Pilots' perception of risks and hazards in general aviation.

A sample of licensed pilots completed the Aeronautical Risk Judgment Questionnaire (ARJQ) which was developed to obtain data on pilots' perceptions of their abilities, willingness to take risks, hazard awareness, and judgments of the risks of general aviation. A subset of these subjects was tested on a computerised test of flight decision-making involving a proposed VFR flight in marginal weather conditions. Results from the ARJQ indicate relatively low levels of risk and hazard awareness combined with a generally optimistic self-appraisal of abilities by this sample of general aviation pilots. Younger subjects (under 30) were found to rate the likelihood of being involved in an accident more highly than did older pilots. Experienced pilots obtained higher scores on a measure of "personal invulnerability" from factors commonly associated with accidents. This does not appear to be due simply to overconfidence in their abilities, since it was the younger and less experienced pilots who held the most unrealistically optimistic appraisals of their ability. Pilots who proceeded with the computerised flight rate themselves as having a greater willingness to take risks, and were likely to be younger and have higher total hours than those who rejected the flight. They were also found to have significantly higher scores on the measure of "personal invulnerability." The results are discussed in relation to previous epidemiological findings and possible safety prevention strategies.