This paper discusses selected aviation human factors challenges in the air transport environment. Because of the authors’ background, much of this paper will be based upon the growth of human factors and airline training in transport aviation in the United States. However, parallel growth and advancements have been made in other parts of the world from the beginning of air transport and are being made in many parts of the world today. This is certainly true of Great Britain. One should never forget that air transport is a world enterprise and has been since its beginning. While it is important to recognise that cultural and other differences should be considered if they are relevant, it is equally important in air transport to recognise that common problems are solved by common solutions and can be addressed by, but are not limited to, common approaches.

It is recognised that the behavioral aspect of aviation human factors deserves considerable attention, particularly in the area of training and evaluation. We have also learned that previous training criteria are not satisfactory for operation with increasingly complex aircraft being operated in an increasingly complex environment. Human errors occur with greater frequency than is often believed and can be made by anyone — even an airline captain. An inevitable consequence of this entirely human characteristic is that the role of the co-pilot has been considerably enhanced. Furthermore, the monitoring function of the pilot-not-flying, whether he/she is the captain or co-pilot, is now recognised as a critical safety function by virtually all serious operational experts.