involves a continuous process of accurately recognizing what is happening and adjusting actual performance to the desired performance for each task or activity. In a very general sense, in terms of reaching a destination safely, and from moment to moment, the pilot determines the desired performance and the actions needed  to maintain the effectiveness of the aircraft’s systems, other crew members, and passengers. 

Situational awareness refers to an anticipation and outwards focus on the environment and those vital internal systems and processes and is the basis of skill, proficiency and competency in execution.

Piloting a classroom successfully involves a continuous process of accurately recognizing what is happening and adjusting actual performance to the desired performance for each task or activity. The teacher as pilot-in-command determines the desired performance and actions needed to maintain a climate conducive to learning and high student performance. Situational awareness, the anticipation and outwards focus on the classroom environment and student internal learning systems and cognitive processes are the basis of skill, proficiency and competency in execution and skillful improvement of effective instructional practices.

In the classroom, improvement in instruction is best accomplished through a continuous and accurate interpretation of reality best derived through an intensive analysis of  student learning. Remember - perception is not reality. Reality exists in the data derived from frequent student assessment. The details of student strengths and weaknesses as derived from frequent assessment are key indicators as to the direction that should be taken when planning instruction. Planning instruction in any other manner can be a haphazard event and one well worth reconsidering.

An awareness, anticipation and outwards focus
on the world to ensure the achievement 
of desired objectives

The task of piloting an aircraft from a small area of ground, flying safely in all kinds of weather, avoiding collision with the terrain or other aircraft, and then returning smoothly to another small area of ground places significant demands on the human sensory processes. Very early in pilot training, trainees are made aware of the necessity to disregard the sensations from different senses, as the development of aviation has placed demands on the human sensory systems that are beyond their normal limits. Flying tests the capability of humans to accurately perceive reality and therefore respond effectively. The processes developed to perform in spite of these limitations provide a useful roadmap for any activity in which the accuracy of perception is important to successful execution and competent performance. 

The task of planning instruction around student assessment and evaluation ensures students greater opportunities for mastery of performance standards and objectives. Very early in pilot training, trainees are made aware of the necessity to disregard the sensations from different senses, as the development of aviation has placed demands on the human sensory systems that are beyond their normal limits. Likewise, educators should disregard the sensations that lead to faultily perceived notions that learning has occurred and rely instead upon the data derived through assessment analysis.  As flying tests the capability of humans to accurately perceive reality and therefore respond effectively, the teaching processes should no less accurately interpret the learning progress of students and equally seek to provide an effective instructional response.  

Situational awareness in aviation is the aware attention to the external reality, and more importantly, the accurate interpretation of events, conditions and phenomena. It is the full or maximum available deflection of one’s aware attention to the external environment to know with a very high degree of certainty what is really going on. An accurate assessment of reality starts with the very basic assumption that one does not know! Typical intellectual processes of categorizing patterns and rationalizing phenomena to fit with past experiences cannot suffice in dealing with the reality of an ever changing and unique set of circumstances in a turbulent environment. The ‘know it all before it happens’ assumption creates an attitude of complacency which can prove to be fatal. Awareness and attention remain focused externally only when we do not know, and have an intense need to find out! 

Situational awareness during instruction is the aware attention to the external reality, and more specifically, the accurate interpretation of student learning and progress through frequent assessment and evaluation. An accurate assessment of reality starts with the very basic assumption that one does not know! What's the right question? "Are my students really learning?" What's the next question? "How can I prove it?" Then finally, "How can I increase instructional effectiveness to help my students learn better?" Awareness and attention remain focused externally only when we do not know, and have an intense need to find out! 

Situational awareness is an ongoing process of the continuous assessment and accurate interpretation of reality. Effective environmental scanning when combined with the awareness of the performance capability of the aircraft, and the self awareness of personal capabilities and skill of the pilot result in competency and precision in the execution of maneuvers, and flight safety.

Situational awareness is an ongoing process of the continuous assessment and accurate interpretation of reality - period. Effective instructional analysis when combined with the awareness of the classroom environment, the performance capability of the student, and the self awareness of personal capabilities and skill of the teacher result in competency and precision in the execution of lessons, learning, and performance.

Preflight routines and preparation are designed to minimize in-flight operational distractions and disruptions. It has become standard procedure for pilots to employ checklists for important transitionary maneuvers to ensure details and specifics are carried out without exception. These checklists are very brief sequences of the required actions to ensure a thoroughness and accuracy of execution. The checklists of vital operating procedures are also designed to minimize the internal routines that require attention yet ensure the proper performance of aircraft systems.

Instruction and lesson plan preparation should be designed to minimize instructional down time, distractions, and disruptions, and to maximize learning opportunities and student-centered activities. When the instructional design targets the needs of students, learning opportunities abound.  Designing lesson plans around data-driven instructional analysis occurs when teachers align curriculum standards, teaching strategies, assessment and evaluation, and then plan subsequent instructional lessons from the data derived from student assessment and evaluation. 

At all levels of proficiency and experience, pilots are cautioned to avoid flying by ‘feel,' as the sensory perceptions can often be deceiving. The techniques of environmental scanning based on our physiological reality of vision are designed to deflect maximum attention externally. 

The ‘unlearning’ of dysfunctional perceptions and ‘overlearning’ of procedures and maneuvers are also designed to free up the maximum of aware attention to the external environment for the accurate interpretation of reality. The activity of piloting an aircraft requires a constant and conscious aware attention focused outwards on the environment and on those vital internal functions that are critical to the achievement of desired specifications of performance and effectiveness.

Points worth remembering:

• At all levels of proficiency and experience, teachers are cautioned to avoid teaching by ‘feel,' as the sensory perceptions can often be deceiving.
• The ‘unlearning’ of dysfunctional perceptions and ‘overlearning’ of instructional procedures and processes that lead students to successful learning and performance are also designed to free up the maximum of aware attention to the classroom environment for the accurate interpretation of reality.

The foundation for high performance in a 
rapidly changing environment

Situational awareness is the foundation for high performance in a rapidly changing context. The awareness, anticipation, and outwards focus of attention on the environment, accurately matched to the capabilities of aircraft systems and pilot proficiency can ensure the achievement of desired objectives. The achievement of flawless levels of execution in an uncontrollable environment attests to the almost limitless capabilities of individuals to achieve very high levels of performance in very challenging circumstances.

Situational awareness is the foundation for high performance in a rapidly changing context. The awareness, anticipation, and outwards focus of attention on the classroom environment, accurately matched to the capabilities of student learning systems and instructional proficiency can ensure the achievement of desired objectives and the almost limitless capabilities of individuals to achieve very high levels of performance.

A continuous process of accurately recognizing what is happening and adjusting actual performance to the  desired performance for each task or activity.

Henry K. and Bettina

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