Development of a competency-based short course syllabus for flight deck human factors practitioners

A robust skill set for Human Factors (HF) practitioners who design, assess, and certify civil flight decks is essential. It is a critical factor in ensuring the safety, regulatory compliance, usability, and overall performance of installed systems and equipment and in providing a superior pilot experience. However, the industry faces a shortage of competent flight deck HF practitioners. This is exacerbated by the aging workforce, leading to a loss of mentors and an increased global demand for HF practitioners. Initial research presented by Konrad et al. (2022) also links this problem to universities not providing the education to transition directly into flight deck HF. Konrad et al. (2022) identified four core competence areas for flight deck HF practitioners. The four core areas are aircraft design and operation, HF, systems engineering, and certification. The research conducted in this subsequent paper started by validating the skills identified by Konrad et al. (2022). A job-skill requirements analysis was performed on 50 flight deck HF positions posted online to find potentially missing skills. A questionnaire was created and administered to 42 flight deck HF practitioners, from novices to experts. Participants represented small and large aircraft manufacturers, avionics suppliers, and regulators from America, Asia, and Europe. The questionnaire used a multiple-choice format with a final open-ended question. The data analysis identified patterns in the frequency of skill use, skill proficiency, and how participants acquired their skills. It showed that most practitioners acquired their skills from on-the-job training. Selected university-level programs and public short courses were reviewed to identify gaps in the academic curricula. It was found that no program/course fully matches the required skill set. These results prompted the development of a syllabus for a Human Factors Engineering in Civil Flight Deck Design and Certification course at the university graduate level that can be offered as a 40-hour compact short course or fit into a 16-week university course curriculum. The proposed syllabus is organized into five modules, including 15 lectures. The five modules are introduction, human properties, machine properties, total solution properties, and engineering properties.