Air Force Pilot Selection Assessments

1. Air Force Pilot Selection Assessments Tina Strickland Air Force Personnel Operations Agency 2 Nov 04

2. TBAS • In 1999, Air Force Training Command requested development of a new skills battery for pilot selection that uses the latest advances in psychomotor and cognitive research • Partnership between the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory (NAMRL) and the AF Academy • Developed the Test of Basic Aviation Skills (TBAS) as a possible BAT replacement • TBAS scheduled for fielding in FY06 pending funding

3. TBAS • Directional Orientation Test • Multi-tasking Test • 3-digit Listening Task • 5-digit Listening Task • Horizontal Tracking Task • Airplane Tracking Task • Emergency Scenario Test

4. Directional Orientation Test Measures spatial orientation abilities. Participant must determine a UAV’s position relative to a target. Test simultaneously presents a "tracker map" which shows the location and heading of the UAV; and a forward field of view, as seen through a fixed, forward pointing camera of a UAV, which shows a single building surrounded by four parking lots. Task is to click on the parking lot that a computer‑generated voice instructs. Ex: Image the west parking lot. There are 48 questions. Score: combination of accuracy and speed of responses TBAS

5. TBAS Directional Orientation Test

6. Multi-tasking Test Measures multi-tasking skills. This subtest consists of a series of individual tasks and then builds in difficulty by combining tasks. Tasks: 3-digit listening 5-digit listening Horizontal tracking (HTT) Airplane tracking (ATT) HTT and ATT HTT, ATT, and 3-digit listening HTT, ATT, and 5-digit listening TBAS

7. TBAS • Dichotic Listening • (3- or 5-digit listening) Participants are presented with auditory letters and numbers. They must squeeze the trigger when they hear any of the three (five) specified numbers. The test lasts approximately 3 minutes. • Score: accuracy and quickness of response; participants penalized for not responding to the specified numbers and for false responses

8. TBAS Horizontal Tracking Participants use rudder pedals to keep a box over an airplane as it moves horizontally along the bottom of the screen. The airplane moves at a constant speed and changes direction when it “hits” the side of the screen or if a participant successfully targets it for multiple seconds. The task lasts 3 minutes and level of difficulty (airplane speed) increases as the task progresses.

9. TBAS Airplane Tracking Task Participants use a joystick to keep the gunsight on the airplane as it moves at a constant rate. The airplane randomly changes direction when it hits the side of the screen or if a participant successfully targets it for multiple seconds. The task lasts 3 minutes and level of difficulty increases as the task progresses.

10. TBAS Combined Airplane and Horizontal Tracking Tasks • Participants perform both tasks at the same time • Test lasts for 3 minutes

11. TBAS Combined Airplane and Horizontal Tracking Task and Dichotic Listening • Horizontal tracking, airplane tracking, 3-digit (5-digit) listening • Participants perform the 3 tasks at the same time for 3 minutes

12. TBAS Emergency Scenario Test • Measures decision making under stress. While participants simultaneously perform the horizontal tracking task and the airplane tracking task, they are presented with three emergency scenarios (one at a time) which they must cancel out by typing a code with the keyboard. • Cued by verbal announcement and the word “emergency” moving along the top of the screen • Subjects are given 8 minutes to read the instructions, memorize the 3 emergency situations and the correct response for each of the 3 situations • Test last 3 minutes and task difficulty increases with response accuracy