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Relationship of age and simulated flight performance
J A Yesavage1, J L Taylor, M S Mumenthaler
1Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA. yesavage@stanford.edu
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|July 15, 1999
Summary
Older aviator performance on flight simulators declines with age, though age is not the sole factor. Further research is needed to understand other influences on pilot capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Aviation Psychology
- Human Factors Engineering
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging is associated with physiological and cognitive changes that may impact complex task performance.
- Maintaining high standards of aviator performance is critical for aviation safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between chronological age and aviator performance in a simulated flight environment.
- To quantify the impact of age on specific flight simulator tasks.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study design was employed.
- One hundred aviators aged 50–69 years (mean age 58) participated.
- Performance was assessed using a Frasca 141 flight simulator, with data collected via a UNIX-based IRIS 4D computer system.
Main Results:
- A significant negative correlation was observed between increasing age and aviator performance on the flight simulator.
- Older pilots demonstrated decreased performance across various flight tasks.
Conclusions:
- Increased age is significantly associated with diminished aviator performance in simulated flight.
- Age accounted for 22% or less of the variance in performance, indicating that other factors significantly influence older aviator capabilities.