Influencing factors and intrinsic mechanism of military pilot's professional competence based on DEMATEL-TAISM method

Military pilot's professional competence is crucial for accomplishing combat missions and ensuring flight safety. However, relative research on influencing factors and interrelationship of military pilot's professional competence is limited. In the development of the influencing factor index system for military pilot's professional competence, thirty qualified military pilots were recruited to conduct surveys on the influencing factors and the direct influence matrix, and the decision making trial and evaluation-total adversarial interpretive structure modeling(DEMATEL-TAISM) method was then applied for analysis. The results indicate that: ①The influencing factor index system comprises 13 critical factors, categorized into four groups: non-technical skills, basic aviation theory, flight training, and type rating. ②Flight capabilities in multi-task/scenario switching, flight capabilities in routine situations, flight capabilities in emergencies, basic tactical theory, self-management skills, and physical fitness are the most crucial six influencing factors. The former three have the highest centrality (association with other factors), while the latter three have the greatest causality (likely to affect other factors). ③For the generation of military pilot's professional competence, self-management skills, physical fitness, and basic tactical theory constitute the most fundamental determinants, whereas aerial tactical capability, post-flight debriefing, and type-rating flight skills represent the most direct determinants. In conclusion, the influencing factor index system can be directly used to guide the development of military pilot's professional competence evaluation system.